HBO's The Last Of Us just introduced Ellie to a Part 2 companion

Spoiler warning: this article contains spoilers for both episode six of The Last of Us and The Last of Us Part II.

The Last of Us episode six, ‘Kin’, released last night, and it was full of references to Part II.

It was confirmed late last month that The Last of Us has been renewed for a second season, meaning that all the pain and heartbreak we went through in Part II is going to be hitting our TV screens eventually, too. Fun! I jest, obviously it’s very exciting news, although fans have all been left wondering how the adaptation of the sequel will even work given its divisive narrative structure.

Take a look at the trailer for The Last of Us below.

Part II introduces a whole load of major characters to the series, so it’ll be interesting to see who’s chosen to portray them. Some think that Abby may have already been cast, and following the most recent episode, many believe that we may have got our first glimpse of Ellie’s girlfriend, Dina.

As ComicBook reports, one Part II companion definitely made her first appearance in the most recent episode. When Tommy and Maria show Ellie and Joel around Jackson, Ellie meets a foal called Shimmer. Fans of the sequel will recognise this as the name of her horse in Part II. Whether Shimmer will be re-introduced in season two is another matter, but even if not, it’s a cool reference that once again proves how faithfully the TV crew are sticking to the source material.

Another small nod in ‘Kin’ foreshadows Ellie living on the ranch with Dina in Part II, so the showrunners are already setting us up for a truly painful time. I don’t think any of us are ready for it.

Episode seven, ‘Left Behind’, will air on Sunday 26 February in the U.S., and Monday 27 February in the UK.