WARNING: SPOILERS ahead for The Last of Us season 1.
I still haven’t fully recovered from multiple character deaths inThe Last of Usseason 1 but one of them continues to haunt me whenever I think of the critically acclaimed HBO series. With the premiere ofThe Last of Usseason 2rapidly approaching, viewers may want to reviewwhat happened in the celebrated first season, which debuted back in January 2023. Similar to other great HBO series likeGame of ThronesandChernobyl,The Last of Usfeatures some unforgettable death scenes.
The Last of Usseason 2, developed for television by Craid Mazin, will see the return of several key characters from season 1, most significantly Pedro Pascal’s Joel Miller and Bella Ramsey’s Ellie Williams. The Last of Us is one of several recent successful video game adaptations made into critically acclaimed TV series, which also includes Amazon’sFalloutand Netflix’sThe Witcher. The first new episode ofThe Last of Usseason 2 will be released on HBO and Max on Sunday, June 12, 2025.
I’m Still Not Over Sam’s Death From The Last Of Us Season 1 Episode 5
Sam’s Death In The HBO Series Is More Tragic Than In The Video Game
HBO’s production team forThe Last of Usfound ways to make Sam Burrell’s death even more tragic in live-action. Sam, played by Keivonn Woodard, only appeared in two episodes ofThe Last of Usseason 1: episode 4, “Please Hold to My Hand,” andepisode 5, “Endure and Survive”, the latter of which is arguably the best of the season. It’s revealed that Sam, who is only 8 years old, gets infected and tries to attack Ellie, forcing his older brother Henry to kill him before he completely turns into a zombie.
Sam’s death was made even worse because of Henry’s suicide that immediately followed. The scene brought to life one of the most horrific moments inThe Last of Usseason 1,forcing Henry to make an impossible decision with little time to think or hesitate. Joel and Ellie properly bury their bodies before they continue on their journey.
Sam, who is deaf, positioned himself to look out the window so that he wouldn’t be tempted to attack Ellie while she slept – until it was too late.
Even thoughEllie is immune to the Cordyceps infection, Sam could still have killed her. To make matters more tragic, Sam, who is deaf, positioned himself to look out the window so that he wouldn’t be tempted to attack Ellie while she slept – until it was too late.
The Last Of Us Season 1 Was Full Of Emotional Deaths
Sarah Was The First Tragic Loss & Marlene’s Death Was Shocking
The Last of Usis full of emotional and tragic character deaths, which are also incredibly well-crafted. Everyone who sawThe Last of Usseason 1 remembers thedevastating story of Bill and Frankand the unforgettable death in the pilot episode,Joel’s daughter Sarah, which scarred Joel’s spirit for life.
You’re Not Ready For The Last Of Us Season 2’s Most Heart-Wrenching Death
The Last of Us season 2 will have even higher stakes than the first, and its upcoming death is bound to shock audiences, leaving them heartbroken.
There’s also the emotional deaths of Riley and Tess as well asthe shocking death of Marlene, the leader of the Fireflies, who was killed by Joel to protect Ellie. IfThe Last of Usseason 1 provides any indication, there should be more tragic and powerful deaths in the upcoming season.
