The Last of Us Season 2 Is Already Getting Praised as Game of Thrones’ Successor

From The Sopranos and The Wire to Succession and The White Lotus, HBO prides itself on being home to premier television shows. However, it’s hard to argue that, at its peak, Game of Thrones wasn’t the most successful show in the network’s history. It had action, suspense, drama, and everything in between, and when it ended, it felt like there would never be another show like it.

Well, The Last of Us is giving Game of Thrones a run for its money. In fact, Season 2, Episode 2, “Through the Valley,” proves the video game adaptation has what it takes to rule the TV landscape for years to come. What really makes “Through the Valley” stand out is its blend of massive action sequences with smaller, more character-centric moments.



While the people back at the Jackson camp fight for their lives against a massive horde of infected, Ellie and Joel are put on a collision course with a new character, Abby, who’s looking to settle a score. It follows the Game of Thrones model of putting different groups of characters in impossible situations, but the similarities between the two properties go deeper than that in this particular episode. Tommy Does His Best Jon Snow Impression in The Last of Us Season 2The comparison social media is making between Game of Thrones and The Last of Us Season 2 is the battle against the undead.

In “Through the Valley,” hundreds of infected wake up from hibernation and head right for the Jackson settlement. Tommy and Co. have defenses in place for that very scenario, but the sheer number of enemies makes the situation dire.

It’s a lot like the situation that Game of Thrones‘ Jon Snow finds himself in during the Season 5 episode “Hardhome.” While trying to bring the different factions beyond the wall together, the White Walkers attack, and Jon must face his enemy head-on without any prep time. Jon fares pretty well, taking down a White Walker and escaping with a small group of survivors.

Unfortunately, all the fighting was for nothing because the Night King resurrects the dead and has them join his army. It’s a major blow to Jon’s confidence, and Tommy ends up feeling the same at the end of “Through the Valley.” Despite taking down a Bloater with a flamethrower, Tommy’s home is left in shambles after a hard-fought battle.

So many are dead, and even after reuniting with his wife, Maria, it’s clear that he feels like he let everyone down. And that feeling isn’t going to go away because, during the battle, his brother, Joel, loses his life in another sequence that feels ripped right out of Game of Thrones.[RELATED – Is Pedro Pascal Done With The Last of Us Now?]The Last of Us Killing Off Joel Is Similar to What Game of Thrones Did to Ned StarkJust like Game of Thrones, The Last of Us is an adaptation of beloved source material.

They don’t both take place in a fantasy world, but one thing that creators George R.R. Martin and Neil Druckmann both like to do is incorporate dramatic deaths.

Early on in A Song of Ice and Fire, Ned Stark, the patriarch of the Stark family, loses his life after it seems like he’s going to be one of the main players in the books. The events play out the same in the show, and anyone who wasn’t familiar with Martin’s work was caught off guard when Sean Bean’s character lost his head.All these years later, HBO is doing the same thing with Joel in The Last of Us, killing off another character that appears to be a mainstay of the series in horrifying fashion.

Sure, The Last of Us Part II is a relatively recent release, meaning more people were likely aware of Joel’s fate than were aware of Ned’s in 2011, but that doesn’t change the impact both moments have on their respective series. Now, like Game of Thrones, The Last of Us is making it clear that no one is safe and the series can be turned on its head at any moment.New episodes of The Last of Us Season 2 release on Max and HBO every Sunday.

Do you think The Last of Us can be the next Game of Thrones? Will it stick the landing better than its HBO predecessor? Let us know in the comments below!The post The Last of Us Season 2 Is Already Getting Praised as Game of Thrones’ Successor appeared first on ComicBook.com..