The Last Of Us Season 3 Is Doubling Down On One Story Aspect That Makes Video Games Almost Impossible To Adapt

The Last of Us season 3 faces a challenge that not only affects the HBO show but also affects almost all video game adaptations. The Last of Us season 2's ending capped off a divisive television season with a major plot twist that saw the perspective shift from Ellie to Abby, setting up the season 3 premise.

It's since been confirmed that Kaitlyn Dever, the actress who joined The Last of Us season 2's cast as Abby, will be the series lead for season 3. The story is pivoting in a major way, with the focus being on Abby

and her companions from the Washington Liberation Front, re-examining the past few days from their side.

The pressure is already on for The Last of Us season 3, as the series will need to overcome the complaints that plagued season 2's potential. Kaitlyn Dever is a fantastic actress, and Abby is a compelling character; however, there are still challenges that need to be addressed in the writers' room.

The Last Of Us Season 3's Abby Focus Will Totally Change The Show

The HBO Adaptation Is Changing Leads Again

The shift in lead characters is going to be a tremendous hurdle for

The Last of Us season 3, especially after the range of responses to season 2. The Seattle setting should be familiar to audiences at this point, and characters like Ellie, Jesse, Dina, and Tommy will still play critical roles as events unfold, but it will still feel different.

On top of Abby leading the cast now, audiences will have to become acquainted with her friends, the constituents in Joel's murder. Characters like Manny and Owen likely didn't leave audiences with much desire to get to know them better, meaning a huge part of the challenge will be keeping viewers engaged with protagonists they hate.

This will be the most drastic shift the series has made yet, especially since Joel and Ellie were the marquee characters for seasons 1 and 2. The season needs to make a distinct effort to make sure

The Last of Us season 3 still feels like the same series audiences loved the first time around.

The Last Of Us Season 2 Was Already A Major Shift From Season 1

Joel's Absence Changed The Tone Of Season 2

After Joel's death in episode 4, The Last of Us season 2 was almost like watching a different show. Joel and Ellie's relationship was the defining attribute of the series

, especially since a significant portion of the audience pool came to the series due to a love for Pedro Pascal. His exit had an immediate, game-changing effect.

With Ellie and Dina taking over the series,

The Last of Us season 2 was centered around almost entirely new goals and themes. The season is built on season 1's events, but the themes of revenge and Ellie's mission to Seattle feel like a far cry from the previous story, which was focused more on Joel's grief.

The Last Of Us Proves Why Video Games Are So Hard To Adapt

Video Games Are Rarely As Sequential As TV Seasons

Video game adaptations have consistently struggled in Hollywood, and one of the reasons is that games often aren't as sequential as TV shows.

Games are rarely written to tell a direct story across multiple volumes, with exceptions like God of War or Death Stranding, as most franchises aim for new releases to appeal to those who haven't played them before.

The Last of Us Part II certainly requires audiences to play the previous game, but it still has a singular identity of its own.

When someone watches a show like

The Sopranos, there's a sense of stability, knowing that the core cast will remain present throughout most of the series. With Game of Thrones, major characters are killed off, but there are always enough familiar faces around to maintain momentum and keep viewers wanting more.

Something like Assassin's Creed might feel like an interesting title to adapt, but aside from the Ezio trilogy, every game has different characters and settings. The same could be set for

Grand Theft Auto or The Elder Scrolls, despite both titles being known for excellent storytelling.

The Last of Us Part II certainly requires audiences to play the previous game, but it still has a singular identity of its own.

Ellie is the main character instead of Joel, but the game still shifts away from her to follow unfamiliar characters. The narrative continuation isn't as direct as a typical TV show's jump from season 1 to 2.

The Last Of Us Tried To Plan For Its Narrative Shifts In Season 1

The Last Of Us Laid The Foundation For Its Tone Change Early On

It's rare that game sequels follow the story directly where the previous one left off. It requires extra effort to fuse the overarching narrative together succinctly, which

The Last of Us season 1 attempted to do by exploring mini-storylines about cyclical revenge, such as the Kansas City arc.

No matter how much planning is done, killing off a lead character like Joel is going to have a drastic effect on a series that has two leads.

Kathleen and Perry were original characters created for the TV adaptation as part of an extended arc for Henry in Kansas City. Joel and Ellie found themselves mixed up in a conflict of revenge between FEDRA and a resistance group, with Kathleen ultimately giving her life in an attempt to get revenge for her brother.

No matter how much planning is done, killing off a lead character like Joel is going to have a drastic effect on a series that has two leads. To shift leads again in

The Last of Us season 3 is a risky move, and the writers must ensure that this choice is justified.

Walking Dead spinoff series adds major star to its cast

The Walking Dead is no stranger to star-power. The AMC franchise has featured the likes of Jeffrey Dean Morgan, David Morrisey, Robert Patrick, Rubén Blades, Hilarie Burton Morgan, Julia Ormond, Scott Ian, and John Carroll Lynch over the years. Heck, Andrew Lincoln's involvement in it raised its profile as he was instantly recognizable

before he put on Rick Grimes' hat, while the original series ultimately catapulted him to new levels of superstardom. The same could be said for Lauren Cohan, Norman Reedus and Melissa McBride, who became overnight sensations due to their incredible performances.

Jeffrey Dean Morgan was already a well-established star by the time he took up Negan's infamous bat Lucille, but he delivered right out of the gate with his chilling performance in the season 6 finale. And that just goes to show you that newer cast additions can produce some of a long-running show's all-time great characters.

Speaking of star-power and new characters, the TWD Universe has added another major name to one of its spinoffs, and it really is clear that we're in for a heck of a season.

Raúl Castillo joins cast of The Walking Dead: Dead City season 3 in series regular role

Raúl Castillo has officially joined the TWD Universe. Deadline reports that the star has been cast in

The Walking Dead: Dead City season 3 in the role of Luis. Although it doesn't offer any further information about the character or what kind of role he will play, it does confirm that he has joined the production on the third season in Boston (which doubles for New York City in the AMC spinoff series).

Castillo is a veteran of acting as well as a playwright and he is probably best known to audiences for his role in HBO series Looking (as well as its sequel film Looking: The Movie), in which he portrayed the character of Richie Donado Ventura. His other major roles have come in the film Cold Weather and the ongoing Mark Ruffalo-led HBO miniseries Task, in which he plays Cliff Broward. He's also had roles in Gotham, Riverdale, and American Horror Stories.

HBO's "Task" New York Premiere | Arturo Holmes/GettyImages

Joining the TWD Universe is another major feat in an incredible career for Castillo and it goes without saying that it's going to be an intriguing role considering where the show is at right now. Dead City focuses on longtime Walking Dead veterans Maggie Rhee (Lauren Cohan) and Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), who are forced to work together when the former's son Hershel ends up being taken to a post-apocalyptic Manhattan by a friend of the latter known as The Croat. Permanent enemies (due to the fact that Negan brutally killed Maggie's husband Glenn in the original series), they must become unlikely allies to save Maggie's son.

The second season saw the pair forced to team up again when Negan, who had now agreed to work for The Croat and The Dama to secure Hershel's freedom, attempted to get Maggie, who had been forced to return to the city with the New Babylon Marshals, and Hershel back out of the city.

In the end, it was Hershel who ended up siding with the villains, leaving Maggie, Negan, and their friend Perlie Armstrong, to try to rescue the young man and perhaps bring Manhattan back from the brink.

Lauren Cohan as Maggie Rhee, Jeffrey Dean Morgan as Negan - The Walking Dead: Dead City _ Season 2, Episode 4 - Photo Credit: Robert Clark/AMC

Castillo is joining an extremely exciting time for the show, which feels like it's finally building towards the hype that it started with, and he's not the only major addition this season either.

It was reported last month that Lucifer star Aimee Garcia had joined the cast in a series regular role to play the character of Renata, who is described as a disarmingly charming leader known for her optimism. Shortly after that, Emmy-nominated star of Westworld and Dark Matter Jimmi Simpson also joined as a series regular to play the mysterious role of Dillard.

It's not yet clear when exactly The Walking Dead: Dead City season 3 will premiere but, as production is currently ongoing, there is a pretty strong chance that it could debut on AMC and AMC+ in 2026, potentially ensuring that there isn't as long a wait between seasons this time around.

Entertainment