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Pre-release theories
Season 1 will end at the same point as the Fall section of the game.
- Subsequently, the second season will cover the Winter and Spring sections of the game, and Season 3 will begin adapting Part II.
- Likely Jossed on account of winter scenes shown in some teasers and trailers.
Abby will be introduced in the second season...
- ...but only in her flashbacks from Part II, or at least the same time period. Her story (featuring her dad Jerry) will be the B plot to the A story of Joel and Ellie.
Fireflies will be shown as more villainous and their incompetence will be more showcased.
- Shown that They don’t know that a vaccine isn’t a cure against the already infected and there’s a chance; they could actually destroy humanity’s chance by killing Ellie since even if it does work then they can’t reproduce it.
The man in the truck with Ellie in the August 2022 teaser for the show is David, but it's a trauma flashback
It's not Joel or Tommy, and Ellie seems to be wearing her spring outfit of the red shirt and grey long sleeves. Who else would be in a car with her?Also to expand on this...
David is going to be played by Troy Baker
Both Troy and Ashley have confirmed they'll be in the show, and David's casting hasn't been announced. Like with Nolan North's casting in the game, it would be a surprising choice. And also just a little mean which makes it fun to speculate about.- Jossed. Troy Baker has been confirmed to play David's right hand man James AKA "Buddy Boy."
Season 2 and onward will bridge the gap between the two games
Not only will this allow Bella Ramsey to age into the role, but it'll give the show more content than the source material can allow.- Jossed. Per Druckmann and Mazin, they will only adapt material from the games.
Post-release theories
The cause of the initial outbreak is tainted wheat
In the talk show in episode one, the mycologist specifically mentions ergot, a hallucinogenic fungus that grows on corn, which might be a hint that the cause of the initial outbreak is involved with food.
Throughout the first episode, there are a few mentions of Joel, Tommy, and Sarah specifically not eating wheat. Joel forgets to get the ingredients for pancakes, then forgets to buy a birthday cake. The Adler's offer Joel a biscuit, but he refuses because he's on Atkins. Finally, Sarah doesn't eat the cookies the Adler's bake because they're raisin, instead of chocolate chip.
On the other hand, there's a lot of attention drawn to Nana Adler eating a biscuit, and she's the first person we see actively taken over by the fungus.
This could also explain how the outbreak started so fast, in so many areas.
- Possibly confirmed by Episode 2: the infected woman who is examined by Ibu Ratna worked at a flour and grain factory. Ratna calls it "a perfect substrate."
- Semi-confirmed in Episode 3; Joel says that it's the post-collapse world's best explanation for how it spread so fast.
The girl briefly glimpsed staring at Ellie in "Kin" is Dina
In the post-episode podcast, Mazin and Druckmann hint at the girl staring at Ellie possibly being Dina but don't confirm it outright. They recall Dina's telling of the first time she saw Ellie and notes the similarity to the scene in the show. Salt Lake City will be besieged by FEDRA forces in the finale
In the finale as Joel tries to flee with Ellie, suddenly an explosion goes off outside. It's then revealed that FEDRA troops from the Atlanta QZ are launching an attack on the city to take out the Fireflies with dozens of helicopters being used to deploy troops and provide air support.- Jossed. There is no one in Salt Lake City except the Fireflies.
Ellie wasn't infected by Anna getting bitten
Even accounting for how fast the infection spreads, there wasn't enough time between Anna getting bit and her cutting the umbilical for the it to spread from her leg to her uterus to the placenta to Ellie. No, Ellie was infected by Anna when she cut the umbilical cord with a knife that had just been plunged into the skull of an infected. Ellie is a Death Seeker
following the events of her prologue. During the final episode of Season One, the usually chatty Ellie is eerily quiet upon reaching Salt Lake City, the presumed Firefly base, and the prospect of her blood making a cure for cordyceps infection. Despite this, she insists on pressing forward and finishing the job despite Joel throwing the possibility of abandoning it out there. Considering that Marlene told her about her blood (and has been shown to generally be a straight shooter), a night at the mall that she still carries tremendous guilt for due to getting Riley killed, it's entirely possible that Ellie either strongly suspected or outright knew she would have to die in order to make the vaccine and was completely okay with it, ultimately making the first season a long-winded suicide attempt to make up for the death she feels she's caused. That's why Ellie openly and directly questions the word of a man she's come to trust and theoretically has no reason to disbelieve; she's fully aware that had things gone to plan, she wouldn't be alive right now. Ratna Pertiwi is related to the watch shopkeeper's wife
During the events of episode 1, Sarah's visit to the watch shop is interrupted by the shopkeeper's wife coming in and panicking, shouting in Arabic that she just spoke to her sister and that something is happening. The next episode, Indonesian scientist Ratna Pertiwi is one of the only people to know about the infection before The Apocalypse begins, and she says she needs to call her family. The two women look to be about the same age, Arabic is among the most common languages in Indonesia, and it would provide a valid reason for how a civilian would know about the infection. Future Seasons
The second game will not be adapted right away for the second season.
The showrunners may save Part II for a final season and choose to focus on original stories set between the two games to stretch out the series.
The Downer Beginning of the second game will serve as the ending of the second season. A third season would then adapt the rest of the game.
The showrunners may evoke Adaptation Expansion to flesh out Abby and her crew before they find and kill Joel, possibly to make her more sympathetic to the general audience. They could also do more to show her regret after the fact and Ellie's Start of Darkness.
Abby will be subjected to Adaptational Karma
She doesn't necessarily have to die, but she won't leave better off than Ellie either. Possible scenarios:- Ellie kills Abby in the final battle.
- Abby succumbs to her wounds after the final battle.
- Lev gets hurt or killed in the crossfire of her and Ellie's final battle. If Lev survives, Abby will part ways with him for his own safety.
- Ellie permanently cripples her in some capacity or paralyzes her in retaliation for biting her fingers off.
- Oh, and for the whole Joel thing too.
- Ellie will place Abby in a deathtrap or abandon her somewhere while Abby is crippled or paralyzed and has only a slim chance to get out.
- Abby will become infected.
- Someone Abby cares about will disown her for her actions.
- Abby will be rejected by the Fireflies or not make it to them.
Abby will be subjected to Adaptational Wimp
Due to her actress being rather petite, she will be less physically imposing and rely more on weapons or her charm and guile. Joel would provoke or goad Abby into killing him
Joel, believing (correctly or not) that Abby is about to kill him, starts shouting that she and her father were scum and her father died like a coward or something along those lines until she kills him, providing a bit more reasoning to the murder. Ellie will not immediately know that Abby killed Joel
Leaving her to investigate for herself. Abby and her friends might aid her.Abby will kill Joel in a different way or in different circumstances
Abby will be more conflicted about killing Joel
In part due to him saving her and in part due to Ellie being a surrogate daughter figure to him. Mel will be forced by Isaac to go out into the field despite her pregnancy.
This will make her more sympathetic than her game counterpart, who recklessly endangered her child's welfare by going out into a war zone.Abby will grow to be genuinely remorseful for killing Joel.
Unlike in the game, she'll be unaware the surgery would have killed Ellie, only realizing why Joel did what he did in Salt Lake City after killing him.Abby will attempt to atone or apologize for killing Joel. It won’t work.
Ellie or Abby will attempt suicide
The show will continue on after covering the second game
Dina won't leave Ellie
Ellie and Abby will reluctantly partner up
Potential Spin-Offs
