The Last of Us showrunner debunks Abby season two theory

Fan theories often run wild. Sometimes they can strike for a hole-in-one with pinpoint accuracy, but some can miss the mark.

One such fan theory is regarding the final episode of The Last of Us TV series from HBO. Before I proceed, I will be going into spoilers for the final episode of season one and in turn, spoilers for the conclusion of The Last of Us Part I video game. During the final episode of The Last of Us, Ellie is put under anaesthetic for surgery by the rebel group, the Fireflies. They claim that Ellie is the cure to the cordyceps virus, despite performing failed surgeries on others before her.

Unfortunately, this surgery would have killed Ellie at the operating table, a consequence that was not disclosed by the Fireflies to either Ellie or Joel beforehand. In both the video game and the TV series, Joel takes it upon himself to save Ellie from the surgery that she did not consent to. This results in an absolute bloodbath and one of the victims is the surgeon performing the operation, Jerry Anderson, the father of Abby in The Last of Us Part II.

In The Last of Us Part I, there was no sign of Abby. However, in the final episode of the TV series, as Joel is in the middle of his rampage, a woman that looks to be a similar size to Abby sporting her same plait hairstyle can be seen running away and seemingly escaping the hospital.

Naturally, this ‘blink and you miss it’ moment had fans speculating that this was in-fact Abby fleeing the scene. Personally, looking back at this clip, it does look like the woman could be one and the same. Yet, during a recent interview on Josh Horowitz's podcast, the series showrunner was asked if the Firefly running away was in fact Abby, and Craig Mazin claimed it was not her.

To be fair, if they confirmed it to be Abby, perhaps it might open up a can of worms for season two spoilers for those that aren't familiar with the video game. I’m a sceptical person by nature, so even if the showrunners deny it, I still won’t rule it out. But what do I know?

In related news, the release window for The Last of Us season two has been announced by HBO, and fans have been left terrified after a scientist shows off cordyceps growing on muscle tissue.