“The people that you care about and root for are not good all the time” - Craig Mazin discusses landing the crucial Abby perspective in The Last of Us season three
HBO’s adaptation of The Last of Us has begun production on season three, with showrunner Craig Mazin providing early insight into the upcoming season’s direction. The new season will shift its narrative focus to Abby, a morally complex character from The Last of Us Part 2, played by returning actor Kaitlyn Dever. Newcomer Kyriana Kratter has been cast as Lev, with the teaser already shown in season two’s finale.
Mirroring the structure of the source game, season three will largely center on Abby’s perspective after following Ellie for the previous two seasons. This represents both a structural and thematic challenge, as Abby is a complicated character who elicited mixed reactions from players in the original game. Mazin has emphasized that perspective and narrative framing are central to how viewers will understand and judge the character.
According to Mazin’s remarks, the core challenge is presenting Abby authentically while exploring the series’ theme that “the people that you care about and root for are not good all the time.” Rather than painting characters as purely heroic or villainous, the season aims to demonstrate how narrative perspective shapes moral judgment. By inhabiting Abby’s viewpoint, audiences will be invited to reassess their sympathies and assumptions.
The production is actively moving forward with these thematic priorities, positioning season three as an exploration of moral complexity and narrative subjectivity—lessons the game conveyed through its controversial structure.