The Last Of Us is gunning for a 4th season

In a recent interview with Collider, co-showrunner Crag Mazin opined that there’s “no way to complete this narrative in a third season.” TLOU season one both introduced completed the narrative of Naughty Dog’s beloved game of the same name, but seasons two and onward will all tackle the thornier The Last Of Us Part II. While Mazin expects that the already confirmed third season “will be longer than season two,” which ends this upcoming Sunday with its seventh episode, it still likely won’t be enough to complete Ellie, Abby, and Dina’s story—especially as the writers expand and flesh out smaller bits from the game like Eugene’s death this season or Bill and Frank’s romance from season one.

“Hopefully, we’ll earn our keep enough to come back and finish it in a fourth. That’s the most likely outcome,” Mazin continued. But for anyone nervous about another Game Of Thrones-type scenario, the showrunner says the team is “always think[ing] ahead… so that we don’t end up in a situation where we’re sitting down and getting into details for a season and then going, ‘Oh, man, if only we hadn’t had that person say that one line or be in that spot or wear that jacket, this would be so much cooler.'”

While game players knew exactly where season one would find its devastating conclusion, this Sunday’s finale is a much bigger question mark. “Now, we’re actually in more of a traditional cliffhangery mode, where you’re telling a story, and then you end the season with something that says, ‘Whoa, this is going to change a whole bunch of things, and we’ll see you when we get back and pick it up from there,'” Mazin said. Things are looking a bit dire for Ellie and co. right now, so fans may want to buckle up.