The second season of The Last of Us introduces viewers to Jackson, Wyoming, a thriving post-apocalyptic settlement where Joel and Ellie have found refuge. Fans are curious about how much of this fictional town is rooted in reality. Showrunners Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann have shared insights into the real-world influences behind Jackson’s creation.
Jackson serves as a central location in The Last of Us Season 2, depicting a community that has managed to rebuild some semblance of normalcy. Unlike the grim, survival-focused settings of the first season, Jackson features movie screenings, holiday decorations, and even therapy sessions—elements that make it feel surprisingly livable despite the fungal pandemic .
Real-World Wyoming as a Backdrop
While Jackson is fictional, its depiction draws heavily from real Wyoming landscapes. The show filmed in British Columbia, but the town’s aesthetic mirrors the rugged, mountainous terrain of the American West. Production designers studied small-town Wyoming architecture to create an authentic feel, blending rustic wooden structures with fortified walls to reflect both safety and frontier resilience .
Showrunners emphasized that Jackson’s design was intentional—showing a place where people could thrive, not just survive. Druckmann noted, “We wanted Jackson to feel like a real community, a place where life goes on despite the horrors outside.” This contrasts sharply with the game’s version, where Jackson is more of a background setting .
Changes from the Game
In The Last of Us Part II, Jackson is a functional but less detailed location. The HBO series expands its role, adding new layers like Joel’s therapy sessions with Gail (Catherine O’Hara) and deeper exploration of Ellie’s relationships .
One major deviation is the introduction of Cordyceps tendrils growing beneath Jackson’s water pipes—a looming threat not present in the game. Mazin explained, “We wanted to create tension even in a safe space. The spores and tendrils remind viewers that danger is always creeping in.” This change hints at potential future conflicts .
The Importance of Jackson’s Community
Jackson’s portrayal as a semi-utopian enclave is crucial to the story. It serves as a narrative counterpoint to the violence and revenge that drive the season’s plot. As one critic noted, “Knowing a place like Jackson exists makes the characters’ choices more tragic—they have something worth losing” .
The town also highlights Joel’s evolution. Once a hardened smuggler, he now works in construction and attends therapy, showing his struggle to adapt to peace. Meanwhile, Ellie’s rebelliousness contrasts with the stability around her, setting up her emotional arc .
Fan Reactions and Theories
Some fans worry that Jackson’s safety may not last, especially with Abby’s arrival and the hidden Cordyceps threat. Polygon’s review pleaded, “Please don’t ruin Jackson,” reflecting audience attachment to this haven . Others speculate that the town’s downfall could mirror the game’s darker turns, though Mazin and Druckmann have teased “structural surprises” for the TV adaptation .
We use cookies to enhance your experience. By consenting, you allow us to process data like Browse behavior and unique IDs. Declining may affect some site features.
Functional
Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes.The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
