The Shocking Reason Joel Had to Die in The Last of Us Season 2 Revealed

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Joel’s fate was finally decided in Season 2, Episode 2 of HBO’s The Last of Us series. 

Ever since I first saw Pedro Pascal as Joel Miller way back in Season 1, it’s been an incredible journey watching him transform from a rugged survivor into a caring father-like figure. Through our cross-country escapade together, he’s opened his heart and home to a sweet teenager girl, making me root for them even more.

Though Ellie managed to crack through Joel’s tough facade, it doesn’t mean he abandoned his relentless survival tactics. In fact, the actions I took in Season 1, such as what appeared to be mass murder to protect Ellie from those scientists investigating her immune system, will undoubtedly have repercussions that we must navigate carefully.

Joel Met His Maker in The Last of Us Season 2, Episode 2

Audience members had been anxiously holding their breath in expectation of a potentially contentious scene in The Last of Us Season 2, and in episode 2, that moment indeed unfolded.

In the second episode of Season 2, titled “Through the Valley,” Pedro Pascal’s character, Joel Miller, encountered Kaitlyn Dever’s character, Abby, a survivor with a seemingly relentless pursuit aimed at Pedro Pascal’s main character in the series.

This eventually led to one of the franchise’s most emotionally intense moments, where Abby took revenge on Joel by viciously striking him multiple times with a golf club, while Bella Ramsey’s character, Ellie, looked on in shock and dismay.

This leads to Joel’s demise, a plot point mirroring the game the series is inspired by, “The Last of Us Part II”. For further insights on whether Joel actually perishes, delve into this article.

Although tragic for TV spectators and early video game enthusiasts alike, Joel’s demise serves a crucial purpose. His passing paves the way for the continuation of the Season 2/Part II narrative, propelling Ellie (Joel’s adopted daughter) on her mission for vengeance.

Why Joel Had to Get Killed in The Last of Us Season 2, Episode 2

As stated by the showrunners and developers of The Last of Us, Joel’s demise was inevitable, regardless of how challenging it might be for fans to accept.

According to Series creator Craig Mazin, the decision was made with “unwavering confidence,” as he applauded the creators of the game, The Last of Us, for their bold choice to “conclude a narrative by shattering the structures they had carefully constructed” (as reported by The Hollywood Reporter).

While we were organizing the show, Naughty Dog was polishing off the second installment. I was fortunate enough to try an early version of it, which I played while developing season one. This early experience made the first season more challenging and beautiful for me in a unique way. In my opinion, what Druckmann and Halley Gross did with ‘The Last of Us Part II’ game writing was incredibly bold – they started to conclude the story by shattering the foundations they had established.

Mazin proposed that the exploration of “managing…the most intimate aspects of human pain” served as a central theme for the second season (or the second installment of the game).

The conclusion we reach in this scenario is that we shatter all our relationships, even the deepest loves of our lives. These ties that bind us with our parents, our children – they disintegrate. Navigating through this pain is an aspect of human hardship that’s uniquely ours. I found it thought-provoking to introduce a character who was born in difficult circumstances, raised as an orphan, and then given the opportunity for a unique experience. By disrupting what’s arguably the most precious bond – that between parent and child – the story explores how this affects her. To me, this is the essence of why the narrative was essential.

One contentious aspect of Joel’s demise in Naughty Dog’s 2020 PS classic has been its extreme violence, with the repeated scenes of Abby’s golf club strikes brutally impacting Joel’s face.

In his view, Mazin argued that the harshness portrayed was crucial for demonstrating that Kaitlyn Dever’s character didn’t have control over herself, even though she logically and eloquently stated to Joel that such actions were illogical.

It appeared crucial to convey that Abby wasn’t in control of her emotions. Even though she presented a well-reasoned argument to Joel, it was irrational. She’s overstepping boundaries. There seems to be an uncontrollable rage within her that isn’t the typical anger you’d expect from someone who had killed someone. Instead, it’s the sad irony or tragic reality of being overcome by such emotions — there’s no cure for this, only finding a way to accept it and move on. Killing Joel won’t solve her issues. She’s making mistakes. We aimed to portray Abby as lost, and to highlight the discomfort of other people in the room at her actions.

In simpler terms, Neil Druckmann, who shares showrunning duties on the series and directed the “The Last of Us” video games, stated to The Wrap that this particular moment marks a significant turning point in the narrative (the “act one break”) and sets the stage for the rest of the season. Therefore, it was essential to include this event as early as possible.

We had to shift the key event of the story earlier than expected, as it would drive the rest of the season. This event happens in Episode 2 instead of Act One. The reason for this early move is to reintroduce Jackson and our other characters, build some relationships, and establish their dynamics. However, all these elements get disrupted and disorganized due to Abby’s actions against Joel.

For those who found it premature to eliminate such a significant character, Mazin referred to his end as an “inevitability,” and he emphasized that The Last of Us is essentially a series that delves into individuals grappling with their toughest emotions.

It’s incredibly painful when it occurs, as we have grown to love Joel, and even more so because Ellie loves Joel deeply. We share her grief over losing this cherished person, and we all will mourn the loss. From a storytelling perspective, it seemed inevitable because this isn’t an endless series; it has a conclusion. The show is about exploring the deepest human emotions, and watching Bella in that moment was excruciatingly emotional.

During an interaction with Variety, Druckmann suggested that the events of the games might be altered and Joel’s death could occur later in the series. He admitted that as time passed, it seemed like they were “delaying unnecessarily.

To ensure a strong start, it’s crucial that the event occurs at an appropriate time, as this serves as the catalyst for our narrative. While we strive to explore every possible scenario, advancing the timeline later in the season made it seem like we were procrastinating rather than diving straight into the heart of the story.

As Joel is now out of the picture (except in occasional flashbacks that are surely coming), I, as a devoted cinema enthusiast, am eagerly looking forward to the main events unfolding in The Last of Us Season 2. This narrative seems set to thrust Ellie and Abby towards another dramatic confrontation.

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2025-04-21 21:05