The second season of The Last of Us will debut on HBO on April 13, 2025. It has been more than two years since viewers were captivated by Ellie and Joel’s journey across a zombie-infested America. To prepare fans for the new episodes, In Touch provides a summary of the first season.

How Did ‘The Last of Us’ Season 1 Start?

Season 1 of The Last of Us started in 2003, just before a catastrophic event turned the world upside down due to a zombie outbreak. A mutated cordyceps fungus led to a worldwide crisis, transforming people into aggressive and mindless versions of themselves. During the ensuing chaos, Joel (Pedro Pascal) tragically lost his daughter, Sarah, a loss that shaped him into the emotionally closed-off survivor viewers see two decades later.

Joel’s life changed dramatically when he accepted the mission to transport Ellie (Bella Ramsey) across the nation. At just 14 years old, Ellie is unique in that she is immune to the cordyceps infection. A group known as the Fireflies believes her immunity might be key to finding a cure for the devastating disease.

As Joel and Ellie traveled to get her to the Fireflies, they ran into more than a few dangerous obstacles, including a detour through Kansas City where they were hunted by a resistance group led by a woman named Kathleen (Melanie Lynskey).

‘The Last of Us’ Season 1 Gave Fans the Heartbreaking Story of Bill and Frank

In episode 3 of The Last of Us season 1, fans were introduced to the story of Bill (Nick Offerman) and Frank (Murray Bartlett). When Joel and Ellie arrived, they hoped to find allies to join them on their trek, but instead, they discovered that the couple had died. Frank suffered from a degenerative neuromuscular disease that was intentionally left ambiguous, according to The Last of Us cocreator Craig Mazin.

Without access to modern-day medicine in the post-apocalyptic world and his deteriorating condition, Frank decided to end his life on his own terms and he asked Bill to plan one last day for them together. They had a marriage ceremony and a final dinner, and Bill revealed that he had also taken a lethal dose of medication because he didn’t want to live in a world without Frank.

In a letter left to Joel, Bill explained how caring for Frank had changed his outlook on life, and he urged Joel to protect the people in his life that he loves. This moment caused a shift in Joel as he realized that he’d grown to love Ellie like a daughter.

How Did ‘The Last of Us’ Season 1 End?

When Joel and Ellie finally made it to the Fireflies, Joel learned that in order to create the cure, Ellie had to die. He couldn’t bear to lose her and instead killed the entire hospital staff, and he lied to her about what happened. In the final scene, Ellie asked Joel to swear to her that he was telling the truth, and he replied, “I swear.”

The Last of Us season 2 premieres on HBO on April 13, 2025, at 9:00 p.m. ET.