Summary
- Gail is a new character in The Last of Us Season 2, played by Catherine O’Hara, and is Joel’s therapist.
- Joel seeks therapy in Season 2 to understand Ellie’s behavior, reflecting on their traumatic past.
- Showrunners introduced Gail to add depth to the post-apocalyptic world and explore characters’ emotional struggles.
The Last of Us Season 2 will introduce a host of new and exciting cast members when it returns in just a few weeks. However, even though a few of the characters have been seen before in Naughty Dog’s video game sequel, which the show will be adapting, like Abby Anderson, Dina, and Jesse, one character will be brand new to the franchise. Gail, played by Schitt’s Creek star Catherine O’Hara, is a therapist living in Jackson and confirmed to be Eugene’s wife, which marks a departure from The Last of Us games.
It seems as though Gail has been brought into Season 2 as an aid to help Joel lift the lid on his troubled mind, where she can be seen in one of The Last of Us Season 2’s most recent trailers asking the hardened survivor, “What did you do?”, which is likely in reference to his dark secret about what he told Ellie and the harsh truth about what happened at the hospital with the Fireflies, including the killing of Firefly leader Marlene. Now, co-creators Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann have revealed why Joel might be in need of a therapist in The Last of Us‘ cruel and cold post-apocalyptic world.
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Showrunners Explain Why Joel is Going to Therapy in The Last of Us Season 2
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter at the Last of Us Season 2 premiere, showrunner Craig Mazin said that he wanted to bring Catherine O’Hara’s character in for Season 1 but that he never found a way to integrate her narrative into the lore of the story at the time. Mazin also states that he loves how Gail, O’Hara’s character, blends in with some of the other characters from the show, and that aspect is “really cool”.
Talking about Joel and why the usually emotional void and closed-up character would need a therapist, Mazin said that in the show’s post-apocalyptic world, its bartering economy is extremely important, so having a therapist on hand in a place filled with mentally exhausted people would prove to be very useful. “Everyone who is left is hurting, everybody” expressed Mazin, indicating that Joel and Gail may have set up a bartering system in which they transfer information. However, it seems as though Joel may not be as honest with Gail as she would like. “What people tell their therapists… you’d think they’re always telling their therapist the truth, but what are the parts they don’t tell their therapist? That’s where it gets interesting,” said Mazin.
Co-creator Neil Druckmann also told The Hollywood Reporter that they really wanted to “make Jackson a character” so to implement a sense of community in the town, a therapist seemed like a great idea and “Something everyone would need in the apocalypse after the trauma they’ve experienced.” Druckmann also said that they found a way to weave Gail into Season 2’s story easily as she is the wife of Eugene, who is played by The Matrix actor Joe Pantoliano. This will be the first time fans will get a backstory to Eugene, as even though he was referenced in The Last of Us Part 2 game, he has never been seen.
In a separate interview with IGN on the red carpet of the premiere, Druckmann offered up more information on why Joel had initially gone to see Gail and that’s to find out why Ellie is being so cold with him. “The reason he goes to therapy is because he’s trying to figure out why Ellie is icing him out,” Druckmann said. “And he’s quite a bit in denial about the real reason what’s happening there.”
The Last of Us Season 2 makes its premiere on HBO on April 13, 2025.
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- Release Date
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January 15, 2023
- Network
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HBO Max
- Showrunner
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Craig Mazin
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Bella Ramsey
Ellie Williams
Source: The Hollywood Reporter