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The end of the first season of HBO’s The Last of Us proved that Joel (Pedro Pascal) was determined to protect Ellie (Bella Ramsey) at any cost, but where does that leave the two as they are forced to navigate a future that doesn’t just include plant zombies, but also Firefly soldiers out for revenge? The first trailer for 2025’s second season offers a surprising potential answer — and the first glimpse of Catherine O’Hara’s mysterious character, to boot.

We’re not going to waste any time with a preamble; here’s the trailer:

So… that looks appropriately epic. (In the truest sense of the word.) We didn’t just get a chance to see O’Hara’s seeming therapist — but who is she? That, it seems, will remain a mystery for awhile yet — but also Kaitlyn Dever’s Abby, a new arrival to the show who is, according to HBO, seeking “vengeance for a loved one”… but who isn’t, in some way, in this show?

HBO’s official description of the show’s second season goes like this: “After five years of peace following the events of the first season, Joel and Ellie’s collective past catches up to them, drawing them into conflict with each other and a world even more dangerous and unpredictable than the one they left behind.”

(Yes, “after five years of peace” — there’s a time jump for this second season…)

The Last of Us returns to HBO and Max in 2025; no distinct release date has been announced as yet.

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