The Last of Us Showrunners Finally Explain Why Joel’s Death Hit So Hard in Season 2

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Major Spoilers for The Last of Us are down below.

Summary

  • The Last of Us Season 2 addresses *that* death in the second episode, breaking fans and the showrunners’ hearts.
  • Showrunners chose to have the death early to avoid tormenting the audience and dragging the plot.
  • The death is pivotal to the plot and essential for Ellie’s development in exploring themes of pain and revenge.

The highly-awaited sequence from “The Last of Us Part II” was spotlighted on the live-action TV show. Consequently, the showrunners of “The Last of Us” tackled the frequently discussed scene.

In a highly anticipated turn of events, “The Last of Us” has come back for its second season, leaving fans with a mix of excitement and melancholy as they knew one significant character would take their final bow this season. However, there was uncertainty among viewers about whether they’d have to wait until the end of the season to witness the departure of their beloved character. The showrunners opted for transparency, choosing to address it early on by incorporating it into the second episode itself.

In the second installment of “The Last of Us” Season 2, viewers were left grief-stricken as the highly anticipated, tearjerking moment from the game – Joel’s (Pedro Pascal) demise at the hands of Abby (Kaitlyn Dever) – unfolded. Despite many anticipating Joel’s death this season, it still left a profound sense of emptiness. Co-creators Neil Druckmann and Craig Mazin discussed the controversial scene. As per Druckmann, they needed to “readjust to the narrative.” He conceded that in the game, Joel didn’t meet his end for about an hour, but in the TV series, they chose not to adhere to this timeline because that pivotal event served as a crucial turning point in the plot, and they didn’t want to prolong the story unnecessarily. He stated:

However, we realized that timing was crucial as well, since this event marks the beginning of our story. Therefore, while we consider every possible scenario, delaying it further in the season made us feel like we were prolonging the introduction rather than diving right into the heart of the narrative.

The Last of Us Simply Had To Address The Major Elephant In The Room Early On In The Season

Mazin concurred with his collaborator’s plan, expressing concerns that “inflicting emotional distress on viewers” could be a risk. While they didn’t wish for Joel’s demise, they acknowledged its inevitability. The audience was already anticipating it, and prolonging it would only cause them “undue emotional turmoil.” Furthermore, those unfamiliar with the story would eventually learn of Joel’s fate due to the game’s popularity, questioning why it wasn’t happening sooner. Therefore, they chose to depict Joel’s death in the initial episodes of Season 2. Given this decision, Mazin stated that they focused more on finding a realistic way to portray it. He elaborated:

Initially, our aim was to ensure that whatever action we took within the narrative seemed organic and wasn’t merely a contrived attempt on our part to provoke or irritate others.

As a dedicated fan, I must admit that Joel’s demise was an inevitable turn of events in The Last of Us, but it still managed to shatter my heart into pieces when Abby brutally ended his life with a golf club. The sight of Joel raising his head upon hearing Ellie’s voice only intensified the emotional turmoil. Co-creator Neil Druckmann shared that he too felt the audience’s pain, and it was reportedly tough for them to write off Joel. He expressed that they cherished Joel deeply and wished he could miraculously rise again, but ultimately understood that his fate was sealed.

Regardless, some fans believed that the series might alter Joel’s destiny. They wished for their beloved character to live this time, in contrast to his demise in the game. Alas, Joel could not escape his fate as it plays a crucial role in the plot. His death underscores the repercussions of Joel’s past actions when he slaughtered the Fireflies to protect Ellie. This gruesome end compels Ellie to grapple with grief, loss, and vengeance, which are essential elements for The Last of Us Part II‘s narrative shift towards the cycle of retribution. Joel’s death serves as a potent emotional catalyst and transformative event for Ellie, skipping it would alter the story’s essence.

The Last of Us Season 2 streams on Max, with new episodes dropping every Sunday.

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2025-04-22 04:04