Season two of HBO’s The Last of Us has kicked off with a bang. Adapting Naughty Dog’s controversial The Last of Us Part II, HBO has taken great strides to change the story for the television format.
This was seen even in season one of the hit show, many of the best moments were created for TV exclusively. Episode three for instance greatly expanded the story of Bill, a character that is given very little backstory within the original game.
Both versions of The Last of Us are equally as important as one another. HBO’s version has brought in many fans who would never have thought to engage with the story of Joel Miller and Ellie Williams, whereas the original series of games stands out as one of the most important stories told through the medium of video games.
Perhaps the biggest controversy in The Last of Us season two is the introduction of Abby Anderson played by Kaitlyn Dever. The character is equal parts loved and hated by fans of The Last of Us Part II as she represents a major protagonist switch that many were unable to handle.
SPOILERS FOR BOTH THE SHOW AND GAMES GOING FORWARD
Abby, in both versions, sets out on a revenge mission to kill Joel, the protagonist of the first game that was played perfectly by Pedro Pascal within HBO’s adaptation. Her revenge mission is caused by Joel after he killed her Father, the only man that could make a cure for the Cordyceps infection that plagues the world of The Last of Us.
Within The Last of Us Part II, Abby is shown to be a physically strong and built woman. She is a well-trained, military operative that commits violent acts with a clear precision and undeniable brutality. Her muscles and physique are a physical representation of her rage and pain. She threw herself into training after her Father was murdered so that when she confronts Joel, it’ll be an easy fight.
Abby is without a doubt, the most important character of The Last of Us Part II. She sets the story in motion and causes just about every major story beat to occur. Without her Joel would have lived a happy life, but that’s not what happened.
Kaitlyn Dever doesn’t have Abby’s physique from the game, far from it actually. She stands at the same height as Bella Ramsey who plays Ellie Williams and they both have a very similar build on top of that.
Abby’s imposing nature is lost between mediums. However, Dever still portrays the military training well (within the first two episodes), but the lack of muscles makes her version of Abby seem less imposing.
Abby is supposed to physicality tower over Ellie, their conflict is one of both mind and body. Every clash they have is brutal because of how much stronger Abby is compared to Ellie. Ellie has to rely on traps to gain the upper hand on Abby within one of The Last of Us Part II most memorable moments. It’s likely this moment won’t hold the same amount of weight because of Dever’s physique when playing Abby.
Dever embodies Abby’s single minded rage incredibly. Her line delivery is great and the way she treats the rest of her crew is almost one-to-one with the game, but what really holds her back is the lack of clear physical strength behind her threats.
The Last of Us season two will follow Ellie seeking revenge on Abby after she killed Joel in front of her. This revenge will consume every character and, if the show follows the game’s story, will lead to a bloody end for all of those involved.
Without her muscles, Abby lacks a clear symbol of her grief and representation of her rage. You take that away from her character and there’s little left to represent how she coped with the death of her Father.
HBO’s The Last of Us is different from the games, and that’s okay, but by choosing not to give Abby one of her most defining features, it makes it seem like the show doesn’t understand why Abby is the way she is.
Stay tuned to Brig as we review The Last of Us Season two when it wraps up.
Featured Image Credit: Gotham(Left), Naughty Dog(Right)
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