The Last of Us villain wants their own spin-off series

Bring on the spin-offs. Like a crop of mushrooms growing in the dark, we imagine HBO is currently rubbing its hands together and thinking of how it can milk The Last of Us for all its worth. The question is, will you be tuning in for an Outbreak Day prequel series? 

While we know Craig Mazin's live-action series won't go beyond the narrative of Naughty Dog's video games, it's looking like it'll be three seasons and done for the apocalyptic series. HBO has recently gone on the assault with Game of Thrones prequels and sequels, so could The Last of Us follow suit?

Melanie Lynskey wants a Kathleen origin story 

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There were plenty of villains in The Last of Us Season 1, and away from the mushroom monsters of the Cordyceps infection, we learned that humans are arguably more dangerous than the Infected. But for those who'd played the games, we already knew that anyway.

Hyping her potential return to the series, Yellowjackets' Melanie Lynskey has pitched an origin story for her character, Kathleen. Speaking to Variety, Lynskey said, "If they wanted to go back and do an origin story, I would be there for it."

As a refresher, Kathleen was the no-nonsense leader of the Kansas City rebellion after her group overthrew FEDRA. Explaining how the similarly mild-mannered Kathleen became a cutthroat villain, Lynskey added, "The story of how this woman got into this crazy position would be really interesting."

Making her debut in Episode 4, Kathleen's backstory involved the loss of her brother when Henry (Lamar Johnson) sold him out to FEDRA. Kathleen wasn't around for too long before she was dispatched by the child Infected in Episode 5. It was a pretty definitive arc, although there could be room for a return. 

Are The Last of Us spin-offs coming?

With The Last of Us breaking records for HBO, we can't imagine this world will be left behind when we've finished telling the story of the first two games. Then again, it would likely dilute the IP and lead to criticisms of cashing in on Naughty Dog's world for the sake of it.

In terms of spin-offs we'd like to see, there's probably not enough for a Kathleen origin story. If anyone were going to get a spin-off, we'd like to see a Joel and Tess prequel that also fleshes out Marlene. Merle Dandridge reprised her role from the games but felt sadly underused in The Last of Us Season 1.

Then again, it would be just as easy to give any of Season 1's beloved characters a reprieve in a flashback episode or even a flashback scene. HBO struck lucky with House of the Dragon, but as Joey and Young Sheldon are here to remind us, spin-offs aren't always a good idea.