Abby Moves to Center Stage in HBO’s The Last of Us Season 3
If you thought The Last of Us on HBO stuck close to its video game roots before, Season 3 looks set to light the fuse all over again. Instead of keeping Ellie at the heart of the action, this season hands the spotlight to Abby, played by Kaitlyn Dever. This isn’t just a quick detour: the story is set to dive deep into Abby’s journey, kicking off with her 'Seattle Day One' arc—an approach that ignited plenty of debate back when The Last of Us Part II launched on PlayStation.
Catherine O’Hara, who joins the cast as Gail in Season 2, has already gone on record about the show’s plans, making it clear that Abby’s perspective will dominate. The decision might rattle longtime viewers, especially since Ellie (Bella Ramsey) takes a big step back in the narrative for the first time. Fans who loved the original game’s roller coaster ride know exactly how jarring this shift can feel.
Balancing New Narratives With Fan Expectations
There’s a real risk here. TV shows depend on audience connection, and shifting the emotional core from Ellie to Abby could be a deal-breaker for some people. After all, the controversy around The Last of Us Part II wasn’t just about what happened in the plot—it was about asking players (and now viewers) to empathize with someone who was, until now, the villain in someone else’s story.
What the showrunners want, though, is to humanize Abby—slowly peeling back the layers of her motives and past. This means exploring her reasons, following her through Seattle, and watching her struggle with decisions, regret, and the same raw survival instinct that defined Ellie and Joel. For those worried about abandoning familiar faces, Bella Ramsey and Gabriel Luna (Tommy) are set to reprise their roles, so there’s at least some thread of continuity. But make no mistake: the emotional punch will come from seeing Abby’s side, even if it means reliving gut-wrenching moments from a totally different angle.
The success of this season depends heavily on how well the creators can juggle Abby’s journey with the stakes viewers already care about. That means weaving in flashbacks, emotional payoffs, and a rhythm that still feels like The Last of Us—just not the one fans might expect. Given how the game’s non-linear story ultimately won over critics while dividing fans, HBO is betting big on viewers being ready to engage, question, and maybe even root for Abby as much as they once did for Ellie. Season 3 is taking a risk, but it’s one that promises a fresh way to look at a world built on hard choices and harder consequences.
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