It’s 6 a.m. in Brisbane, Australia, and Kaitlyn Dever is considering going to the seashore. Besides it’s pouring rain exterior, which is the one motive she had the choice to take a look at the waves within the first place. The deluge has delayed her name time for “Godzilla x Kong: Supernova,” the monster film she’s been capturing for the previous couple of months.

Simply how laborious is it raining? Like a standard downpour? Or is it the type of deluge we see within the closing minutes of the season finale of “The Last of Us”?

“It’s actually pouring like the finale of ‘The Last of Us,’” Dever says, laughing.

With the seashore off the menu, we’ve loads of time to settle in and speak in regards to the bruising (and probably complicated) season finale of “The Last of Us.” Anybody pondering that the finale would possibly function a showdown between Dever’s character, Abby Anderson, the younger girl who killed Joel (Pedro Pascal) to avenge her father’s dying, and Ellie (Bella Ramsey), who has been looking Abby to precise her personal revenge, may be dissatisfied.

Abby doesn’t flip up till the episode’s final three minutes. When she does lastly arrive, she ambushes Ellie. It’s not a young reunion.

“I let you live,” Abby hisses. “And you wasted it!”

Then we hear the sound of a gunshot and the display screen goes black. After a reset, we see Abby mendacity on a settee in a completely completely different surroundings, being beckoned from her respite to fulfill with militia chief Isaac (Jeffrey Wright). She strides to a balcony in Seattle’s T-Cellular Park, the stadium now getting used as a base for the Washington Liberation Entrance. Her entrance is positively papal, and as Abby surveys the scene, a graphic lands on the display screen: Seattle Day One, a time-frame we’ve already lived from Ellie’s standpoint.

What the hell simply occurred?

[Laughs] I don’t know. I don’t know.

It seems just like the present simply reset and we’ll be beginning Season 3 following Abby for 3 days, main as much as her confrontation with Ellie.

One would suppose, sure. However [“The Last of Us” co-creator] Craig [Mazin] hasn’t talked to me about what he’s doing. All he stated to me was, “Just get ready for what’s to come because it’s going to be crazier.” He all the time stated he needed to make Season 2 larger than Season 1, and he stated Season 3 goes to be even larger. I’m like, “OK. I’ll be ready.”

How did he pitch you on doing the present within the first place?

At my first assembly with Craig and Neil [Druckmann, co-creator of “The Last of Us” game] they instructed me that their plan for Season 2 was Abby’s introduction to “The Last of Us” world. They instructed me the variety of episodes, so I wasn’t tremendous shocked about that, although I wasn’t pondering that your entire season was going to finish on me. [Laughs]

So once you acquired the script and browse that ending …

I used to be like, “We’re really doing this. Wow.” It’s a variety of strain. I all the time take into consideration the instances in my previous once I’ve executed issues and I’ve had one line in a scene, and it’s essentially the most nerve-racking factor to do. Everybody else has dialogue, and also you’re simply occupied with your one line and the way you’re going to say it and if you happen to screw it up, the entire scene is screwed up due to your one line. It’s fairly terrifying — however thrilling too.

You’re speaking about Abby telling Ellie, “You wasted it”? You actually spit it out with some warmth.

That’s good to know. I used to be going forwards and backwards between Vancouver and L.A., so I always needed to recalibrate and get again into the emotional depth of Abby. That was really the final scene I shot.

How did you discover your means again into Abby’s anger?

Properly, the very first scene I shot was the killing of Joel. The sunshine one. [Laughs] So getting again into it, I’d all the time return to that and Abby’s monologue, what she says to Joel earlier than capturing him. These phrases are so visceral and heartbreaking and actually paint an image. So I simply saved bringing myself again to that place, how I’d been occupied with saying these phrases for 5 years.

Abby’s brutal encounter with Ellie in Seattle was the final scene Dever shot on “The Last of Us” Season 2.

(Liane Hentscher / HBO)

Did you watch that Joel episode when it aired or had you already seen it?

I did watch it with my accomplice. However the first time I watched it, I used to be on my own. And earlier than that, I had gone to do ADR [automated dialogue replacement] with Craig, and he requested, “Can I just show you a little bit of it?” And I used to be on the ground as a result of I used to be so overwhelmed. That’s the most intense episode of tv I’ve ever seen. After which once I watched it later, I couldn’t imagine it, although I had skilled it myself.

You had skilled it, however you’ve stated you don’t actually keep in mind filming it as a result of it was 4 days after your mom’s funeral. [Dever’s mother, Kathy, died from breast cancer in February 2024.] In some methods, it should have been such as you have been watching it for the primary time.

I needed to fly out three days after her funeral. And the fourth day was that scene within the chalet with the Fireflies and Joel on the ground. So, yeah, it’s all a blur, and it felt like I acquired to expertise it as a first-time viewer. I’d see issues and go, “Oh, yeah.” Grief does a very fascinating factor together with your mind. It messes together with your reminiscence.

Filming the scene the place you brutally kill one of the vital beloved characters on tv goes again to what you have been saying about strain. And to do it below these circumstances should have been overwhelming.

I used to be terrified. I had spent a lot time considering my mother’s dying earlier than she died, occupied with how I wouldn’t be capable to go on. I couldn’t think about. After which it’s a heartbreaking factor to consider, how life strikes on. And you’ve got the selection to maintain going or not go to Vancouver and do the present that she was so enthusiastic about me doing. After which after she handed, I noticed there’s no a part of me that couldn’t not do that. I needed to do it for her.

How did you combat previous the worry?

My dad actually inspired me. I actually was terrified. And he was like, “You got this. Mom was so excited that you got to be in this show.” And fortunately, the crew was so understanding and supportive. Everybody took care of me.

Then it’s 15 months later and the episode lastly airs, which I’d think about brings a few completely different set of worries. Did you go browsing to take a look at the response?

In fact I did! I kill everybody’s favourite character, the love of everybody’s life. I’d by no means been a part of something this huge earlier than. Like, the entire world is watching this. I had no thought what to anticipate.

And what did you discover?

It was extra constructive than I believed it will be.

I didn’t play the sport, so one among my first ideas after watching it was: Wow, avid gamers can hold a secret.

They will. I cherished watching all these TikTok movies the place folks have been filming their mother and father or companions watching and exhibiting their reactions.

Having performed the sport, you’ve identified about Abby and Joel for years.

My dad was taking part in the second sport and handed me the controller and stated, “Kaitlyn, you’ve got to see this.” Within the sport, it’s so jarring and surprising.

On TV too!

[Laughs] However with the sport, after they kill Joel, rapidly you’re taking part in as a lady. And my first response was, “Is this Ellie? Am I playing as Ellie?” It’s fascinating how they take these two characters who’re mirrors of one another in some ways.

Dever’s Abby surveys the motion inside T-Cellular Park on “Seattle Day One.”

(Liane Hentscher / HBO)

I used to be occupied with the way it’d be nice if Season 3 would have an episode with Abby and her father that mirrored the one with Ellie and Joel.

That’s a very good thought. I hope we get to do one thing like that.

I’ve a sense you would possibly. Possibly you even know one thing about that. [Laughs]

Truthfully, I can hold a secret too! I knew about Joel dying lengthy earlier than even Season 1 as a result of I had met with Neil years in the past once they have been speaking about making a film from the sport. And he was exhibiting me the making of the second sport and requested, “You want to know what happens?” And I’m like, “Oh, my God!” So I’ve been protecting this in a very long time.

So that you’re good at protecting a secret. Players understand how Season 3 is more likely to develop. You’ve performed the sport. Are you being coy?

[Laughs] We don’t know what Craig’s plans are. He has been taking part in with dynamics, even in that first episode of the season the place we see Abby taking cost and being a frontrunner.

She positive seems like she’s a frontrunner within the finale’s final scene.

That scene performs at the concept that Abby is sitting in her energy. And no matter meaning, I’ll hold to myself for now. Individuals who have performed the sport can have just a few guesses.

Whenever you went to work on “Godzilla x Kong: Supernova” the day after the Abby/Joel episode aired, did folks deal with you a little bit in a different way? Possibly hold their distance a bit? Disguise the golf golf equipment?

It was fairly wild to go to work that day. Everybody needed to speak about it. And all they may actually get out was, “Oooooof, that episode.”

One factor I saved on the lookout for all season was the place they used CGI to take away a spider chew out of your face. I couldn’t discover it.

[Laughs] It’s within the first episode with the Fireflies. I had gone residence for just a few weeks and acquired a spider chew on my cheek. I believed it was a pimple. It was not a pimple. It was an enormous spider chew and … I hate to make use of this phrase, however it was oozing. And the CGI is wonderful. You’ll be able to’t even inform it’s there. I nonetheless have a scar on my face as a result of they needed to reduce it out.

So, to summarize: a really eventful shoot for you.

For a lot of causes. I’ll always remember it.