The Last of Us season 2 features touching game cameo you might have missed
A lovely appearance fans of the source material may recognise.
TV show and film adaptations of video games usually feature cameos at least on some level, but episode 1 of The Last of Us season 2 features an appearance from one of the key names of the entire franchise.
That big name is none other than Gustavo Santaolalla, the acclaimed composer behind the soundtrack of the Last of Us games and who returns to do the same for seasons 1 and 2 of the HBO show.
What's more, instead of just popping up in episode 1 as a fleeting passing cameo, the longtime musician appeared in season 2's premiere outing via one of the most fitting ways possible. Among The Last of Us show's cast, it's definitely a welcome addition.
This exact cameo comes near episode 1's end at Jackson's New Year's Eve party. In between shots of Ellie and Jesse looking over at Dina, you can see snippets of the band playing music in the distance.
At the 50:57 mark, though, keen-eyed fans of The Last of Us will notice that the guy playing the banjo is none other than the grey-bearded, glasses-wearing Gustavo Santaolalla himself — playing what seems to be a ukulele, a guitar-like instrument that's smaller than the more-known acoustic version.
Well-known among The Last of Us's community for giving both the games and season 1 of the show its audibly distinct music utilising string instruments to deliver emotional depth, this was a fitting choice for Sanataolla.
We weren't the only ones to notice the composer's cameo, either. Plenty of fans took to X (formerly Twitter) to make a note, and some even referenced his earlier cameo in The Last of Us Part 2 as well.
"I literally screamed out, 'Gustavo!!!!!!!!'" said one user.
Another fan on the same thread echoed the sentiment, saying, "I thought that was him. I didn't say anything to my girl, though [because] she doesn't play the games and definitely wouldn't care," before following with a 'tears of joy' emoji.
Fittingly, The Last of Us co-creator and showrunner Craig Mazin — who also wrote and directed the episode — spoke to Radio Times about his thinking behind the cameo and Santaolalla being a delight through the process.
"Gustavo was saying he wanted to come and visit [the set], and I was like, well, listen, there's this, you know... people who are fans of the game know that when you first walk down the main street of Jackson as Ellie, you see Gustavo. His character is NPC Gustavo, playing a banjo with a, you know, outside. So it's part of the thing."
He explained further, "And I just thought, well, this sequence, I mean, there's a band, it makes absolute sense to have him there. And, oh, he's the greatest. And the band, their real name is Crooked Still. It was just so fun watching, they're all fantastic musicians.
"And Gustavo, obviously, is a genius, and he had never played those songs before, and they just all spoke music to each other for about 40 seconds, and then off they went.
"And he had the best time. He was so happy. And I said, 'Gustavo, this is going to be the two longest days of your life. We're gonna do it over and over and over.' Loved every minute of it. Never complained. Oh, it was a dream."
Even just watching his one scene in the episode for the first time, you can tell that Gustavo and Crooked Still have had a great time together — adding to the composer's continued mark on the Last of Us fandom.
We don't know if Santaolalla's live-action TLOU debut will have a follow-up appearance, but we're grateful to even have just the one for now.
The Last of Us season 1 is available on Sky Atlantic and NOW with an Entertainment Membership. Season 2 is released weekly.
Check out more of our Sci-fi coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on this week. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
