How The Last of Us Season 2 Shockingly Changed Joel’s Death

by

Warning: Major spoilers for The Last of Us season 2 episode 2 ahead.

After the significant demise in The Last of Us season 2 episode 2, everyone is left stunned and altered by its impact, with the storyline now taking a completely new direction.

In a shocking turn of events, character portrayed by Pedro Pascal, named Joel, met his grisly end when Kaitlyn Dever’s character, Abby, mercilessly avenged her father’s death from last season. This was done through torturing Joel and ultimately plunging a spike into his neck in front of Bella Ramsey’s character, Ellie.

Pascal admitted to Entertainment Weekly that he’s in a state where he refuses to accept the harsh turn of events, calling it ‘active denial.’ As he grows older, he acknowledges this tendency more and more. He seems to unconsciously deny that anything has truly ended.

I understand that I’ve formed strong connections with several people through shared experiences, and I long to encounter them again in different situations. However, those encounters will never happen within the context of portraying Joel in “The Last of Us.

“And, no, I don’t spend a lot of time thinking about it because it makes me sad.”

Gladly, we’re on the same page, Pedro! It’s reassuring that Joel will reappear in season 2, mainly through flashbacks – fingers crossed, this will offer us all a sense of resolution.

For now, here’s a summary of the key variations in how Joel’s demise unfolded in season 2 as opposed to the original game.

Here’s a rundown of the main differences you’ll find in Joel’s death portrayal from season 2 versus the video game version.

How did The Last of Us season 2 change Joel’s death from the game?

In The Last of Us Part II, there’s not much revealed about Abby’s reasons for doing what she does. Accelerating the pace in which her motivations are disclosed is a beneficial adjustment, since it would be agonizing to wait weekly to comprehend who she is and why we should empathize with her.

As a passionate film enthusiast, I’ve come to realize that a possible solution could be to minimize the hostility directed at Dever, particularly towards Laura Bailey, the remarkable motion capture artist and voice actress who brought a complex and dynamic female character to life. For years, she has been unfairly targeted online for simply embodying such a role.

In the game, there is also no focus on an infected horde breaching the walls of Jackson.

Discussing the inclusion in the show, Neil Druckmann mentioned on the official The Last of Us podcast: “I found it quite fascinating doing this more in-depth exploration. One aspect we couldn’t delve into within the game, and it was one of our initial discussions about how to portray this pivotal moment, is that in the game, we discuss what happens to Jackson.

In this game, there are various attacks, whether they’re from infected or raiders, yet we never directly witness them. Since we don’t control a specific character, we can switch between these attacks happening at Jackson and the predicament Joel finds himself in. This allows us to understand personal and community-level loss that occurs in this world, which will be further explored in this season.

In the game, the patrols have a unique twist. Instead of Joel teaming up with Tommy throughout, it’s during their last patrol that they meet Abby. On the other hand, in the show, Joel goes out on patrol with Dina, which leaves Tommy and Maria to guard Jackson. Meanwhile, Ellie is paired with Jesse rather than Dina.

The essential elements stay consistent, including the scene setting, the gunshot wound to the leg, and the violent act using a golf club.

Or, in another way:

The fundamental aspects are preserved, from the background details to the leg injury by a gunshot and the violent act carried out with a golf club.

Instead of a variety of fists or the sharp end of a broken club to the neck, Abby’s decisive move in the game was another swing from the golf club.

Or,

Abby didn’t use her fists or the sharp point of a broken club to the neck for the final blow in the game; instead, she used another swing from the golf club.

It appears that the storyline will follow a similar path, and based on the trailer scenes featuring Joel that haven’t been shown yet, we can expect many poignant flashbacks of Joel and Ellie from the years spanning between seasons 1 and 2.

Read More

2025-04-22 16:47