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The Last of Us Season 2 Creator Says Joel’s Shocking Death Was Always Planned: ‘People Will Be Upset’
Pedro Pascal's character Joel's brutal death in Episode 2 of The Last of Us Season 2 shocked fans, but creator Craig Mazin says it was always part of the plan.
Episode 2 of HBO’s The Last of Us Season 2 has left fans emotional after the brutal death of Joel Miller, played by Pedro Pascal. The death was not surprising for fans of the original video game, The Last of Us Part II, where Joel’s fate was already decided.
In the show, Joel is killed by Abby Anderson (Kaitlyn Dever) with a golf club after saving her from infected attackers. The scene is shown mostly off-camera, but the aftermath is powerful and disturbing.
Executive producer Craig Mazin confirmed the creative team always intended for Joel to die early in Season 2. “This was something that was always meant to happen,” Mazin said. “So much of the first season was, in a weird way, leading to this moment. And it’s upsetting.”
He added, “Loss is kind of how this story functions, so this was largely preordained.” Mazin shared that when Pedro Pascal first took the role, he was informed about Joel’s fate in the series and was told that the show would not continue for seven seasons with him in that role, as per USA Today.
The show takes time to introduce Abby’s backstory and her reasons for revenge. A hospital flashback reveals that her father was the surgeon Joel killed in Season 1 while saving Ellie, and Abby has been searching for Joel ever since. Mazin stated that in their final moments, Joel seems to recognize Abby’s need for revenge and, on some level, acknowledges her right to seek retribution.
The story now moves forward with Ellie (Bella Ramsey) dealing with the loss. Trapped and helpless during Joel’s execution, Ellie later vows revenge. “Is Ellie going to do exactly what Abby did, pursue her and hunt her down at any cost?” Mazin asked.
Mazin said that this is not a revenge story but about grief and how people handle grief. Joel’s final scene shows his body being pulled through the snow back to Jackson. Mazin confirmed that Pascal’s character will return for future scenes. “We have not seen the last of Pedro Pascal on The Last of Us,” he said.
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