Fans of HBO’s “The Last of Us” were shocked by the brutal death of Joel Miller, played by Pedro Pascal, early in Season 2. Joel’s demise, caused by a vengeful Abby who fatally strikes him with a golf club, marks a pivotal moment in the series. “People are going to be upset.
That’s sometimes how good drama goes,” says executive producer Craig Mazin. “This was something that was always meant to happen. So much of the first season was, in a weird way, leading to this moment.”
Joel’s death aligns closely with the source material, “The Last of Us Part II” video game.
Mazin explains that when Pascal took the role, he was aware that Joel would meet this tragic end in a potential second season. “Loss is kind of how this story functions, so this was largely preordained,” says Mazin. The television adaptation dedicates one episode and additional scenes to build empathy for Abby, the Firefly daughter of the surgeon Joel killed in the Season 1 finale.
Abby’s father was on the verge of removing Ellie’s brain to develop a humanity-saving cure, and Abby has been seeking revenge against Joel for five years. Trapped and wounded by Abby, Joel’s eyes seem to acknowledge her right to avenge her father. “They have a weirdly intimate moment of connection where Joel, on some level, recognizes her right to retribution,” Mazin notes.
The depiction of Joel’s death is conducted mostly off-camera but remains brutal. Abby’s attack initially focuses on Joel’s leg, reflecting a semi-realistic portrayal. The melee escalates when Abby breaks the club and uses her fists before horrifyingly stabbing Joel’s neck with the broken club.
Abby’s vengeful act upsets fans
“We actually tried to show quite a bit of restraint in what people see. But it’s important for Abby’s character to go too far.
There’s justice, and then there’s this other thing,” Mazin explains. Ellie’s reaction to Joel’s death sets up a cycle of revenge and grief that drives the story forward. Trapped, Ellie reflects viewers’ horror and her primal need for her own form of revenge.
“Is Ellie going to do exactly what Abby did, pursue her and hunt her down at any cost?” Mazin asks. “This is not a revenge story. It’s a story about grief and how people handle grief.”
Despite Joel’s death, fans have not seen the last of Pedro Pascal.
The character’s arc will continue in a fateful confrontation with Ellie, as hinted at in the Season 2 trailer. “We have not seen the last of Pedro Pascal on ‘The Last of Us,'” Mazin assures. As the somber Fireflies trudge away in the snow, Abby appears disturbed after finally killing Joel.
“It’s not remorse,” Mazin says. “There is a sense of dissatisfaction. This thing she thought would fix the wound in her didn’t fix it.
She walks away no happier than when she showed up.”
New episodes of “The Last of Us” air Sundays at 9 pm EST on HBO and Max.
