The Last of Us season 2 episode 1 game vs series: How different are they?

After two years of waiting, Joel and Ellie returned to the small screens in The Last of Us season 2 episode 1. In the first episode of the season streaming on Max, which premiered on April 13, 2025, fans got to see a major time skip as the show fast-forwarded five years after the ending of season 1 and saw Joel and Ellie living in Jackson alongside Tommy's community.

Warning: Spoilers for The Last of Us season 2 episode 1 to follow. Reader discretion is advised.

Since The Last of Us season 2 is adapting the story of The Last of Us: Part II, fans get to see their favorite video game come to life differently. While a lot of the first episode of the show remains faithful to the events of the second game, there are certain elements added here to make it a bit more distinct from the game.

Here are some of the biggest changes between the first episode of the show and the video game that it is adapting.

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Changes between The Last of Us season 2 episode 1 and The Last of Us: Part II explored

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Joel is going to therapy and kills Eugene

In The Last of Us: Part II, it is never established that Joel is going to therapy, nor is there a reference to it made. However, The Last of Us season 2 episode 1 makes a huge change to Joel's character by immediately introducing the fact that he has been seeking help amidst his relationship with Ellie souring. His therapist also happens to be Gail, who is Eugene's wife in the show.

In the game, Eugene is a character who used to live in Jackson and was close friends with Tommy as well, but is never seen on screen. His love life isn't mentioned as well, but it is stated that he died at an old age due to a stroke. However, the show changes his story in quite an interesting manner.

During their therapy session in the first episode, it is revealed by Gail that it was Joel who killed Eugene and that she knows he had no choice, but she is still angry at him for doing that. What that exact reason was still remains to be seen, but this is a big deviation from the game.

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Abby's motivation is revealed at the start

In The Last of Us: Part II, fans are treated to a new character called Abby, who becomes the primary antagonist/secondary protagonist of the game. However, her motivations for why she is seeking out Joel aren't revealed at all until a few hours into the game. During her introduction, it is just shown that she is seeking out a man called Joel, and not much about her identity is given away over here.

However, The Last of Us season 2 episode 1 immediately begins with fans learning that Abby is an ex-firefly and is after Joel for revenge. She intends to kill him slowly for what he did at the hospital in Salt Lake City, which is why she seeks him out. While not as big of a change, it certainly plays with the narrative structure of the original story and adds its own twist to it.

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Further additions are made to the story

Alongside these big changes, there are some smaller changes made over here as well. For example, Tommy and Maria have a child of their own, something that never happens in the game. The way the show and the game's story begin is quite different, too. Whereas the game begins with a scene of Joel admitting what he did to the Fireflies to Tommy, the show immediately sees Joel and Ellie in the five-year time skip, trying to live normal lives.

Alongside that, characters who are only mentioned in the game, like Ellie's ex-girlfriend Cat, are seen as proper characters here too. Another change that The Last of Us season 2 episode 1 makes is that it has Ellie's first encounter with Stalkers take place in Jackson, whereas in the game, fans don't get to see that until Ellie is already way well into her story in Seattle.

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For further updates on The Last of Us season 2, be sure to stay tuned with us.