Warning! This article contains SPOILERS for The Last of Us Part IICatherine O’Hara was previously confirmed as part of the cast ofThe Last of Usseason 2, and a new trailer finally revealed who her character is. Thecast ofThe Last of Usseason 2was already packed with talented actors, and Catherine O’Hara only adds to its quality. O’Hara is mostly known for her work in comedies likeBeetlejuiceandSchitt’s Creek, but she has also displayed her dramatic acting skills in various roles. O’Hara seems like a perfect fit forThe Last of Us, but until now, audiences didn’t know who she would be playing.

Ever since O’Hara was first confirmed to appear inThe Last of Usseason 2, there has been speculation over which character she would play.The Last of Usseason 2 will begin adapting the second game in the series,The Last of Us Part II. The problem is that there aren’t many characters from the second game that O’Hara seemed like a good fit for, which caused fans to speculate that she was a character cut from the game, a gender-swapped existing character, and more. Thanks to a new trailer, however,The Last of Usconfirmed that O’Hara is playing an entirely new character.

A composite image of Joel looking stoic with Joel and Ellie sneaking in The Last of Us season 1

The Last Of Us Season 2: Release Date, Cast, Story, Trailer & Everything We Know

Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey will return for a second season of HBO’s The Last of Us, which adapts the successful video game franchise.

Catherine O’Hara Appears To Be Playing Joel’s Therapist In The Last Of Us Season 2

The newtrailer forThe Last of Usseason 2finally revealed who Catherine O’Hara’s character is in the upcoming season.It seems that O’Hara is playing Joel’s therapist at Jackson. She could be heard asking Joel to share more about his past, presumably his decision to save Ellie at theend ofThe Last of Usseason 1, and telling him to “say the thing you’re afraid to say.” O’Hara’s character, who is as of yet unnamed, also seems to be a somewhat unusual therapist, as she took a very casual approach to the beginning of her session with Joel.

Was Catherine O’Hara’s Therapist In The Last Of Us Video Games?

It also seems that Catherine O’Hara’s therapist is a new creation forThe Last of Usshow.The games never showed Joel seeking mental help from a therapist, so O’Hara’s character doesn’t have a virtual counterpart. However, that doesn’t mean the therapist is completely breaking from the established story ofThe Last of Us Part II. There were several years between Joel and Ellie returning to Jackson and Joel’s death, and he could easily have seen a therapist without Ellie knowing. Even though O’Hara’s therapist character doesn’t necessarily contradict the games' story, she’ll still introduce some new elements toThe Last of Usseason 2.

What Catherine O’Hara’s New Character Could Mean For Joel’s Story In The Last Of Us Season 2

Catherine O’Hara’s therapist character could be a sign that Joel’s story fromThe Last of Us Part IIwill be changed in a few significant ways.InThe Last of Us Part II, Ellie only finds the truth about Joel’s massacre of the Fireflies by sneaking back to the hospital, finding a recording of a Firefly, and forcing Joel to tell her what happened. If Joel was in therapy trying to find a way to tell Ellie about his decision, though, it could be evidence thatThe Last of Usseason 2 will take a different approach to Ellie finding the truth.

The Last of Usseason 2 will premiere sometime in 2025 on Max.

Catherine O’Hara as Joel’s therapist in the trailer for The Last of Us season 2

It’s possible thatThe Last of Usseason 2 could show Joel telling Ellie what happened on his own after working with his therapist. That wouldn’t help change the fact that he chose Ellie’s fate for her, but it would take away some of the deception he carried out for years after the fact.Even if the show doesn’t change how Ellie learns about the massacre in Salt Lake City, O’Hara’s character indicates thatThe Last of Usseason 2 will focus more on Joel’s guilt and internal thoughts than the game did.

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A major update for The Last of Us season 2 proves that the show will fix one of the biggest problems with the game, and it could become even better.

Just by nature of having a new therapist character, it seems thatThe Last of Usseason 2 is going to put a lot of emphasis on Joel working through the massacre and lying to Ellie.The fact that his therapist is played by Catherine O’Hara, a famous actor, makes it seem even more likely that Joel’s therapy sessions will play a major role in the show. That also fits withThe Last of Us' four-season plan, as expanding Joel’s story prior to his death would help fill the additional seasons of the show and spread out the game’s story.

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Catherine O’Hara’s character in The Last of Us season 2 could be a major benefit to the show.

Aside from expanding Joel’s story and examining his guilt more closely, it doesn’t seem like O’Hara’s therapist character will be a major deviation fromThe Last of Us Part II. The game only briefly reviewed Joel and Ellie’s time at Jackson, mostly through flashbacks, and there’s plenty of room for a new character to be introduced. The addition also seems like a positive decision for the show, as it will give viewers more time with Joel, and make his eventual death even more heart-wrenching. Catherine O’Hara’s character inThe Last of Usseason 2 could be a major benefit to the show.

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The Last Of Us

Cast

The Last of Us is a post-apocalyptic drama series set two decades after a global catastrophe. It follows Joel, a seasoned survivor, who is tasked with escorting Ellie, a teenage girl, across a desolated United States, transforming into a harrowing journey of survival and companionship.

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