Summary
And there we have it,The Last of Usseason 2 is now done and dusted, and what a rollercoaster it has been for fans of the Naughty Dog adaptation. Throughout the highs and many lows, season 2 of HBO’s series saw Joel and Ellie’s world turned completely upside down as the pair were drawn into conflict with each other, as well as a world even more unpredictable than the one they left behind in season one. Among even more shocking deaths in the show’s finale episode, a hiddenGame of ThronesEaster egg can be spotted, too.
After an emotional but more relaxed penultimate episode ofThe Last of Usseason 2, which saw Joel return in flashbacks, the finale of the show’s second season took a deeper dive into Ellie’s revenge against the WLF in Seattle. Fans had already seen what Ellie was capable of doing after witnessing her torturing Nora (Tati Gabrielle) for information about Abby’s whereabouts, but now, her retribution spiraled out of control after she got too trigger-happy and ended up accidentally killing a very pregnant Mel and a shocked Owen. As Tommy and Jesse came to Dina and Ellie’s rescue, so dida heartbreaking scene that saw Jesse become another victim of Abby’s. Just before the last episode ends on a cliffhanger, setting itself up for season 3, Abby can be seen at the stadium reading a book, but it’s not just any old book, as it has hidden connections to another epic HBO series.
Abby’s Book in The Last of Us Season 2 Finale Has a Game of Thrones Connection
Towards the last few minutes ofThe Last of Usseason 2’s finale, viewers can see Abby lying on a sofa with a book in her lap after falling asleep. The book in question is calledThieves of the Cityby an author called Ben Davidoff, a completely made-up writer and title, so fans can’t actually head out to a bookstore to purchase it in the hopes of getting a glimpse into what Abby’s reading. However, this is where the producers of HBO’sThe Last of Ushave made a pretty coolGame of Thronesjoke at the expense ofDavid Benioff, who served in partnership with D.B. Weiss, the co-showrunners ofGame of Thrones,by mixing around his first and last name.
Recently, showrunner Craig Mazin was asked whether any inspiration was taken fromGame of Thrones’battle sequenceswhen developingThe Last of Us Season 2’s incredible-looking Jackson showdown with the infected. Mazin revealed that he is indeed a bigGoTfan and particularly loved how HBO crafted “Hardhome”, the eighth episode of the fifth season, so this initially missable book reference to another epic HBO series is fitting since Mazin has already revealed that he enjoyed the series.
Thankfully,season 3 ofThe Last of Usis in the bag after getting greenlitbefore season 2 even premiered. The next season aims to focus on Abby’s perspective, as fans saw in season 2’s finale, where she can be seen standing at the stadium, which serves as a base for the WLF. A release date forThe Last of UsSeason 3 hasn’t been revealed by HBO as yet, but if the series follows the same structure as 1 and 2, the next installment could begin shooting in 2026 and premiere sometime in early 2027.
