In the second episode of The Last of Us season 2, fans witnessed the tragic demise of Joel, played by Pedro Pascal. After protecting Ellie from the Infected for a whole season, Joel is killed by Abby, played by Kaitlyn Dever, as an act of revenge for killing her father, a doctor at the Salt Lake City hospital. Joel is beaten with a golf club and stabbed in the neck, with Ellie watching helplessly. This event sets the stage for the rest of the season as Ellie vows revenge on Abby and her allies.
The series directly pulls from The Last of Us Part II video game, which was released in 2020. Despite the shock and negative reaction to Joel’s death, show creators Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann, who also created the video game series, understand the pain viewers are experiencing. The death of Joel serves as an important beat in the wider story of The Last of Us. Mazin and Druckmann acknowledge that Joel’s death is heart-wrenching, especially for Ellie and viewers who have grown to love the character over the course of the series.
In an interview with Deadline, Druckmann mentioned that he has already experienced backlash to Joel’s death in the video game and is not nervous about the reaction to the TV series. Mazin added that while it was tough to include Joel’s death in the narrative, it felt like an inevitability given the nature of the show, which confronts characters dealing with difficult emotions. While there were many tears shed on set during Joel’s death scene, it was a necessary moment for the story to progress and for Ellie to begin her quest for revenge.
Despite Joel’s death, fans can take solace in knowing that Pedro Pascal will continue to be a part of the series. Mazin teased that there will be more scenes featuring Pascal and Bella Ramsey, who plays Ellie, together in future episodes of the season. He assured viewers that there will be interesting developments in their dynamic that will delve deeper into their relationship than what was seen in season 1. New episodes of The Last of Us air on HBO on Sundays at 9 p.m. ET, giving fans the opportunity to see how the story unfolds following Joel’s death.
The second episode of The Last of Us season 2 marks a significant turning point in the series with the death of Joel and Ellie’s vow for revenge. The show creators and cast understand the impact of Joel’s death on viewers, emphasizing the emotional weight of the moment for the characters and audience alike. Moving forward, viewers can expect to see the repercussions of Joel’s death as Ellie seeks retribution against Abby and her allies. With Pedro Pascal’s continued involvement in the series, fans can look forward to more interactions between Joel and Ellie, deepening their relationship and driving the narrative forward in new and unexpected ways.
