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How Much of Jackson in The Last of Us Season 2 is Real? Showrunners Reveal Truth Behind Pedro Pascal Starrer
The creators of The Last of Us open up about the real-life inspiration behind Jackson, Wyoming, and how closely the show's version mirrors reality.
Season 2 of The Last of Us picks up five years after Joel’s fateful choice to save Ellie from the Fireflies, at the cost of the possible cure for humanity. The premiere grounds viewers in a more peaceful yet emotionally frayed Jackson, Wyoming, where Joel and Ellie have settled into uneasy lives.
Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey) are no longer the inseparable duo we saw in Season 1. Now 19, Ellie has grown distant. She’s moved into a garage next to their home and rarely speaks to Joel. The silence between them is deafening and deeply personal.
Struggling with guilt and emotional distance, Joel starts therapy with Gail (Catherine O’Hara), a grief-stricken woman who recently lost her husband, Eugene.
Their intense session, one of co-creator Craig Mazin’s favorite scenes, pushes Joel to confront the truth he’s been hiding for years. When pressed to open up about Ellie, Joel simply says, “I saved her,” before walking out. It’s a quietly devastating moment that echoes his still-secret massacre of the Fireflies.
Jackson has grown into a thriving, if fragile, community. Overseen by Tommy (Gabriel Luna) and his wife Maria (Rutina Wesley), the walled town continues to welcome survivors, perhaps too quickly, according to Joel.
Ellie, now training in combat and wilderness survival, works with Tommy and her best friend Dina (Isabela Merced) to patrol the outskirts for the infected. The premiere hints at the changing nature of the infected too. In one harrowing scene, Ellie encounters a new class of stalkers that hides and hunts instead of charging blindly. It’s a terrifying evolution that sets the tone for what’s coming.
While violence lurks outside Jackson’s walls, the emotional core of the premiere builds around Ellie and Dina’s evolving bond. At a New Year’s Eve celebration, the two share a quiet dance and their first kiss.
Ramsey, who watched game walkthroughs to prepare, says the scene felt surreal: “It really feels like I’m in the game,” she told Variety. The chemistry between Ellie and Dina is tender, unsure, and full of tension. Ellie, unsure if Dina is still with Jesse (Young Mazino), hesitates. But when Dina leans in, Ellie begins to let herself feel something hopeful, perhaps for the first time in a while.
The show’s production paid close attention to detail while building Jackson. Filmed in Minaty Bay, Canada, the set featured fully recreated storefronts, homes, and even Joel’s house, right down to the jacket in his closet.
Bella Ramsey described the environment as incredibly immersive. Gail, a character created specifically for the show, was connected to Eugene, a name fans of The Last of Us Part II might recognize.
Co-creator Neil Druckmann shared that Eugene would appear in flashbacks and be played by Joe Pantoliano, adding emotional depth to Joel’s therapy scenes.
Craig Mazin stated that the therapy scene had been in development for a long time and was even considered for Season 1. He said that therapy served as a powerful mirror and called the scene one of his favorites to write and film, describing it as an action sequence made of words.
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