Warning! MAJOR spoilers ahead for The Last of Us season 2, episode 2, “Through the Valley,” and forThe Last of Us Part II video game.
The Last Of Usstar Pedro Pascal reacts to the shocking Joel moment in season 2, episode 2. Serving as an adaptation of the Naughty Dog video game franchise, Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann’s hit HBO series returned for its sophomore outing earlier this month, continuing the story of Pascal’s Joel and Bella Ramsey’s Ellie five years after the events of the season 1 finale.The Last of Usseason 2, episode 2, brings Joel’s time on the series to a shocking close, however, with Abby (Kaitlyn Dever) brutally murdering Pascal’s character in front of Ellie.
In a recent interview withEW, Pascal shares his thoughts on Joel’s death inThe Last of Usseason 2, episode 2, which was directed by Mark Mylod, revealing that he is “in active denial” about his time on the show being over. The actor explains that the “forever” bonds he made with the cast and crew have resulted in him not dwelling too much on his departure, as it’s all too painful. Check out Pascal’s full comment below:
“I’m in active denial. I realize this more and more as I get older, I find myself slipping into denial that anything is over. 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. And, no, I don’t spend a lot of time thinking about it because it makes me sad.”
How Joel Could Return
To those who playedThe Last of Us Part IIvideo game, the game upon which season 2 is based, Joel’s death won’t have been a surprise. The character meets his end in a similar fashion in the game, also at Abby’s hands.The encounter ultimately serves as an inciting incident of sorts for a story about how destructive quests for revenge can be, and for multiple characters. It remains to be seen how closely the remaining episodes will follow the game, but Ellie does tell Abby in the episode that she will kill her for killing Joel.
When “Through the Valley” ends, Ellie, Jesse (Young Mazino), and Dina are dragging Joel’s body back to Jackson, setting up an emotional episode to come as Tommy (Gabriel Luna) and others in theLast of Us' cast of characterslearn about what happened, and as Ellie begins to process her grief. It is possible that this isn’t the last time audiences see Joel, however, asit has been teased that a Eugene-focused flashback is to come, with episode 1 having already revealed that Joel had no choice but to kill this former survivor.
The Last of Usseason 3is now confirmed, with Mazin and Druckmann previously revealing that they plan to adapt the events ofPart IIover multiple seasons.
Our Take On The Last Of Us Season 2, Episode 2
Pascal Was A Major Reason For The Show’s Success
A major challenge facing the remainder ofThe Last of Usseason 2is how it proceeds without one of its two lead characters. Pascal’s star power has increased dramatically over the last few years, and he is undoubtedly a big part of the show’s appeal. Though Ramsey has excelled as Ellie,things will be very different moving forward without Pascal, and it’s possible that not all audiences will be on boardwith this dramatic shift in direction.
The decision to kill Joel inThe Last of UsPart IIwas divisive at the time of the game’s release, and this divisiveness could return with the TV show audience. As for Pascal,playing Joel has been crucial to the last few years of his career, and it’s not surprising that saying farewell has been an emotional experience. It remains to be seen whereThe Last of Usseason 2 goes from here, but things will evidently not be the same from this point forward.
