The casting buzz around Abby in The Last of Us Season 2 was everywhere, but nobody predicted Kaitlyn Dever needing CGI magic to cover up a (yikes) spider bite aftermath.

Turns out, the actress revealed to the Los Angeles Times that during early filming with the Fireflies, prosthetics and digital effects masked an unsightly bite that appeared during a break.

"It’s in the first Fireflies episode," Dever admitted. "I’d gone home briefly and woke up with what I assumed was a breakout. Spoiler: not a breakout.

"It ballooned into this gnarly spider bite that—apologies for the visual—started leaking," she continued. "The VFX team worked miracles. No trace onscreen. I’ve actually got a permanent mark now from the doctors having to drain it."

"I boarded a flight 72 hours after her funeral. Day four? That Fireflies scene. The whole period feels surreal looking back—like experiencing grief and performance simultaneously. Certain moments hit differently when trauma reshapes your memory."

HBO reports staggering momentum for Season 2, with global viewership surpassing 90 million since Season 1 concluded. Stateside, the finale drew 3.7 million across platforms—a dip from the premiere’s 5.3 million, though Warner Bros anticipates post-Memorial Day streaming will boost numbers significantly.

For context, Season 1’s finale still holds the crown at 8.2 million viewers, leaving Season 2’s closing chapter room to grow.

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Last week, showrunner Craig Mazin all but confirmed Season 4’s necessity for a proper conclusion. He acknowledged that cramming both game arcs into Season 3 would make it "impossibly lengthy," hinting at an extended Season 3 but ultimately stressing: "This story demands more time." Mazin and Neil Druckmann also teased uncertainty about certain characters’ future screen time, keeping fans guessing about who’ll survive the journey ahead.