HBO's adaptation of the beloved video game "The Last of Us" has taken a dramatic turn in Season 2, Episode 2, leaving fans reeling after the shocking death of the main character, Joel, played by Pedro Pascal. The episode, which aired on April 20, 2025, sees Joel brutally killed by Abby (Kaitlyn Dever), a character seeking vengeance for her father's death at Joel's hands.
The series follows Joel and Ellie (Bella Ramsey) as they navigate a post-apocalyptic world ravaged by a fungus that turns humans into zombie-like creatures. In the Season 1 finale, Joel makes a harrowing decision to save Ellie from a surgical procedure that would have resulted in her death. In a desperate attempt to protect her, he kills the unarmed surgeon and several members of the Firefly faction, leaving Ellie unaware of the violent events that transpired.
As Season 2 unfolds, viewers are introduced to Abby, whose father was the surgeon Joel killed. The episode aptly titled "Through the Valley" showcases Abby's quest for revenge, culminating in a heart-wrenching scene where she confronts Joel in a mountain lodge. In a brutal act of retribution, she beats him with a golf club and fatally wounds him by stabbing him in the neck with a spike.
Pascal, in an interview with Entertainment Weekly, expressed his emotional turmoil over Joel's fate, stating he is "in active denial" about his character's exit from the series. He reflected on the deep bonds he formed with the cast and crew during the show's production. "I realize this more and more as I get older, I find myself slipping into denial that anything is over," Pascal said. "I know that I'm forever bonded to so many members of the experience and just have to see them under different circumstances, but never will under the circumstances of playing Joel on 'The Last of Us.'"
Ellie, Dina (Isabela Merced), and Jesse (Young Mazino) are seen dragging Joel's body, wrapped in a bag, across the snow-covered expanse of Wyoming at the episode's conclusion. This poignant moment not only signifies the end of Joel's journey but also sets the stage for the emotional fallout that Ellie will face in the coming episodes.
In the aftermath of Joel's death, Bella Ramsey shared her own emotional response to the script, admitting that she cried while reading the scene. "I knew that Joel was going to die, but reading it in the script, I was dreading getting to that bit… and I cried. I actually sobbed my little heart out. It’s the first time I’ve cried from reading a piece of writing," Ramsey said during HBO's post-episode discussion.
Fans of the series have expressed their outrage and sorrow over Joel's demise, with many feeling a deep connection to the character. Pascal acknowledged the strong emotional investment viewers have in the show, stating, "I have nothing but respect for the level of investment that people have in a video game or a TV show or movie or book. I’ve flung books across the room because its impact is so profound on me… I think it is incredibly painful for people, and that’s obviously a brilliant achievement of the storytelling."
Despite the devastating turn of events for Joel, the series has been renewed for a third season, leaving fans to speculate on how Ellie will cope with her loss and the consequences of Joel's actions in the previous season. Pascal is set to appear in other upcoming projects, including "The Fantastic Four: First Steps" and "Materialists," both scheduled for release this summer.
In a reflective moment, Pascal shared an on-set photo with Dever on Instagram, captioning it "Blizzard Buddies" and expressing gratitude for their collaboration. He noted the irony that such a tragic storyline could forge a lasting bond between actors. "It’s very ironic that something so violent and tragic between its characters can immediately bond you to the actor," he remarked in an "Inside Episode 2" featurette released by HBO.
As viewers continue to process the emotional impact of Joel's death, the creators of "The Last of Us" are keenly aware of the delicate balance between storytelling and audience expectations. Series showrunners Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann discussed their decision to introduce Joel's death early in the season, emphasizing the importance of moving the narrative forward. "Ultimately, I think we needed just to settle back into the show," Druckmann explained. "We also knew it needed to be early enough, because this is the inciting incident for the story."
Mazin added that they wanted to avoid torturing fans with prolonged suspense. "If people know it's coming, they will start to feel tormented. Our instinct was to make sure that when we did it, that it felt natural in the story and was not some meta-function of us wanting to upset people," he said.
As the series progresses, the emotional landscape of "The Last of Us" will undoubtedly continue to evolve, exploring themes of loss, revenge, and the bonds that tie characters together in a world turned upside down by chaos. Fans are left eagerly awaiting the next chapter in Ellie’s journey as she grapples with the consequences of the past and the uncertain future that lies ahead.
