The Last of UsSeason 2 finally premiered this past weekend, giving viewers a glimpse of Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie’s (Bella Ramsey) new status quo. Taking place five years after the events of Season 1, the premiere episodereintroduces fans to the Jackson settlementthat was first revealed last time around when Joel reunited with his brother Tommy (Gabriel Luna). For those who have played the game, the setting is a pretty impressive recreation of the opening hub that players explore in the first section ofThe Last of Us Part II. Much like the video game, there is also a fun cameo from someone essential to the production of both the games and the series.
Towards the end of the first episode, Ellie attends a New Year’s party with Dina (Isabela Merced), with Jackson’s community coming together to ring in the new year. In several shots of the party, a member of the band playing music is shown— and it just happens to be Gustavo Santaolalla, the musical composer on the first two games as well as the show. The Argentinian composer and musician is not only an influential figure in the tone and aesthetics ofThe Last of Uswith his music, but was also a key figure in Spanish Rock in Argentina.
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Santaolalla is shown playing the ronroco, a stringed instrument similar to the guitar that played an essential part in forming the score for the video games. It’s a fun meta-contextual cameo, and fans ofThe Last of Us’sendearing score will undoubtedly appreciate an onscreen appearance from the man who brought it to life.
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The remastered version ofThe Last of Us Part IIon PS5also features a similar tribute to Gustavo Santaolalla. The composer is placed as a character in Jackson, sitting on a chair outside playing the ronroco, making his inclusion in the HBO series feel almost necessary. The adaptation has also managed to include several key members of the creative team from the games, which is impressive because they’re not always just subtle references—there’s usually more depth to them than expected.
Another prominent example is the inclusion of Troy Baker and Ashley Johnson in Season 1 ofThe Last of Us. Instead of playing bit roles, the actors who first brought Joel and Ellie to life in the games are given substantial roles in separate episodes. Baker plays James, a member of the cannibalistic group led by David. Johnson fittingly plays Ellie’s mom in the Season 1 finale of the show, in an incredibly emotional scene in which she gives birth to Ellie.
It will be interesting to see what other cameos happen in the second season ofThe Last of Us. The inclusion of someone like Laura Bailey (who played Abby in thePart IIvideo game) also feels like something fans could expect in future episodes, and could even have a more expansive role like Baker and Johnson had in Season 1. Overall, it’s exciting to see creatives who usually go under the radar after video game adaptations blow up become recognized for their efforts in the source material.
Source: HBO
The Last Of Us
