Future Days (The Last of Us)

"Future Days" is the first episode of the second season of the American post-apocalyptic drama television series The Last of Us. Written and directed by series co-creator Craig Mazin, it aired on HBO on April 13, 2025. Set five years after the events of the first season, the episode follows Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey), whose relationship has become strained as a result of Joel's lie in the previous episode. They have settled into Jackson, Wyoming, with Joel's brother Tommy (Gabriel Luna) and Ellie's friends Dina (Isabela Merced) and Jesse (Young Mazino).

The episode was filmed in February and March 2024 in British Columbia, including in Britannia Beach where the town of Jackson was built on a private property. It introduces several characters, including Dina, Jesse, Abby (Kaitlyn Dever), and Gail (Catherine O'Hara), for whom the writers made several changes from the games to fit the medium. Critics considered the episode a strong opening chapter which largely serves to establish the remainder of the season, praising the direction, cinematography, writing, and performances of Pascal, Ramsey, and O'Hara; the latter was nominated for Guest Actress in a Drama Series at the 77th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards. The episode was watched by 5.3 million viewers on its first day.