Bella Ramsey, Pedro Pascal discuss father-daughter relationship
“The Last of Us” stars Bella Ramsey and Pedro Pascal reveal they didn’t enjoy their character’s estrangement in season 2.
Spoiler alert! The following story contains details about Season 2 of HBO’s “The Last of US” (now streaming).
“The Last of Us” fans are still reeling from that episode, but the new season is just reaching the halfway point.
Season 2 of HBO’s Emmy-winning apocalypse series premiered last month and has already emotionally battered viewers with the jarring death of Joel Miller (Pedro Pascal).
Last week’s episode showcased the aftermath of Joel’s death and the epic infected battle. Ellie (Bella Ramsey) is now consumed with untethered rage after losing her chosen father figure and is determined to seek vengeance against Abby (Kaitlyn Dever).
The episode concluded with Ellie and Dina (Isabela Merced) leaving Jackson, Wyoming, and heading to Seattle against town orders. However, when they arrive at a seemingly deserted city, only viewers learn that a massive militia is in control.
Here’s how to watch what happens next.
When does the next episode of ‘The Last of Us’ Season 2 come out?
The next episode of “The Last of Us” Season 2 will drop on Sunday, May 4 at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT on HBO and its streaming service Max.
New episodes will release every Sunday, with the season finale dropping on Sunday, May 25.
‘The Last of Us’ Season 2 episode schedule
Season 2 of “The Last of Us” premiered on April 13 and will have seven episodes. Here’s what the upcoming schedule looks like:
Episode 4: Sunday, May 4
Episode 5: Sunday, May 11
Episode 6: Sunday, May 18
Episode 7 (season finale): Sunday, May 25
How to watch ‘The Last of Us’
New episodes of “The Last of Us” will air on HBO and be available to stream weekly on Sundays at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT on Max. Season 1 of the series is also available to stream on Max.
Max subscription plans begin at $9.99 a month with ads, while ad-free subscriptions cost $16.99 a month.
The highest tier, which is $20.99 a month, includes the ability to stream on four devices and offers 4K Ultra HD video quality and 100 downloads. HBO also offers bundles with Hulu and Disney+.
Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey returned to reprise their leading roles as Joel and Ellie in “The Last of Us” Season 2. The remaining Season 2 cast also includes the following:
Gabriel Luna as Tommy Miller
Rutina Wesley as Maria Miller
Catherine O’Hara as Gail
Kaitlyn Dever as Abby Anderson
Isabela Merced as Dina
Young Mazino as Jesse
Ezra Benedict Agbonkhese as Benjamin
Tati Gabrielle as Nora
Ariela Barer as Mel
Spencer Lord as Owen
Danny Ramirez
Jeffrey Wright
Watch the ‘The Last of Us’ Season 2 trailer
Will there be a ‘The Last of Us’ Season 3?
Yes. Ahead of Season 2’s premiere, HBO announced “The Last of Us” would be returning for a third season.
However, it is unclear if Season 3 will be the show’s final season. Deadline reported that co-creators Neil Druckmann and Craig Mazin said they were previously contemplating making up to four seasons.
This story has been updated to fix a typo.
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Contributing: Saman Shafiq, Bryan Alexander and Brendan Morrow, USA TODAY
Panthers wide receiver Adam Thielen is in the final year of his contract and it may also be the last year that he plays football.
Thielen is entering his 12th NFL season and he’ll turn 35 before the Panthers play their first game of the year, so it’s not surprising to hear that he said on Friday that he’s “definitely winding down my career.” He said he won’t be making any decisions at this point, but acknowledged that he may decide to hang up the cleats once the year comes to an end.
“It could be, yeah,” Thielen said, via Joe Person of TheAthletic.com. “I told you guys at the end of the season, like every year, you look back and you say what left do I have to give to this game? I talked to my family, and they wanted me to keep playing. So it’ll be the same process. I’m not gonna think about that right now.”
Thielen said he’s “excited about this year and what could happen” for a Panthers team that ended the 2024 season on an upswing. That could lead to Thielen going out on a high note come the start of 2026.
The Chicago Cubs have featured one of the best offenses in Major League Baseball during the first month of the 2025 season, among the league’s top two teams in batting average, on-base percentage, OPS, hits and runs scored.
Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes likely won’t disagree with that after facing the Cubs’ formidable lineup on Thursday.
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Skenes got through the first four innings without allowing any runs and only one base hit despite the Cubs hitting several balls hard off him and drawing four walks. That changed drastically in the fifth inning.
Dansby Swanson led off the frame with his sixth homer of the season, jumping on a splitter that hung high in the middle of the strike zone. Despite that, Cubs batting coach Dustin Kelly was ejected for arguing with home plate umpire about Skenes getting several strike calls on pitches off the plate.
Following Nicky Lopez grounding out and an Ian Happ strikeout, Kyle Tucker and Seiya Suzuki slugged back-to-back home runs, resulting in the most homers Skenes had given up in a game during his short career. Tucker launched a fastball out over the plate into the center-field seats, while Suzuki made Skenes pay for leaving another splitter up high in the middle of the strike zone.
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Despite not scoring any runs early on, Cubs manager Craig Counsell was encouraged by the walks his batters drew.
“You’re not chasing, and [Skenes] has got to figure out something else to do,” Counsell said, via MLB.com. “He definitely went to off-speed [pitches] more today, and we did a really nice job of not swinging.
“You get the hard throwers, and you think you have to cheat to the fastball and we still laid off the off-speed,” he added. “It makes him come in the zone, makes him be a little less fine, maybe, and then you get something over the middle of the plate.”
Joey Wentz took over for Skenes in the sixth inning with the Pirates down, 3-2. Skenes threw 86 pitches, 49 for strikes, and only recorded two strikeouts, the lowest total of his career. He came into Thursday’s game with one home run allowed and four total walks for the season.
“Execution wasn’t there,” Skenes said, via the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. “Kind of spraying the ball. Got away with it there for a while, and obviously it showed up a little bit in the fifth, but it is what it is. … I wasn’t super sharp today.”
The four walks — three of them to consecutive batters in the third — tied a career high, which Skenes reached twice last season (once also against the Cubs). And the home runs were the most he’d allowed in a start, surpassing the two Skenes gave up last June versus the Los Angeles Dodgers, in the fifth start of his MLB career.
With the loss, Skenes’ ERA increased to 2.73 with 41 strikeouts in 42 2/3 innings and a 3-3 record. The Cubs improved their record to 19-13, while the Pirates dropped to 12-20.
The Atlanta Hawks can go in several different directions during this offseason. They have $40.9 million dollars of wiggle room under the luxury tax threshold, which is enough to absorb a big trade for a star player or accumulate several contracts to build a more balanced roster. However, it isn’t an unlimited amount of money and they need to be prudent with how they choose to employ that flexibility.
A consistent theme that has been obvious throughout the playoffs is improving the “weak link” of the team. While the Hawks missed out on the playoffs, they can use that lesson to inform how they want to build their team in the future. Atlanta’s defense was its weakest point during the season and they need more players who can hold up on that end.
As a result, there are several possible options for them to pursue that would fit that need. However, there are several teams who are likely going to be in the market for a star player that can boost their overall ceiling. One of the most obvious candidates to be on the move is Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant. Despite being 36 years old, he averaged 26.6 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.2 assists on 52.7/43/83.9% shooting splits and a TS% of 64.2%. However, the Suns are stuck in the second apron and will face harsh penalties if they can’t move out of it during this offseason. Durant’s has a $54.7 million dollar salary for next season before his deal expires. At 36 years old who turns 37 before the 2025-26 season, he is going to want an extension and the Suns missed the playoffs entirely. They aren’t a winning situation right now and they don’t have any of their own first-round picks until 2032. Phoenix already tried to trade him ahead of the deadline in February and they have more flexibility to get a deal done this offseason.
Conversley, Detroit has tons of salary cap flexibility and control over most of their first round picks. They can easily put together a package to acquire Durant if they want to. However, a third team might be helpful in order to help them make more room for Durant’s massive salary. The Hawks could be that third team.
If the Pistons made a move for Durant, what would the trade look like? Here’s a possible framework that includes the Hawks as a third team.
Atlanta Hawks get: Simone Fontecchio
Detroit Pistons get: Kevin Durant, Cody Martin, 2027 2nd round pick (from CLE, via ATL), 2029 2nd round pick (from CLE, via ATL)
Why Atlanta Might Do This Trade: Even though Fontecchio hasn’t been a factor for the Pistons in their first-round series against the New York Knicks, there’s reason to believe he could be a much better player in Atlanta. When he first arrived in Detroit, he looked like a steal of an acquisition. In the 16 games he played for the Pistons, he scored 15.4 points per game to go with 4.4 rebounds and 1.8 assists on 47.9/42.6/84.6% shooting splits. However, he hasn’t played anywhere near to that level this season, only connecting on 33.5% of his threes and falling out of the rotation. Fontecchio was also a good shooter with the Utah Jazz last season, hence why the Pistons acquired him at the deadline. While he isn’t a standout defender, he’s 6’7 with enough mobility to compete on that end. At his best, he is not a player that the opposing offense will be able to target, which cannot be said for players like Georges Niang. He did get toe surgery before the season and it’s possible the combination of recovering from that procedure and not adjusting to J.B Bickerstaff’s scheme contributed towards his decline in production. Importantly, his down season in Detroit means that the price to acquire him will be miniscule and the Hawks should take advantage. Fontecchio fits the exact archetype of player that thrives with Trae Young – a 3&D wing who can step into catch-and-shoot threes with confidence.
Why Atlanta Might Not Do This Trade: Admittedly, there isn’t a very large sample size of production to draw from in Fontecchio’s career. He’s only played three seasons in the NBA and he’s already 29 years old. If this is the player he is now, this acquistion could be a big mistake for Atlanta. While the healthy version of Fontecchio is worth far more than his $8.3 million dollar salary, the version currently with the Pistons is not.
Why the Pistons Might Do This Trade: Tobias Harris may have been a positive for the Pistons this season, but there’s still a massive gap between him and Kevin Durant despite Durant being four years older. Durant pairs extremely well with point guards who can create their own shot and Cade Cunningham is exactly that. Detroit got great shooting seasons out of Tim Hardaway Jr and Malik Beasley, but they need more shooting that definitively translates to the playoffs if they want to compete at higher levels of the postseason. Durant also provides rim protection in conjunction with Jalen Duren and it allows the Pistons to carve out a bigger role for Ausar Thompson and Ron Holland given their shooting limitations.
Why the Pistons Might Not Do This Trade: They may want to give this roster another go before considering a big shake-up of a move like trading for Durant. Harris has acclimated himself well into the team’s culture and deserves another run with this core. Furthermore, giving up two first-round picks this early in their team-building process might be an ill-advised move because Durant is already approaching 37 years old. Even though his longevity is impressive, it’s fair to wonder if a massive decline is on the horizon for the future Hall of Famer.
Why The Suns Would Do This Trade: Quite frankly, any trade where the Suns can get a replacement for Durant, receive some first-round picks and drop into the first apron is a massive win for them. Harris has his limitations, but he’s still a fairly consistent three-point shooter (34.5%) on 3.6 attempts per game and provides a level of competency that the Suns sorely lack in the rest of their lineup outside of Devin Booker. He’s done all the little things on both ends of the court for the Pistons and he’s been a massive reason for their success. Phoenix also gets a viable starting center in Isaiah Stewart, who brings rebounding and rim protection to a Suns team in need of both. He can give the Suns stabiliity at the 5 in conjunction with Nick Richards.
Why the Suns Would Not Do This Trade: Swapping Durant for Harris is defenitely an offensive downgrade and Harris isn’t an elite defender to make up the decline in points. The Suns are probably not going to be able to fix their defense in one offseason, so adding enough scoring to re-create Durant in the aggregate might be one direction that they pursue. This deal doesn’t really give them a pathway towards doing so. Furthermore, they might prioritize deals that land them first-rounders in the 2025 and 2026 drafts rather than waiting for the 2027 draft, which is more of an unknown compared to the strength of both the 2025 and 2026 prospects.
New Blockbuster Three-Team Trade Proposal Sends Giannis to Orlando Magic, Hawks Get Okongwu Insurance
New Blockbuster Trade Proposal Sends Kevin Durant to the Heat, Hawks Land Versatile Defender
2024-2025 Atlanta Hawks Season Grades: Dyson Daniels
Come the fall, Carolina Panthers wide receiver Adam Thielen will be entering his eleventh NFL season. And there’s a chance it could also be his last.
Speaking to The Athletic‘s Joe Person on Friday, Thielen acknowledged that his career is “winding down,” noting that although he and his family decided he’d like to play again this year, they’ll be having a similar discussion at the end of this upcoming season, too.
“I told you guys at the end of the season, like every year, you look back and you say, ‘Hey, what left do I have to give to this game?’ I talked to my family and they wanted me to keep playing. So it will be the same process [at the end of next season],” Thielen said.
He continued: “Not going to think about that right now, going to focus on being the best football player I can possibly be. You have to have that mindset in this league. And then once the season is over, evaluate, see where the team’s at, see where I’m at individually and as a family and figure it out. But yeah, definitely winding down my career, but excited about this year and what could happen.”
Watch that answer below:
Adam Thielen said he talked to his family and they wanted him to play this season. He’ll go through a similar process after 2025, which is the final year of his contract. pic.twitter.com/qRMDwKmGb8
Thielen has proven himself a consistent receiving option across his eleven years in the league, during which he has racked up 8,311 yards and 64 total touchdowns, plus two Pro Bowl nods and one second-team All-Pro honor.
After spending the first nine years of his career with the Minnesota Vikings, the wideout signed a three-year deal with the Carolina Panthers in 2023. The 34-year-old had previously said in February that he thought the 2024 season might have been his last, but he ultimately decided to give it another go, even getting himself a pay raise for 2025 in a revised deal signed this offseason.
He will be entering the final year of his 2023 deal in the fall.
Blake Lively may be in the middle of a heated legal war with “It Ends With Us” co-star Justin Baldoni, but she’s not letting the drama dim her sparkle or keep her from a good Disney movie marathon.
The 37-year-old actress appeared on “Late Night with Seth Meyers” Monday evening to promote her new film, “Another Simple Favor,” and while there, she opened up about how she is coping with the ongoing legal drama.
Blake Lively Turns To Beloved Disney Movie Amid Justin Baldoni Legal Battle
ZUMAPRESS.com / MEGA
“All I watch is kid movies,” Lively told Meyers during the chat, revealing she’s been bonding with her four children over Disney’s icy mega-hit. “There’s a lot of ice in ‘Frozen,’” she quipped, before adding that the opening number about cutting blocks of ice was “such a weird song.” Seth agreed.
Lively shares daughters James, 10, Inez, 8, and Betty, 5, along with two-year-old son Olin, with Reynolds, and she had nothing but love to share when talking about her youngest.
“He’s romantic,” she gushed. “He tells me I’m the love of his life… He’s a dream. It’s chaos, but it’s the best feeling in the world.”
Blake Lively Gets Candid In First Interview Since Baldoni Lawsuit
ZUMAPRESS.com / MEGA
As for how she’s holding up amid the ongoing legal chaos? Lively didn’t shy away from getting real.
“What I can say without going too into it is that this year has been the highest of highs and the lowest of lows in my life,” she said. “I see so many women around afraid to speak, especially right now… Fear is by design. It’s what keeps us silent.”
Lively continued, “But I also acknowledge that many people don’t have the opportunity to speak. So I do feel fortunate that I’ve been able to… That’s kept me strong and helped me in my belief and my fight for the world to be safer for women and girls. It’s a pretty simple thing.”
This marked Lively’s first talk show appearance since her legal battle with Baldoni began last December, and while she didn’t name names, her comments made it clear she’s not backing down.
The case is set to head to court in March 2026.
Blake Lively Juggles Family, Legal Drama, And Anna Kendrick Feud Rumors
Image Press Agency / MEGA
In the meantime, her focus is on her family.
“It’s no surprise it’s been a pretty intense year,” she said, adding that her kids, whom she previously said were “traumatized” by the situation, remain her anchor. “They’re just my lifeline. No matter what day I am having, I have to be Disneyland for them. It’s the best. It’s chaos.”
She is also focused on her latest film, “Another Simple Favor,” which she stars in alongside Anna Kendrick.
Anna Kendrick Breaks Silence After Awkward Premiere With Blake Lively
MEGA
Just hours after the “Another Simple Favor” premiere in New York City, where the pair attempted to squash feud rumors with matching megawatt smiles and a carefully choreographed photo-op, Kendrick is finally breaking her silence.
In a new interview with “Good Morning America,” Kendrick spoke briefly about Blake while giving fans a glimpse into where their characters stand in the long-awaited sequel to 2018’s “A Simple Favor.”
“Blake’s character went to prison and got out of prison through mysterious circumstances,” Anna said. “You know, my character went through a lot in the first movie, so she’s a little older and wiser but still very awkward. We love that for her.”
She added, “It’s sort of like I get invited, blackmailed, into being like the maid of honor at this very glamorous Italian wedding for Blake’s character. I know something suspicious is going on, but then, you know, they start dropping like flies, and I have to figure out the situation.”
Body Language Experts Weigh In On Blake Lively Reunion
Image Press Agency / MEGA
The comments mark Kendrick’s first on-the-record remarks about her co-star following months of feud speculation and one seriously dissected red carpet reunion.
At the NYC premiere, cameras captured Lively grinning and wrapping her arm around Kendrick, with the pair even holding hands at one point. Despite the friendly posing, body language experts and internet sleuths weren’t buying it.
“Their ‘red carpet’ smiles do look rather tempered or subdued here,” body language expert Judi James told Daily Mail. “Blake’s lips are closed while Anna’s smile lacks the traits of real joy, like rounded cheeks or eye crinkling.”
James continued, “Blake is performing an eye-smile, but Anna’s ‘smile’ doesn’t seem to have reached her eyes.”
She also noted Lively’s body language seemed more open and engaged. “Blake’s body pose looks relaxed and has amicable signals, with the way her pelvis is partly turned in towards the group and the way her legs are crossed inward towards the group too.”
MILWAUKEE — The Chicago Cubs signed veteran infielder Justin Turner in the offseason to fill a key bench spot and split time at first base.
Most of his at-bats were expected to come against left-handers, especially on days Turner plays first base to give Michael Busch a break from left-on-left matchups. But with how well the Cubs lineup has collectively been hitting, Turner’s opportunities have been limited lately.
The 40-year-old has started only twice since April 15 and logged 14 plate appearances in six games during that span, going 2-for-12 with one walk and five strikeouts. He was not in the starting lineup Friday for the series opener against the Milwaukee Brewers.
“Look, we have an offense that’s playing really well, we have not faced a lot of left-handed pitching, and so it’s just the nature of the schedule and it’s the nature of a team,” manager Craig Counsell said Friday.
Counsell also noted how Busch has been playing at a high level — he entered Friday with a .282/.373/.515 slash line and 150 OPS+ — and there aren’t really candidates in the lineup for whom to pinch hit regularly.
“It’s just the nature of how it’s unfolded so far,” Counsell said. “If a player’s trying to get on track, it’s tough with less at-bats. I acknowledge that, but that’s how it’s going to have to happen, unfortunately.”
Amid the limited chances, Turner has gotten off to a slow start with his new club. He is 7-for-44 (.159) with no extra-base hits.
“He had a rough month of May last year where it was very similar,” Counsell said. “But it’s part of this, man, like we’ve got eight guys swinging it well and one guy struggling.”
Pete Crow-Armstrong’s arm playing a role in his all-around defense
Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong makes a running catch for an out against the Dodgers on April 23, 205, at Wrigley Field. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune)
Crow-Armstrong’s defensive ability has been a staple of his performance at the big-league level, and as he continues to hone the accuracy on his throws, his arm can add yet another dynamic element to his game.
He nearly added another stellar defensive play to his highlight reel in Wednesday’s road loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates, initially throwing out catcher Joey Bart at home from center field on a tag-up attempt. The one-hop throw and tag by catcher Carson Kelly was overturned on replay review.
“The accuracy of the throw was great, and I think it just sends a message, like, he can be really accurate from a long ways away, and that is going to deter baserunners in the future — that’s what’s going to happen with Pete is baserunners are going to start getting deterred,” Counsell said. “You don’t notice that as much sometimes, but it’s going to start to happen. I think his defense has improved, really, in all aspects: the accuracy of the throwing, the knowing when to throw, when you get your glove on the ball, catch it. He’s improved in all aspects.”
Sports Info Solutions on Thursday named Crow-Armstrong its National League defensive player of the month for March/April. Crow-Armstrong recorded 6 Runs Saved, the most by any center fielder, with 5 Runs Saved coming from his range and 1 Run Saved from two outfield assists.
Injured relievers continuing to progress
Right-hander Tyson Miller is continuing his rehab assignment with Triple-A Iowa, where he last pitched Tuesday night.
Miller tossed two shutout innings and has yet to allow a run during his rehab stint (6 1/3 innings over five appearances). Counsell said the Cubs are monitoring every outing and then seeing where the team is out. Miller has been sidelined since the start of the season with a left hip impingement that bothered him during the spring.
Right-hander Ryan Brasier (left groin strain), who also has been out since the beginning of the year, threw a bullpen Tuesday and will start facing hitters in live batting practice.
The Cubs are not sure yet how much time right-hander Javier Assad will need to build back up after he was shut down from his last rehab start at Iowa when he reaggravated the left oblique strain he suffered the week before spring training in early February.
The second chapter of AdamThielen‘s NFL career has seen him operate as a key part of the Panthers’ offense. The veteran wideout will remain in Carolina for 2025, but that could be followed by a retirement decision next spring.
“It could be, yeah,” Thielen said when speaking to the media about the possibility of 2025 being his final season in the league (video link via The Athletic’s Joe Person). “I told you guys at the end of the season, like every year, you look back and you say what left do I have to give to this game? I talked to my family, and they wanted me to keep playing. So it’ll be the same process. I’m not gonna think about that right now.”
Indeed, the two-time Pro Bowler said in February he gave thought to hanging up his cleats. His latest comments thus come as no surprise. For now, though, Thielen – who will turn 35 in August – will turn his attention to a third campaign with the Panthers. Upon receiving a pay bump in March, he remains a pending 2026 free agent.
A former Vikings UDFA, Thielen enjoyed a strong run in Minnesota with a pair of campaigns over 1,200 yards. He was the focal point of a Panthers offense lacking in skill-position options in 2023 when he amassed 103 receptions (the second most of his career). The Minnesota State product was limited to 10 games last year, but he still managed five touchdowns while averaging 12.8 yards per catch.
Carolina has selected a receiver during the first round of each of the past two drafts. General manager DanMorgan‘s first two years at the helm have produced Xavier Legette and Tetairoa McMillan at that position. Legette will look to take a step forward compared to his production from his rookie campaign, while McMillan can be expected to handle a large workload early in his career. Thielen will remain a key member of the group as Carolina looks to build off the momentum seen on offense to close out last season.
Doing so could see the Panthers reach the postseason, something Thielen has done on four occasions in his career. Regardless of if that takes place, though, 2025 could represent his final NFL campaign.
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