HBO chief hinted that 'The Last of Us' show will end with season 3

HBO Head Hints That The Last of Us Show Will End With Season 3

The future of the The Last of Us series based on the game of the same name appears to be set. HBO Chairman and CEO Casey Bloys, in an interview with Deadline, indirectly confirmed that the show will conclude with its third season.

Previously, showrunner Craig Mazin had repeatedly emphasized that fully adapting the events of the two games would require more time. Last spring, he stated outright that a fourth season was "almost necessary" and noted that finishing the story within the framework of a third season would be impossible without serious compromises. According to him, the most logical option seemed to be continuing after the third season and concluding in a fourth.

Deadline asked Bloys if he could confirm that the upcoming season of The Last of Us would be its last:

"It seems like that's the way it's going to be,"

adding that in such situations, HBO follows the lead of the showrunners. While not a direct confirmation, in the industry such phrasing typically indicates that a decision has already been made at the network level.

Story-wise, the third season, like the second part of the game, is expected to shift focus to Abby, played by Kaitlyn Dever, following the death of Joel, portrayed by Pedro Pascal. How exactly Mazin will structure the narrative and retell the events in Seattle from a different perspective remains a mystery for now.

The second season sparked a strong and largely controversial reaction from viewers, especially due to key plot twists. Mazin himself admitted that he still faces questions about Joel's fate, emphasizing that the series merely follows the canon of the game. Neil Druckmann, co-creator of the show and creator of the original, also noted that any controversial decisions inevitably provoked a sharp reaction from the audience.

Actress Bella Ramsey, who plays Ellie, for her part, made it clear that she tries not to pay attention to the wave of online criticism. According to her, the series is already made and no one is going to reshoot it, and those who don't like the adaptation always have the original game's storyline available to them.