After Controversial Second Season, The Last of Us Gets a Major Shakeup for Season 3
The Last of Us is already renewed for Season 3, which has yet to start production. However, the show, which was created by Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann, will experience a major change for the upcoming season. Per The Ankler, co-creator Neil Druckmann will not return to Season 3, and Mazin will write the new episodes alone.
Instead, Neil Druckmann will focus on his new Naughty Dog game. Druckmann had previously confirmed that they're working on another game in addition to Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet last month. However, he didn't reveal any details about the genre or title. However, that led to him to step down from his work on the adaptation of The Last of Us. In the announcement, officially shared on Naughty Dog's social media account, Druckmann announced his decision to step down.
"I've made the difficult decision to step away from my creative involvement in The Last of Us on HBO," the statement from the show's co-creator started. "With work completed on Season 2, and before any meaningful work starts on Season 3, now is the right time for me to transition my complete focus to Naughty Dog and its future projects."
In his message, the co-creator explained, "Co-creating the show has been a career highlight. It's been an honor to work alongside Craig Mazin to executive produce, direct, and write on the last two seasons." Druckmann also said that "I'm deeply thankful for the thoughtful approach and dedication the talented cast and crew took to adapting The Last of Us Part I and the continued adaptation of The Last of Us Part II."
The Last Of Us Season 3 Will Tell a Different Story
Following the extremely successful Season 1, the show returned in 2025 with a new installment that proved to be controversial. Season 1 boasted a near-perfect 96% approval score from the critics out of almost 500 reviews, and it featured the Certified Fresh badge. Audiences also enjoyed the show, giving it an 86% approval score. However, that changed with Season 2.
The Last of Us Season 2 began adapting Part II, and received acclaim from the critics again. It boasts a Certified Fresh 92% score, and received praise for the story and performances. However, audiences didn't like it, giving it a disastrous 37% approval score.
The Last of Us Seasons 1 and 2 are streaming on Max. Season 3 doesn't have a release date yet.
I Live In The UK, And Daryl Dixon Season 3, Episode 1 Was Very Hard To Watch
Although the protagonists only spent a short amount of time there, it was long enough to learn that the UK had fallen during The Walking Dead's zombie outbreak despite initially locking down the island. Likewise, the spinoff also suggested that Stephen Merchan's character, Julian, may have been England's last remaining survivor, which doesn't bode well for Scotland, Wales, or Northern Ireland.
Hearing about this lore is exactly what made me so enthusiastic about the zombie franchise heading overseas, and while I was disappointed to learn all the UK's communities were seemingly destroyed in Daryl Dixon season 3, I got over it. However, one thing that was impossible to look past was the show's laughable portrayal of life in the UK.
Daryl Dixon's Trip To The UK Was Filled With The Usual Stereotypes
Given that the franchise's entire premise revolves around people coming back from the dead and turning into flesh-eating monsters, I wasn't expecting realism to be at the forefront when it came to The Walking Dead's take on the UK. That said, the abundance of stereotypes and over-the-top British references was far worse than I could've ever imagined.
Even Julian's introduction saw him make an obscure nod to a former British Prime Minister that felt completely random. It's far from how most residents would introduce themselves, even in such bizarre circumstances, and the overall representation of the UK felt more like a parody than an actual attempt to convey any popular customs or traditions.
Daryl Dixon's Depiction Of The UK Felt Nothing Like Reality
As someone from the UK, I can't speak on the depiction of France, but I can confidently say The Walking Dead's version of my home country is nothing like reality. Alongside the countless stereotypes, the spinoff doesn't cover itself in glory when it comes to illustrating everyday life in Britain, with a few notable examples standing out.
Julian's "sod off" comment is something you may theoretically hear, but the average Brit is much more likely to reply "piss off" or perhaps add even more profanity. Additionally, Chunnel is a term rarely used here, with most people just referring to it as the Channel or the tunnel, and even the country's interior design looked a little off.
Considering parts of season 3 were filmed in England, it's hard to criticize the architecture, but the house Daryl and Carol hide in feels like a Hollywood take on what typical homes in London look like, whereas the reality is much different, and far less posh.
With Daryl Dixon season 3 officially taking the series to Spain, it'll be interesting to see if the show does a better job when it comes to bringing this country to life in an accurate fashion. However, based on how the UK turned out, I'm a little worried that The Walking Dead will prioritize spectacle and identifiable clichés over realism and accuracy.
