On Sunday evening, April 20, 2025, viewers witnessed the brutal murder of Joel (Pedro Pascal) at the hands of Abby (Kaitlyn Dever) in HBO’s “The Last of Us” Season 2. This pivotal scene serves as the inciting incident for both the narrative of Season 2 and the 2020 video game, “The Last of Us: Part II.” However, the adaptation offers several key differences from the source material, designed to enhance storytelling and provide more exposition upfront.
In the HBO adaptation, Joel saves Abby from a horde of infected and then follows her to a house where they can wait out a snowstorm. The initial meeting with Abby's group, which includes Mel (Ariela Barer), appears friendly at first. However, Dina quickly notices a patch on Mel's backpack with the letters WLF, raising questions about their true identity.
As tensions rise, Abby reveals Joel’s identity to Owen, Nora, Mel, and Manny, leading to a shocking moment where Manny puts a gun to Dina’s head, and Mel is forced to sedate her after Abby threatens her. Abby's group had been present at St. Mary’s Hospital during Joel’s previous rampage to save Ellie in Season 1, a fact that adds layers to her motivations.
In a chilling confrontation, Abby shoots Joel in the leg with a shotgun, asserting that he killed 18 soldiers and one unarmed doctor—her father—during his escape. Following a five-year time jump, Abby, now 24 years old, states that her crew has joined a new militia in Seattle. She confronts Joel with a moral code, declaring, “We don’t kill people that can’t defend themselves. And right now that’s you,” before revealing her intention to kill him.
As the scene escalates, Abby hits Joel’s leg wound with a golf club, and Ellie arrives just in time to witness the chaos. Despite her desperate pleas for Joel to get up, Abby ultimately stabs him in the neck with a broken piece of the golf club, cementing the moment as one of the most shocking in the series. As Joel dies, Ellie pulls the golf club from his neck and embraces him, vowing revenge.
In the video game, however, the circumstances surrounding Joel’s death differ significantly. Joel is on patrol with his brother Tommy, while Ellie and Dina are off on their own romantic adventure. Their paths converge when Jesse informs Ellie and Dina that Joel and Tommy have not returned from their patrol. Meanwhile, Joel and Tommy rescue Abby and ride back to the Baldwins' place, where they encounter a horde of infected.
In the game, Abby's group includes additional characters not seen in the show: Jordan, Leah, and Nick. The tension builds as Abby shoots Joel, and the confrontation unfolds with a different set of dynamics. Ellie finds Joel after hearing his muffled screams, but the confrontation with Abby is more chaotic, with different characters involved in restraining her.
Laura Bailey, the voice actress for Abby, has not yet seen HBO’s version of the scene but expressed curiosity about audience reactions. Bailey, who faced a toxic backlash from some gamers for her role in the original game, noted that the HBO adaptation prepares viewers for Joel’s death more effectively than the game, where Abby’s motivations are not revealed until later in the story.
Reflecting on her experiences, Bailey recalled the intense backlash she faced following the game’s release, including death threats against her newborn son. She recognized that the timing of the game’s release during the COVID pandemic, combined with leaks about Joel’s death, contributed to the overwhelming negative response. "I think it was just a perfect storm," she said. "The buildup of the story was supposed to be revealed, and the resolution wasn’t there for people. All they got was the violence, and none of the story."
Bailey emphasized that had players experienced Joel’s death in the context of the game, the reaction might have been less extreme. She noted, "I think there obviously would have been people who were very upset by it. I mean, Joel is loved. Adored. People identify with him, you know?"
Filming the scene where Abby kills Joel was a challenging experience for Bailey. She described it as a technical feat, requiring high emotional stakes while maintaining control. "It was a really hard day on multiple levels," she recalled. "I remember looking in Troy’s eyes as we were doing that scene. It’s a memory I’ll never forget."
Despite the backlash, Bailey has also encountered fans who appreciate Abby's character and her journey. During a recent live show for Critical Role, she met many fans who expressed their admiration for Abby, highlighting the character's complexity and the impact of her story.
As HBO continues to release new episodes of “The Last of Us” every Sunday at 9 p.m. ET/PT, the conversation surrounding the series and its characters remains vibrant. The adaptation not only reshapes the narrative but also recontextualizes the characters' motivations, inviting viewers to engage with the story in new ways.
With the adaptation's approach to character development and storytelling, fans are left to ponder the implications of violence, morality, and the choices that define us. As the series unfolds, the legacy of Joel and Abby will undoubtedly continue to spark discussion and debate among audiences.
New episodes of “The Last of Us” premiere Sundays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on HBO and stream on Max.
