Spoilers are ahead for The Last of Us Part 2 — and, potentially, The Last of Us season 2’s story.

HBO’s The Last of Us season 1 has already proven that its team has the chops to successfully portray the franchise’s most important romantic relationship in the show’s sophomore outing. Based on Naughty Dog’s acclaimed video game series of the same name, the Emmy-winning The Last of Us previously adapted the first game in the franchise, which centers on hardened survivor and smuggler Joel Miller (Pedro Pascal) as he escorts Ellie Willaims (Bella Ramsey) across a post-apocalyptic US. As Joel discovers, Ellie is valuable to a group called the Fireflies because she’s seemingly immune to the Cordyceps infection.

At first, Joel begrudgingly helps, but he comes to think of the young survivor as his own. During the first night of the outbreak, Joel lost his daughter — a tragedy that’s shaped his approach to survival in the lawless, post-apocalyptic world. The Last of Us season 1 couldn’t succeed without nailing that core dynamic between Joel and Ellie. However, The Last of Us 2 begins with a brutal moment: Joel is killed almost immediately. This prompts Ellie to seek revenge on Joel’s murderer, Abby (Kaitlyn Dever), all while forcing the game to center on a new relationship.

Capturing Ellie & Dina’s Relationship Is Crucial For The Last Of Us Season 2

Ellie & Dina’s Romance Is The Heart Of TLOU 2

In the wake of The Last of Us season 1’s finale, Ellie and Joel return to the Jackson settlement. Although Joel tells his brother what happened at the hospital — Joel massacred the Fireflies because they were going to kill Ellie to create their cure — the smuggler keeps the truth from his charge. Of course, Ellie eventually learns what Joel did, and she can’t believe he’d strip her ability to choose from her just because he couldn’t weather another loss. The Last of Us 2 plays with structure, so the player doesn’t learn all of that information chronologically.

When the game opens, Ellie is at a celebration in Jackson. There’s clearly friction between Ellie and Joel, but the main focus is on Ellie and Dina’s relationship. Another Jackson survivor, Dina breaks with her long-time boyfriend and grows close to Ellie. The player’s first mission sees Ellie and Dina on patrol together, foreshadowing the fact that Dina accompanies Ellie on her revenge-fueled trek to Seattle. While Ellie is all-consumed by rage and grief, Dina allows the story to showcase Ellie’s softer side. The quiet moments the two share — both romantic and otherwise — are crucial.

The Last Of Us Season 1 Already Proved The Series Can Handle Its Main Romance

Bill & Frank’s “Long, Long Time” Episode Was Season 1’s Best Moment

Of course, The Last of Us season 1’s best episode, “Long, Long Time,” already proved that the show’s sophomore outing can translate Ellie and Dina’s relationship successfully. A beautiful, self-contained episode, the third entry in the show’s first season focuses on two survivors: Bill (Nick Offerman), a doomsday prepper, and Frank (Murray Bartlett), a wayward man who stumbles upon Bill’s compound. The Last of Us uses the episode to chronicle the first two decades of the post-apocalyptic world. In doing so, it tells a haunting-yet-remarkable love story with great LGBTQ+ representation.

However, The Last of Us season 1, episode 3, isn’t the only solid proof of the show’s ability to tell a compelling love story. In episode 7, “Left Behind,” the show depicts Ellie’s final adventure with her best friend-turned-crush, Left Behind’s Riley. Although their outing to an abandoned mall ends tragically, Ellie and Riley’s dynamic is one of the series’ most memorable. Despite everything, the pair have fun together as they come of age during the apocalypse. Ellie and Dina might have a different dynamic, but their story is equally important to the show’s themes and overall success.

What To Expect From Ellie & Dina In Season 2 Of The HBO Show

Ellie & Dina’s Story Begins In The Last Of Us 2

It’s not yet clear how The Last of Us season 2’s flashbacks will play out in relation to the main story. Regardless, viewers can expect Dina to be introduced early on in order to give her connection with Ellie some room to breathe before the pair set off for Seattle. Eventually, Dina represents the good, loving path Ellie could choose if only she’s able to put her anger and grief down — something that proves difficult for her. That said, The Last of Us season 2 viewers can expect yet another romance that’s both beautiful and wrenching.