The Last of Us Season 2: Who Is Catherine OHara's Character?

Key Takeaways

The Last of Us Season 2 will feature new cast members, including Catherine O’Hara, who doesn’t have a direct video game counterpart.
O’Hara’s character is speculated to be a therapist named Gail.
O’Hara will appear in three episodes, with a time jump allowing for exploration of her character and potentially filling gaps in the story.

As a long-time fan and scholar of narrative storytelling, I find myself deeply intrigued by the potential roles that Catherine O’Hara may embody in the upcoming HBO series of “The Last of Us.” Having immersed myself in the world of post-apocalyptic fiction for years, I can appreciate the importance of a resident therapist like Gail in such a harsh and traumatic environment.

In 2025, we can expect the second season of “The Last of Us” on HBO, and it will feature a fresh group of actors to bring characters from Naughty Dog’s “The Last of Us Part 2” to life. Interestingly, Catherine O’Hara’s character doesn’t have a direct counterpart in the game.

In the second season of the widely acclaimed HBO series “The Last of Us”, we find ourselves five years after the events of Season 1, staying true to the setup in its original source material. Following their long journey across the country, Ellie and Joel have established a home in Jackson, but their pasts inevitably come back to haunt them. Many familiar faces from Season 1 will reprise their roles, such as Pedro Pascal (Joel), Bella Ramsey (Ellie) and Gabriel Luna (Tommy). New additions to the cast include Kaitlyn Dever as Abby and Jeffrey Wright as Isaac. The sneak peeks of “The Last of Us” Season 2 seem to follow closely the storyline from the games, yet there are still certain aspects, particularly Catherine O’Hara’s character, that remain shrouded in mystery.

Catherine O’Hara Cast as Mystery Character in TLOU S2

During the filming of The Last of Us Season 2, several cast announcements were made, but one that stood out was Catherine O’Hara from Beetlejuice and Schitt’s Creek. O’Hara was set to join the show in February 2024, though her role wasn’t specified. Fans have been wondering who she might play in the new season since there seems to be no clear character for her in the game. The series is known for creating unique roles for actors that aren’t found in the original game, as seen with Bill and Frank’s expanded roles in Episode 3 of Season 1, or Melanie Lynskey as a militia leader in Episodes 4 and 5. These alterations have been generally well-received by fans, so it’s possible that The Last of Us S2 may introduce a fresh character for Catherine O’Hara.

Catherine O’Hara’s Character Name

Although HBO hasn’t revealed the character played by Merle Dandridge (O’Hara), hints about her role have been dropped over time. Prior to her official casting, there were whispers (from Daniel RPK/Reddit) that she was offered a new character named Gail. The validity of this rumor seems plausible as set photos from The Last of Us Season 2 showed labels for characters including “Gail” alongside Joel, Ellie, and Tommy. However, the exact identity of Gail remains unclear.

Jackson’s Resident Therapist

In the show The Last of Us, it’s speculated that Gail could play a therapeutic role. During the Beetlejuice Beetlejuice press tour, O’Hara hinted at her character being potentially antagonistic towards a specific character and suggested she excels in psychological combat. The trailer for Season 2 of The Last of Us shows O’Haras character confronting Pedro Pascal’s Joel in Jackson, asking him “What did you do?”. This scene is reminiscent of the beginning of The Last of Us Part 2, where Joel confesses to Tommy about what transpired at the Salt Lake City hospital.

In my perspective as an enthusiast, it seems that in the HBO series adaptation, Tommy might take on the role previously held by Catherine O’Hara’s character, hinting at her potential function as a local therapist for the residents of Jackson. Given the grim post-apocalyptic setting of The Last of Us, it’s plausible that many characters could benefit from a counselor to aid them in dealing with their distress. As Jackson is a well-established settlement, it wouldn’t be unreasonable to assume it has the facilities to accommodate a resident therapist like Gail. Furthermore, a therapist character would significantly enrich The Last of Us by providing opportunities to delve deeper into the characters’ emotions in a more organic way.

A Love Interest For Joel?

The Last of Us Season 2: Who Is Catherine OHara's Character?

In the storylines of both “The Last of Us Part 1” and “Part 2”, Joel’s life is primarily focused on survival rather than romance. Initially, we meet Joel as a father figure to a young girl, but her mother is absent from the scene. The HBO series subtly suggests a past romantic connection between Joel and Tess (portrayed by Anna Torv), but this bond ends tragically in Episode 2 as Tess dies. The five-year gap between the events of the first season and the second could have provided an opportunity for Joel to cultivate a romantic relationship with a character like Catherine O’Hara’s, assuming such a development occurs in the narrative.

In the broader storyline of “The Last of Us,” there is historical basis for Joel to have a romantic interest named Esther. During an exceptional live performance of “The Last of Us” in 2014 called “The Last of Us: One Night Live,” an additional epilogue scene was shown, where Joel discloses that Tommy arranged a match with a woman named Esther for him. Since a sequel to the original game had not been announced at the time of this live performance, some of these scenes didn’t end up in the game. Halley Gross, co-writer of “The Last of Us Part 2,” did confirm to The Washington Post that Joel indeed had a girlfriend named Esther, but she was later removed from the game. However, the “The Last of Us” franchise might bring back this character, potentially through Catherine O’Hara’s character.

Originally, we conceived numerous scenes for this game that didn’t end up being included. In our initial plan, Joel had a girlfriend named Esther.

Will TLOU S2 Fill in the Gaps?

Apart from mentioning that Catherine O’Hara’s character in the mystery series The Last of Us will feature across three episodes, there’s not much else to note at this point. In an interview with Premiere, O’Hara revealed this episode count and hinted that her character interacts with Joel and Ellie. This aligns with speculation that she’ll be a Jackson-based character. The three-episode span could imply that O’Hara might make her debut in the first three episodes of Season 2, given that these are likely to cover events taking place in Jackson chronologically.

In other words, the storyline of “The Last of Us” Season 2 takes place five years after Season 1, leaving plenty of room for the HBO series to delve into more details about that time period. If they choose to do so, this could provide a deeper exploration of O’Hara’s character, much like how Bill and Frank were developed in Season 1.

The Last of Us Season 2 will premiere in 2025.

2024-10-20 23:04

The Last of Us Season 2: Who Is Catherine OHara’s Character?