HBO’sThe Last of Uscame onto the adaptation scene in 2023 to show everyone how simple it was to create a successful TV series of a highly popular game, leaving all the previous failed attempts in its wake. Now that season 2 of the post-apocalyptic series is over, news and updates on the series have slowed, but a new image of an iconic scene that didn’t make it into season 2 has popped up to bring the heartbreaking show back into the spotlight.
Even though most fans knew ahead ofThe Last of Usseason 2’s release that itstimeline would not follow the exact layout ofThe Last of Us Part 2,even though it had stayed mostly faithful to the first game in season one, some fans took issue with how many magical moments were actually left out of the returning series. Some of the complaints revolved around Ellie not coming across as revengeful as her video game character did, Ellie being somewhat “dumbed down” and needing to rely on Jesse or Dina more, and the omission of that emotional porch scene between Ellie and Joel. Now, as viewers wonder what dark turn season 3 will take for Abby and Ellie, the show’s production designer has disclosed an image fromThe Last of Usseason 2, episode 3that had to be cut, and it’s a big moment from the video game.
As reported byComicbook,the Seattle QZ gate scene fromThe Last of Us Part 2was initially set up but didn’t wind up being a part of the TV show, and ended up on the production’s cutting room floor.In a new Instagram post byThe Last of Usseason 2’s production designer, Don Macaulay, the image shows that the QZ gate was actually constructed and looks exactly like how it is in the video game, but due to possible time restrictions, it never materialized in episode 3 ofThe Last of Usseason 2.
Some fans will obviously be quite disappointed that it wasn’t shown, as in the game, it provided plenty of cool and magical moments between Ellie and Dina as the pair arrived in Seattle. The gate scene explained to them both how to reach the outpost, get over the wall, and helped them understand thatFEDRA is no longer a factor in the cityand other factions are now in control, but since it would have likely taken up a lot of time to process the ins and outs of the scene, it makes sense that it didn’t make it to the final cut.
Macaulay revealed that building the Seattle QZ gate was a challenging endeavor, but all was not lost, as “the broken on-ramp did make it into the episode with the view of Seattle. It was built on the same backlot.” Thankfully,The Last of Usseason 2 found another, if not better, way to introduce Ellie and Dina to the hostile world of an overgrown Seattle as the pair happen upon the dead bodies of women and children (later known as Seraphites) and they conclude that it was the doing of Abby and her gang, pushing them further into the city.
A release date forThe Last of UsSeason 3hasn’t been revealed by HBO as yet, but if the series follows the same structure as 1 and 2, the next installment could begin shooting in 2026 and premiere sometime in early 2027.
