With the premiere of Season 2 of The Last of Us available on HBO and MAX, there’s a lot to process with the first episode. Five years after the events of the season one finale, Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey) aren’t clicking as much as they used to, with the two of them struggling to connect as they adjust to their lives in Jackson, Wyoming. As the season premiere brought in 5.3 million viewers on Sunday night, many fans of the Naughty Dog video game adaptation are anxious to see which characters will appear throughout the eight-episode season. However, some may not have noticed a major cameo within the latest episode that’ll tug a few guitar strings.
Videos by ComicBook.com
The Last of Us television series has been known to bring some recognizable faces to the screen, especially ones that have worked with Naughty Dog in previous projects. The first season made room for Troy Baker, Ashley Johnson, and Jeffrey Pierce, the original actors for Joel, Ellie, and Tommy, to the live-action adaptation. While their roles in the show weren’t cameos, the series still had some of those, with actor Jason Ritter having a cameo in “Please Hold My Hand,” which also starred his wife, Melanie Lynskey.
RELATED: The Last of Us Creators Address Season 2’s Biggest Continuity Error: “We Didn’t Give a Sh-t”
The major cameo is none other than The Last of Us series composer Gustavo Santaolalla, who appears alongside the band Crooked Still during the Ballroom scene near the end of “Future Days.” The musician can be seen strumming the banjo at the end of Jesse and Ellie’s conversation when the camera shifts towards the band. Santaolalla has been the composer for The Last of Us video games from the beginning, scoring the first game, The Last of Us Part II, and now both seasons of the HBO series. While he worked alongside Neil Druckmann before, his work can be heard in the Academy Award-nominated soundtrack for 2005’s Brokeback Mountain and 2006’s Babel, as well as the 2014 animated film The Book of Life.
If his face rings a bell for any The Last of Us Part II players, the Latin Grammy-nominated composer had a similar cameo in the video game as well, appearing as a banjo player in Jackson, Wyoming in an early part of the game. Seeing how the musician is once again plucking the strings, this marks his first on-screen appearance within the HBO show. Having been a part of The Last of Us franchise since the start, the performer has continued to make a huge impact on the overall gritty tone and chaotic yet dreary atmosphere that pairs perfectly with the series.
New episodes of The Last of Us premiere Sundays at 9 PM ET on HBO and MAX.
Most Viewed
-
Hulu / 20th Television Animation
