The Last Of Us Season 2 Star On Their Character Absorbing…

Summary

Gail's presence adds layers to Joel's character through therapy sessions.
Actress Catherine O'Hara views Gail as absorbing more than one can handle.
Series creators incorporate therapeutic elements in Season 2 to show Joel's vulnerability.

The Last of Us Season 2 introduced several new faces. One of them shared more details about their role. The Last of Us Season 2 premiered on HBO on Sunday.

Its first episode introduced several characters, including Abby (Kaitlyn Dever), Manny (Danny Ramirez), Nora (Tati Gabrielle), Mel (Ariela Barer), Owen (Spencer Lord), Dina (Isabela Merced), Jesse (Young Mazino), Benji (Ezra Agbonkhese), and Gail (Catherine O'Hara). One of them plays a significant role in Joel's (Pedro Pascal) arc and the actor portraying the role shared more behind-the-scenes details.

The Last of Us HBO Pedro Pascal Bella Ramsey Neil Druckmann

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By Catherine Armecin Martin

O'Hara's Gail, a therapist, makes her debut in The Last of Us Season 2, Episode 1. The first and second seasons have a five-year time gap. Joel has been seeing Gail to deal with his trauma. Gail is the only therapist in the dystopian city and O'Hara believes her character is absorbing too much than what one person can regularly handle. "Imagine what she's taking in, absorbing all day long in that town," O'Hara said of her character in an interview with Entertainment Weekly. "It's too much for anyone. Boy, you got to survive somehow." Joel's session with Gail adds a new layer of emotional arc for the former. When Joel realizes Gail resents him for a personal reason — her husband was among the persons he killed when he went on a rampage to save Ellie in Season 1 –- he is visibly uncomfortable and conflicted. Their sessions were more than therapy because they were also quite confrontations. Joel realized what he did to protect Ellie (Bella Ramsey) had continued to hurt people, including those trying to help him, like Gail.

According to O'Hara, for Joel and Gail's therapy session, they "scheduled a full day for that scene." She said it was "intense" and took much coverage. However, Craig Mazin, who co-created the show with Neil Druckmann, was very sure of what he wanted to accomplish for the scene and the actress just followed his lead. O'Hara spent the day with her co-star Pascal, who was reportedly "really fun" to be with. O'Hara is known for her comedic roles in Schitt's Creek, Best in Show, Beetlejuice and Home Alone movies. However, her character in The Last of Us is very serious and she is grateful for the new opportunity. O'Hara said that when the role was offered to her, they shared "some scripts" with her and were reportedly "very secretive."

Gail's addition to the series is a good move because her presence displayed Joel's vulnerability. He is often closed-off and stoic. However, during his therapy sessions with Gail, Joel's guilt, regret and loneliness were evident. Although he played the role of Ellie's protector, a part of him is conflicted about what he did. He killed many people just to save Ellie, but their relationship ended up strained. Gail is not an original character from the game. Mazin and Druckmann opted to add her to the TV show, which is something fans likely approve of. Pascal previously told Variety about a therapy session in Season 1 that was cut before he had the chance to film it. "That's half the reason I'm here," Pascal reportedly reacted after learning the said scene was removed, according to Mazin. However, the showrunner intended to feature the scene in Season 2, which brought O'Hara's Gail. Mazin acknowledged the importance of therapy sessions, pointing out how it allows one to acknowledge their thoughts and those things they usually refuse to talk about.

The Last of Us Season 2's premiere episode now streams on HBO. A new episode drops every Sunday.