Summary
- Season 2 of The Last of Us introduces new characters Abby, Dina, and Gail, played by Catherine O’Hara.
- Isabela Merced, who plays Dina, further immersed herself in the role by playing The Last of Us Part 2.
- Dina’s bond with Joel in Season 2 is deeper, warmer, and more nuanced, emphasizing their connection to Ellie.
When HBO’s The Last of Us returns with its highly-anticipated Season 2 release next month, fans will be welcomed to a slew of new and exciting characters. Some of the cast members who weren’t in the last season include Abby Anderson, Dina, and Gail, played by Schitt’s Creek star Catherine O’Hara, who is a therapist living in Jackson and confirmed to be Eugene’s wife, another new face to the series. Although much of Naughty Dog’s video game sequel will still play a huge role in the show’s narrative, certain aspects will be changed this time around, and it seems as though Joel and Dina’s relationship will have the spotlight on them in Season 2.
In The Last of Us Season 2, Dina will be portrayed by actress and singer Isabela Merced, who has starred in movies that include Alien: Romulus and Dora and the Lost City of Gold. To get a feel for what she would be heading into with Season 2, showrunners Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann suggested that she should watch The Last of Us Part 2 on YouTube, but instead, to fully immerse herself in its world, Merced decided to play the game and ended up completing it over the course of a weekend before getting the script. Now, as fans finally get to see how Dina and Ellie’s relationship plays out in the adaptation in just a few weeks, Merced reveals that her character has another important bond in the show too.
Related
The first episode title for The Last of Us Season 2 has been revealed but this might spell early devastation for one character.
Isabela Merced Talks About How Dina’s Bond With Joel Is Different From The Last of Us Part 2
Speaking exclusively with ScreenRant, Isabela Merced talked about how her character’s relationship with Joel is more meaningful in Season 2 than it ever was in the Naughty Dog game, The Last of Us Part 2. In the game, players barely see Joel and Dina interact, although they are seen in the same room, especially in the barn dance scene at Jackson where she and Ellie share a romantic embrace. However, Merced does state that Dina and Joel would have interacted more than what was shown due to how close Dina is with Ellie.
Merced stated that when it comes to Dina and Joel’s bond in Season 2, “There’s a lot of creative liberties they took” with how the pair interact this time, as showrunner Neil Druckmann wanted them both to “be more well rounded”. Merced goes on to describe Dina’s relationship with Joel as “warm” and “very light”, even affectionately referring to Joel as “the fun uncle”, where they are both able to confide in each other. This all plays into both of their connections with Ellie and how much the pair care about her. Dina is Ellie’s best friend, although later, they both form a romantic relationship, where Dina becomes her primary love interest.
“There’s a lot of creative liberties they took with, obviously, Neil’s consent, because I think they wanted everything to just be more well rounded. If she’s Ellie’s best friend, they would have interacted. And so this is an opportunity to see how and I think they have a very light, warm relationship, where he’s like the fun uncle, and she can confide in him, and he can confide in her. But mostly, you know their point where they really connect is their love for Ellie that they both have and share. And I think Dina, when we see her, she’s sort of noticing this rift between them and trying to mend that.”
As shown in HBO’s latest trailer for The Last of Us Season 2, Ellie has changed quite tragically from her more innocent and fun-loving self in Season 1. Ellie’s need for revenge is her guiding light this time around, so it will be interesting to see if her and Dina’s relationship eventually becomes as fractured as it did towards the end of the game and if Dina will lean on Joel more due to Ellie’s dramatic turnaround.
The Last of Us Season 2 makes its premiere on HBO on April 13, 2025.
Related
According to a recent rumor, The Last of Us season 2 could still reveal a big actor to play a character in episode 6.
- Release Date
-
January 15, 2023
- Network
-
HBO Max
- Showrunner
-
Craig Mazin
-
-
Bella Ramsey
Ellie Williams
Source: ScreenRant