Key Takeaways
- The Last of Us Season 1 succeeded in adapting the video game with its sharp writing and Emmy-nominated performances.
- The use of music in the series added depth and meaning to the storyline, setting the stage for more in Season 2.
- Season 2 will have the opportunity to delve deeper into the characters and their relationships through iconic music choices.
HBO’s The Last of Us was praised for several reasons. It’s considered a very effective series adaptation of Naughty Dog’s video game thanks to its sharp writing, Emmy-nominated performances from its stars, and its high production value, but an often overlooked secret weapon of The Last of Us Season 1 was its music.
The first season of The Last of Us was released with nine episodes on HBO in early 2023. The series was a close adaptation of Naughty Dog’s first The Last of Us game, featuring Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey in the roles of Joel and Ellie, an unlikely pair who travel across the post-apocalyptic USA to find a cure for the virus that has ravaged humanity. Following the series’ immense success, it wasn’t long before a second season of The Last of Us was put into production by HBO, with the intention that it would adapt the second game, The Last of Us Part 2, a title that leans heavier on the impact of music in its story.
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Music in The Last of Us Season 1
With Neil Druckmann, the creative director of The Last of Us at Naughty Dog, also serving as a writer, producer, and director on the TV adaptation, it wasn’t surprising that he drew on many of the elements that made the game great when adapting it for TV. This included the soundtrack was composed by Gustavo Santaolalla, who was brought on to also compose music for the TV series. While The Last of Us featured reprises of many of the game’s familiar themes, the HBO series also made use of licensed music tracks in ways that hadn’t been seen in the source material before.
One notable instance of this was the use of music to send signals. In Episode 1 of The Last of Us, Bella notes that Joel and Bill play songs from different decades over the radio to notify each other of certain things. A 60s song means nothing new, a 70s song means Bill and Frank have new items, and an 80s song means some kind of trouble. Later, after Ellie, Joel, and Tess have left the Boston Quarantine Zone, a song starts playing on the radio in Joel’s apartment. It’s Depeche Mode’s “Never Let Me Go”, which indicates trouble is ahead. The song is not just utilized cleverly within the meaning of the show, but it also serves as an excellent needle drop in the final moments of the episode, which plays over the imagery of the trio heading into the stormy and lawless wilds of Boston.
Another notable moment of music in The Last of Us Episode 3, which is aptly titled “Long Long Time” in reference to Linda Ronstadt’s song which features heavily in the episode. The episode is a large deviation from the video game, filling in the backstory of characters Bill and Frank, who only have a small role in the source material. Episode 3 reveals Bill and Frank’s love story, which begins after Bill (Nick Offerman) sings a heartfelt acoustic rendition of Ronstadt’s tune in the presence of Frank (Murray Bartlett). The song becomes a metaphor throughout the episode, symbolizing how enduring Bill and Frank’s love is for each other. The Last of Us’ use of Ronstadt’s song had a notable real-world impact as the series drew attention to the song and saw plays of the song spike on music streaming platforms.
The Last of Us Season 2 Has The Opportunity For Even More Meaningful Music
Any players of The Last of Us Part 2 will know that the second game uses music as a metaphor even more so than the first. Throughout the game, Ellie’s relationship with music and her skill at playing the guitar is something that bonds her to Joel. It is often used to link whatever Ellie is going through at the present moment in the game with a memory between her and Joel. One persistent tune throughout the game is Pearl Jam’s “Future Days”, particularly its line “If I ever were to lose you, I’d surely lose myself.” This line somewhat encapsulates the theme that the story of The Last of Us Part 2 explores, making it a crucial musical cue for The Last of Us Season 2.
If I ever were to lose you, I’d surely lose myself.
It already seems that “Future Days’” importance will continue in The Last of Us Season 2 as the first trailer for the series utilizes a rendition of the song. Whether the HBO series incorporates the Pearl Jam song into the story in the same way the game does remains to be seen.
Another important song in The Last of Us Part 2 is A-ha’s “Take on Me”, which Ellie sings to her girlfriend, Dina, when they find a guitar in an abandoned music shop in Seattle. This song has already been used in The Last of Us Season 1 Episode 7, during a flashback sequence between Ellie and her friend Riley. This gives “Take on Me” even more meaning in The Last of Us Season 2 as when it does play it will be linked to Ellie’s bittersweet memories of her love for Riley, which can be paralleled with her new love for Dina. Another song in The Last of Us Part 2 that links Ellie and Dina is Crooked Still’s “Little Sadie” which plays during the moment the couple have their first kiss.
The Last of Us Part 2 also featured the release of an album titled Covers and Rarities which includes covers of five songs sung by the game’s actors Troy Baker and Ashley Johnson. The songs included renditions of “Future Days” and “Take on Me” performed by Baker and Johnson as their characters, as well as versions of Shawn James’ “Through the Valley (performed by Johnson), New Order’s “True Faith (performed by Johnson), and Johnny Cash’s “Wayfaring Stranger” (performed by Baker and Johnson). This provides The Last of Us Season 2 with ample opportunity to include and evolve these songs, providing meaning for them in the context of Season 2 that may not have been possible in the games while also providing the series with even more iconic musical moments.
The Last of Us Season 2 will be released on HBO in 2025.
Based on Naughty Dog’s popular PlayStation game, HBO’s The Last of Us takes place decades after a fungal infection eradicated most of humanity. When a teenage girl named Ellie is found to be immune to the disease, Joel agrees to smuggle her across the United States.
- Release Date
- January 15, 2023
- Creator
- Craig Mazin, Neil Druckmann
- Network
- HBO Max
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