TV
Kaitlyn Dever Officially Joins “The Last of Us” Season 2 as Abby!
HBO’s “The Last of Us” has excelled in many departments thus far, but the show’s casting deserves special mention. Bella Ramsey turned out to be the perfect Ellie despite fans wondering if she was the right fit for the role, for starters, and the outside-the-box casting continues for Season 2. Kaitlyn Dever (No One Will Save You) will play Abby in Season 2!
Entertainment Weekly broke the news this afternoon, and they also shared a statement from “The Last of Us” creator Craig Mazin. “Our casting process for Season 2 has been identical to Season 1: we look for world-class actors who embody the souls of the characters in the source material,” Mazin tells Entertainment Weekly. “Nothing matters more than talent, and we’re thrilled to have an acclaimed performer like Kaitlyn join Pedro, Bella, and the rest of our family.”
The second season of HBO’s “The Last of Us” will adapt video game sequel The Last of Us Part II, but don’t expect the game’s events to be contained to just one season. It’s likely that the sequel’s sprawling, multi-character story will span the timeline of at least two seasons.
Abby is one of the central characters in The Last of Us Part II, and without getting too heavy into spoilers, she’s proven to be the most controversial character in the franchise. Her arc is tied directly to the events of the show’s first season finale, and the game was split between the Ellie and Abby storylines that eventually collide in an unforgettable final act.
How closely will the show’s interpretation of Abby stick to the shocking events of The Last of Us Part II? We’ll likely have to wait until sometime in 2025 to find out. Stay tuned.
HBO’s “The Last of Us” takes place twenty years after modern civilization has been destroyed. Joel, a hardened survivor, is hired to smuggle Ellie, a 14-year-old girl, out of an oppressive quarantine zone. What starts as a small job soon becomes a brutal, heartbreaking journey, as they both must traverse across the U.S. and depend on each other for survival.
Pedro Pascal (“The Mandalorian”) stars in the series as Joel and Bella Ramsey (“Game of Thrones”) plays Ellie. Gabriel Luna (Terminator: Dark Fate) plays Tommy, the brother of Pascal’s Joel. Storm Reid, Anna Torv, Jeffrey Pierce, Nick Offerman, Merle Dandridge, Nico Parker, Murray Bartlett and Con O’Neil also star in the first season of the hit series.
Craig Mazin (“Chernobyl”) developed the series for HBO, and worked directly alongside Neil Druckmann to write and executive produce the small screen adaptation.
As the inaugural season of Apple TV+’s stellar new series “Widow’s Bay” barrels toward its finale in two weeks, the latest episode gives Kate O’Flynn the spotlight as her character revisits her trauma with the Boogeyman.
“Your Baggage“, directed by Andrew DeYoung (Friendship), sees O’Flynn’s scene-stealing Patricia once again renew her fight with the Michael Myers-like stalker that slaughtered her peers during her adolescence. Thrillingly, it makes for one extended chase sequence that sees Patricia trying to warn others, while evading the undead killer.
In short, this episode’s incredible riff on Halloween and the slasher subgenre transformed Patricia into a fierce Final Girl.
“Well, that felt like a bucket list that I didn’t know was on my bucket list until I did it, but when I did it, I just lapped up every minute,” O’Flynn tells Bloody Disgusting of her triumphant turn this episode. “It felt fantastic for her to get that moment where she is becoming a badass. That was amazing.”
The actress turned to a few notable references for her performance. “Horror-wise, I go back to my youth, which was referenced in some of the episodes: Wicker Man, Carrie, and Rosemary’s Baby, that sort of thing is my kind of vibe.”
O’Flynn also notes how the series’ unique tone allows for so much creative freedom to make bold swings. “There’s something very freeing about it. Every moment is up for grabs, so it’s like we don’t have to totally land in one direction or another. It keeps it alive.“
Patricia is the eccentric assistant to Matthew Rhys‘ Mayor Tom Loftis, who’s at the forefront of trying to solve the island’s pesky curse predicament. Rhys felt the same about “Widow’s Bay” and its rare ability to make you laugh and scream in equal measure, stemming from series creator Katie Dippold.
“The mandate was, ‘It’s a real world with real people. You play for real.’ There’s no playing for comedy or horror,” Rhys echoes O’Flynn’s sentiments on how freeing the series’ tone has been.
New episodes will release every Wednesday through June 17 only on Apple TV+.
Kate O’Flynn in “Widow’s Bay,” now streaming on Apple TV.
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