The Last of Us Explains Kaitlyn Dever's Abby CGI

There's been significant buzz around Abby's introduction in The Last of Us Season 2, but few anticipated that Kaitlyn Dever would require CGI to conceal a (shudder) spider bite on her face.

Yet, that's precisely what occurred. In an interview with the Los Angeles Times about her experience filming the hit series, Dever revealed that during one of her initial episodes with the Fireflies, the production team had to digitally erase a noticeable, oozing (shudder x2) bite mark she sustained while on break.

"It appears in the first Firefly episode," Dever explained. "I returned home for a few weeks and ended up with a spider bite on my cheek. I initially mistook it for a pimple, but it was far from it."

"It was a significant spider bite and… I dislike using this term, but it was oozing," she continued. "The CGI work is incredible. You can't even spot it. I still have a facial scar because they had to surgically remove it."

Dever also discussed how she channeled her emotions for *that* pivotal scene. Tragically, her mother had passed away from cancer, and the funeral took place just four days before filming the intense, emotionally charged sequence with Joel and Ellie.

"I had to travel three days after her funeral. On the fourth day, we shot the chalet scene with the Fireflies. So, yes, it's all a bit hazy, and it felt like I was experiencing it as a first-time viewer. I'd notice certain things and think, 'Grief really does strange things to your mind. It distorts your memory.'"

HBO has celebrated the success of The Last of Us Season 2, reporting that a surge in viewership has boosted the series' global audience to over 90 million since Season 1 concluded. In the U.S., the Season 2 finale attracted 3.7 million cross-platform viewers on Sunday night. While the Season 2 premiere drew 5.3 million viewers, indicating a drop from start to finish, Warner Bros. anticipates the finale's numbers will rise "significantly" due to lower viewing rates over the Memorial Day holiday weekend.

It's also important to note that the Season 1 finale set a record with 8.2 million viewers, so the Season 2 finale has some ground to cover to surpass that milestone.

Every IGN The Last of Us Review

View 17 Images

Last week, showrunner Craig Mazin suggested that a fourth season is practically essential for the series. In an interview, Mazin concurred that wrapping up The Last of Us' storyline from the two Naughty Dog video games in Season 3 alone would mean the season "would take forever." While there's a "decent chance" Season 3 will be longer than Season 2, he emphasized that "there’s no way to conclude this narrative in a third season." Mazin and Neil Druckmann also recently shared that they're still uncertain about "how much, or rather how little" some beloved characters will appear.