HBO’sThe Last of Usbegins with a pilot that is surprisingly and crucially faithful to the game in its Texas suburb prologue and Boston quarantine zone two decades later. However, it isn’t long after the show’s first episode thatThe Last of Us’ live-action adaptation takes numerous narrative detours, both for better and for worse. It’s wonderful to see a whole episode dedicated to Bill and Frank’s love story as that’s only alluded to and mired in tragedy in the game, for example, butTess’ death, the lack of spores, and the infected being a hive mindwere drastic, controversial changes from the source material.
WithThe Last of Us’ second season on HBO now beginning to tell the story ofThe Last of Us Part 2, it’ll be interesting to see how each divisive beat is tackled. It was always going to be intriguing to hear who HBO would cast as Abby, for instance, and the announcement that Kaitlyn Dever would play the deuteragonist was phenomenal despite the fact that it would mean Abby lacks a paramount part of her character: her remarkable physicality.Naughty Dog’s Neil Druckmann recently explained this decision in an interview with Entertainment Weekly, but with such significant beats tied to Abby’s fluctuating body types it seems like one choice that could have a substantial impact on how the show is received in comparison to the game.
Abby’s Muscle in The Last of Us Part 2 is as Important to the Story as It is to Gameplay
Abby’s figure isn’t the only element that defines her character andKaitlyn Dever undoubtedly has the potential to play Abby beautifully. Plus, to be fair, Druckmann’s statement about the show not having as much moment-to-moment action is a valid reason as to why Abby may not be throwing as many haymakers as she does in the game.
Still, it is made abundantly clear thatAbby’s encounters with the infected and Seraphites inThe Last of Us Part 2aren’t why she packs on so much muscle. Instead, it’s implied that she dedicated herself to weight training so that she could avenge her father’s death by killing Joel, even though Abby doesn’t end up needing to overpower Joel physically to do so. Either way, the severity with which she molds herself, whether it’s hyperbolic or not, is a powerful illustration of how hellbent she is on fulfilling her need for vengeance.
The Last of Us Part 2’s Ending Punctuates Abby’s Journey with Another Weight Change
Abby’s actor not having a bulked physiquemay not have been terribly important if not for how that muscle is stripped from the character inThe Last of Us Part 2’s third act. Abby gains a ton of muscle mass in the five years after her father is murdered but then loses it within the couple of months that she’s been in the Rattlers’ captivity before Ellie is able to locate her in Santa Barbara.
This has a profound effect on gameplay, too, because it means Ellie actually has a decent chance of defeating Abby in a close-quarters fight on the shore after having been pummeled by her at the theater in Seattle.
Abby’s signature braided ponytail is severed byThe Last of Us Part 2’s Rattlers, leaving her with a shoddily cut head of short hair. But, while the show could easily adapt this with a wig application, a haircut alone simply won’t have the same impact that Abby’s dramatic weight loss has, especially because it makes Abby initially difficult to distinguish from a group of starved individuals who are all hung from posts. Therefore, to go from an ordinary weight to a mass of muscle and finally an emaciated figure showcases Abby’s character development saliently, and that sentiment might be lost on the HBO adaptation if it doesn’t depict her harrowing journey in a similarly dynamic way.
