In The Last of Us season 2, Joel finally goes to therapy

The Last of Us season 2 introduces Joel’s therapy sessions with Gail, played by Catherine O’Hara.
Gail is a new creation for the HBO series and not based on a character from the games.
Co-creator Craig Mazin wanted to introduce a therapist early on in the show, citing the importance of therapy in a world where everyone has been traumatized.
Mazin believes that a therapist-client relationship would be difficult to convey through gameplay alone and is better suited for a TV adaptation.
The introduction of Gail’s character allows for deeper exploration of Joel’s trauma and emotional struggles, adding depth to the show’s narrative.

Pedro Pascal and Catherine O’Hara in The Last of Us.

Joel is a troubled guy. Throughout the first Last of Us game (and subsequent TV adaptation on HBO, where he’s played by Pedro Pascal), he sees and does a lot of things he’d rather forget. He certainly doesn’t seem to want to talk about them much. Which is why it’s nice to see that, in the show’s second season, he’s finally seeing a therapist named Gail.

Unlike most of the show’s cast, Gail (played by Catherine O’Hara) isn’t based on a character from the games but instead is a new creation specifically for the HBO series. And although she makes her debut in season 2, co-creator Craig Mazin says that introducing a therapist was actually something he wanted to do early on.

“In a world where everyone has been traumatized â€¦ therapy would probably be useful”

“We have opportunities to do things only we can do that the game can’t,” he tells The Verge. “I don’t think the game could’ve supported a very long cutscene between a therapist and Joel. But it was something that we had talked about all the way back in season 1, because it seemed to us that in a world where everyone has been traumatized, and you have to barter some skill as part of the new econ …

Read the full story at The Verge.

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Q. Who plays Joel’s therapist in The Last of Us season 2?

A. Catherine O’Hara.

Q. Why did co-creator Craig Mazin introduce a therapist character to the show?

A. He wanted to explore the idea that therapy would be useful in a world where everyone has been traumatized.

Q. Is Gail, Joel’s therapist, based on a character from the games?

A. No, she is a new creation specifically for the HBO series.

Q. Why couldn’t the game have supported a long cutscene between a therapist and Joel?

A. The game couldn’t have handled it in a way that felt natural and engaging.

Q. What was Craig Mazin’s initial idea about introducing a therapist character?

A. He had discussed it with his team as early as season 1, thinking it would be an interesting opportunity to explore the concept of therapy in the show.

Q. Why did Joel finally start going to therapy in The Last of Us season 2?

A. It was nice to see him take this step, given his troubled past and reluctance to talk about his experiences.

Q. What is unique about Gail’s character compared to other characters in the show?

A. She is a new creation specifically for the HBO series, unlike most of the cast who are based on characters from the games.

Q. How did Craig Mazin feel about introducing this concept to the show?

A. He felt it was something that the show could do in a way that the game couldn’t, and he wanted to explore it further.