One among HBO’s greatest hits in recent times is shedding one among its co-creators, however that is not the principle factor that has me involved for The Final of Us Season 3.
If me, I am an enormous The Final of Us fan. I’ve been for a decade now – wow, I actually simply aged myself, however anyway, I like this franchise a lot. So when a collection was introduced again in 2020, I used to be one of many first to start counting down the times till it premiered.
However now, it has been introduced that one of many creators, Neil Druckmann, is leaving the collection, and I, for one, assume that is perhaps a horrible concept. However there’s really another excuse that makes me much more fearful that I will get it down under.
First Off, I am Nonetheless Going To Watch The Present No Matter What
There’s one factor about me that I inform everybody, and that’s that I’m loyal.
It doesn’t matter what has occurred to the collection, what number of iterations it has gone by means of – if I’m a fan of the franchise, I can be supporting it till it ends. I did it for all eleven of The Strolling Lifeless’s seasons. I did it for The 100, which was one of the most effective CW exhibits earlier than its unusual final season, and I will do it for The Final of Us it doesn’t matter what occurs to the story.
Even when the concept of it hurts me.
Nevertheless it’s not like I have never been a fan of the adjustments The Final of Us has made. Apart from Jesse’s unusual reintroduction into the plot in Season 2, I have been alright with the plot shifts, character arcs, and extra. I’ve appreciated the rise in Ellie and Dina’s relationship. I’ve loved how a lot extra we have seen of Jackson.
Regardless of my willingness for change, I’ve to confess that when a creator decides to depart the collection, it definitely makes my fear antennas bounce up. However an excellent greater loss makes them red-hot.
Nonetheless, Neil Druckmann’s Departure — As Effectively As Halley Gross’ — Has Me Tremendous Involved
Deadline confirmed the information of Neil Druckmann’s exit in July 2025, the place it was introduced that he wouldn’t write or direct any of the upcoming episodes for Season 3 of The Final of Us.
I am not too stunned about him leaving, even when it does fear me. Whereas Druckmann has been the face of The Final of Us since its inception, because the creator of the online game franchise, he is additionally confronted loads of animosity from followers over his story choices prior to now.
Most of his story choices I’ve stood by, together with Joel’s dying (featured in Season 2 and the video video games), in addition to the inclusion of Lev within the video games (which I am positive we’ll see in Season 3 of the collection). However the creator says that he is stepping away so he has time to work on different tasks inside Naughty Canine, the sport firm behind The Final of Us, which Druckmann occurs to guide.
Alright, fantastic, I get that. The following online game launched by them, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, is fairly hyped, and I will probably find yourself enjoying it. Nevertheless it’s the departure of Halley Gross, a author on the TV present and the co-writer for the story of The Final of Us Half II, that makes me tremendous fearful. She introduced the information on her Instagram:
So, inform me what it means when each co-writers of The Final of Us Half II, a recreation that options Abby closely within the second half, resolve to depart earlier than Season 3, which goes to function Abby extra?
I am Excited About Abby’s Story, However These Two Writers Actually Formed It So Effectively
Not like many others, I completely loved enjoying as Abby in The Final of Us video games. I actually loved her story, and most of the moments I needed to see within the present from the video games ended up involving her. Each Druckmann and Gross wrote her story.
And there was one thing that was simply so unapologetically her on this recreation. She was large and powerful, and he or she did not care as a result of she knew what she was doing, and deep down, she cared tremendous deeply for others. She was the epitome of the adage “by no means decide a e book by its cowl,” and her story mirrored Ellie’s precisely. It was excellent.
It is already been mentioned that the TV present Abby will differ from the online game model of her. I imply, looks-wise, it is already at that time since Kaitlyn Dever is nowhere close to the quantity of bodily energy that game-Abby is, which to me is ok, even when it takes away a core a part of her appears to be like.
Even so, you may nonetheless have the identical story with out it, and the truth that each Druckmann and Gross left on the identical time makes me tremendous involved. What precisely is occurring within the author’s room of The Final of Us Season 3, the place they each step away from the mission?
Gross additionally cited that she’s stepping away to find time for “what comes subsequent,” so perhaps she and Neil are engaged on the brand new recreation Neil talked about. Nonetheless, it is unusual for each of those two, who formed Abby’s story, to step away proper because the collection is shifting in the direction of Abby changing into the principle character for a time.
Craig Mazin Is A Nice Author From Chernobyl, However Will He Be In a position To Seize The Similar Coronary heart?
This is not to say that I am not excited for The Final of Us Season 3 nonetheless. I can be on my sofa, with popcorn in hand, the second it inevitably premieres in two years (as a result of that is simply what HBO does these days). Craig Mazin, the opposite co-creator of the TV collection, is a superb author.
We have seen it with Chernobyl, which earned a number of Primetime Emmy Awards and is arms down top-of-the-line HBO miniseries on the market. Chernobyl was additionally factually correct in lots of instances, so I do not belief Mazin to do his analysis and craft a very good story.
However I am unable to assist however fear, ?
Druckmann has had a love for The Final of Us collection. It is that collection and the Uncharted franchise that put his identify on the map. And the truth that each he and his co-writer for Half 2 of the video games are stepping again seems like a important purple flag to me.
Solely time will inform what occurs with Season 3. However till then, I’ll sit with bated breath – and my Firefly pendant held near my coronary heart within the hope that it will nonetheless end up nice.