Gabriel Luna on Filming The Last of Us Season 2: Flamethrowers, Family Bonds, and Intense Drama

Making a television series often resembles surviving an apocalypse — being thrown together with strangers, overcoming differences, and forming a close-knit community, sometimes like a family. This has certainly been the case for Gabriel Luna during the production of HBO’s acclaimed series The Last of Us, now entering its second season.

Luna compares the experience of filming to defending Jackson Hole, Wyoming, from hordes of infected, emphasizing how the cast and crew quickly built strong bonds off-screen. “We embraced each other off-screen and tried to build the fibers between the cast as quickly as we could,” Luna told Gold Derby. The intense subject matter pushed even new cast members to connect deeply.

The second season picks up five years after Season 1, where Joel (Pedro Pascal) killed resistance fighters to save Ellie (Bella Ramsey). Now, living in Jackson with his brother Tommy (Luna), the characters face new challenges. Tommy has grown his family with wife Maria (Rutina Wesley) and their young son, and the community resembles a post-apocalyptic version of pre-Cordyceps society.

Returning to the show meant welcoming new cast members like Isabela Merced, Kaitlyn Dever, and Young Mazino. Luna, alongside Pascal, Wesley, and Ramsey, became the “elder statesmen,” fostering a culture of love and respect on set, which Luna described as genuine and heartfelt.

One of the season’s highlights is a massive action sequence where Tommy confronts a bloater infected, wielding a flamethrower. Luna humorously recalls receiving just a three-minute tutorial before filming this intense scene, underscoring the challenges actors face in such productions.

The season balances large-scale action with deeply personal drama. Joel’s violent death at Abby’s hands sets Ellie on a quest for revenge, while Tommy’s grieving and preparations for Joel’s burial provide emotional depth. Luna requested that Pascal’s double be fully made up in prosthetics during the burial scene to enhance his own performance, a choice that proved effective.

While Ellie and Dina’s journey shifts the story’s focus away from Jackson, Tommy eventually crosses paths with them, culminating in a suspenseful cliffhanger involving Abby. Luna is eager for viewers to explore his character’s perspective, particularly the storyline that rewinds two days to show events from Abby’s point of view. He highlights the complexity of heroism and villainy, noting how one character’s hero can be another’s antagonist.

With the rich storytelling and evolving character arcs, The Last of Us Season 2 continues to deliver gripping drama and intense action, promising fans more emotional and thrilling episodes ahead.