This article contains spoilers for The Last of Us episode 5, The Last of Us Part I, and The Last of Us Part II.The Last of Us episode 5 has proven that adapting The Last of Us Part II would work by proving the story of Kathleen. The Last of Us episode 5 brought together the story threads introduced in the preceding episode, bringing the Hunters head-to-head with Joel, Ellie, Henry, and Sam. In doing so, the episode wrapped up the arc for many characters, including Melanie Lynskey's Kathleen.
Kathleen's story, and the way in which it was presented, prove that HBO would be wise to adapt The Last of Us Part II for the The Last of Us season 2. Despite the divisiveness of the second game, Kathleen proves why it could work as an adaptation. From the way Kathleen's story wraps up in The Last of Us episode 5's ending to the added benefits of changing and adding to the original source material that TV allows, The Last of Us Part II must be adapted going forward.
Why The Last Of Us 2's Story Is Divisive
Warning! This section contains major spoilers for The Last of Us Part II and potential spoilers for The Last of Us season 2.It is worth exploring why The Last of Us Part II was so divisive upon its release. In of its story, the divisiveness comes from game developer Naughty Dog's insistence on telling a very human story, meaning it is anything but black-and-white. The opening of the game involves Joel's death, presented in a brutal fashion as he is bludgeoned to death by a character named Abby. This alone was enough to cause many to write the game off, as Joel has been a fan-favorite character since 2013 and the release of the first game.
For those who continued with The Last of Us Part II, the presentation of the game from that point was a revenge story, with Ellie (played by Bella Ramsey) in HBO's The Last of Us - traveling to find Abby and avenge Joel. However, it is the second half of The Last of Us Part II which drastically tested players' ability to continue. After a climactic cutscene, the game flashes back three days and forces players to play as Abby, Joel's murderer. The next 10-12 hours are spent playing as Abby, working to humanize the killer of a fan-favorite character. Naturally, this caused even more division.
How Kathleen's Story In The Last Of Us Episode 5 Helps Set Up Part II
With The Last of Us Part II Naughty Dog set out to explore a narrative around breaking the cycle of revenge that causes nothing but trauma. This is reflected in The Last of Us episode 5 through Kathleen, but with a few key differences. Kathleen, The Last of Us stories are all about the cycle of revenge. Kathleen cannot forgive Henry for selling her brother to FEDRA no matter Henry's motives. This is reflective of both Ellie and Abby's stories in The Last of Us Part II, with neither able to forgive no matter the motivations of the other.
Even more than the similarities in revenge stories, The Last of Us episode 5's Kathleen has another aspect that further proves The Last of Us Part II would work. Kathleen proves in the episode that she cannot forgive, with her final words and actions towards Henry and Sam making her detestable to say the least. At different points in The Last of Us Part II, both Ellie and Abby find it in their hearts to forgive, meaning both are much more complex characters than The Last of Us' Kathleen and could definitely work in a TV capacity.
What The Last Of Us Show Might Have To Change About Part II's Story
The Last of Us on HBO has the benefit of being on TV, meaning changes can be made for the better as seen with both The Last of Us episodes 3 and 5. Craig Mazin, one of the co-creators of The Last of Us for HBO, has already hinted that The Last of Us Part II could be spread out over more than one season. Given that the sequel was 10 hours longer than its predecessor, this would allow much more room for the exploration of characters, specifically Abby.
Asking audiences to empathize with the killer of a major character is always going to be tough, but having two seasons with one fully dedicated to Abby - adding in exceptionally written elements akin to Bill and Frank's story - would only make it more digestible. Given the sheer amount of story depth prevalent in The Last of Us Part II, Mazin and Neil Druckmann have the opportunity to expand in various ways. While changes to the actual story would be unwise, simply adding elements or changing specific parts like with The Last of Us season 1 would go to make The Last of Us Part II an excellent basis for future seasons.
New episodes of The Last of Us release every Sunday on HBO.