The Last of Us’ commitment to its two central characters means that one tragic season 2 twist will hit much harder. The Last of Us season 1 ended leaving many in anticipation for the already confirmed The Last of Us season 2. For those fans familiar with The Last of Us video game, they understand that Joel and Ellie’s next chapter is much sadder and rougher than the first installment. However, this particular twist may alienate some viewers of The Last of Us, especially if they are fans of Pedro Pascal.
Pedro Pascal makes a fantastic Joel, bringing a unique humanity and charm to his character. Ellie (Bella Ramsey) and Joel’s relationship is the core of The Last of Us Part I. This makes The Last of Us Part II’s twist, which involves Joel dying relatively early, so much more heartbreaking. On one hand, fans want revenge for Ellie because Abby killed Joel, but on the other, the game also sympathizes with Abby’s viewpoint. This makes carrying out Ellie’s revenge as a player feel wrong, and a far cry from Ellie in The Last of Us Part I. However, having seen the relationship play out on screen, The Last of Us season 2 has made the storyline even sadder.
Joel’s Death Will Be Worse In The Last Of Us Show
Pedro Pascal has played a wide range of characters and grown a dedicated fan base that The Last of Us has only helped expand further. Part of The Last of Us’s success is Pedro Pascal’s portrayal of Joel, and losing him means losing a vital part of what made The Last of Us season 1 a sensation. It is one thing to see a character die in a game, but to see a beloved actor be killed on screen is another thing. Thanks to Pascal’s heartfelt and relatable portrayal, Joel’s death will now hit audiences even harder than it would have before.
If The Last of Us season 2 follows the sequel game, Joel could be killed off early in the show. The Last of Us part 2 centers around Ellie’s revenge, so season 2 could easily adapt the video game sequel. Seeing him die so early would not only be a shock, but would also undoubtedly upset viewers who have come to identify with Pascal’s forlorn, heartbroken depiction of the character. However, there is an opportunity that the HBO series could delay Joel’s death and the series may be better off for it.
The Last Of Us Season 2 Would Benefit From Delaying Joel’s Death
Since Pedro Pascal is a huge part of The Last of Us hype, it would be beneficial for Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann to keep Joel around for at least a couple of episodes. In The Last of Us, Joel could die midway through the season, or season 2 could end on Joel’s death. Keeping Joel alive won’t just preserve the show’s star draw, but also give the audience some further backstory between Joel and Ellie, ultimately heightening his inevitable demise.
The Last of Us Part II takes place five years after the first game. While The Last of Us season 1 finale suggests that Joel and Ellie’s relationship may become strained, there are still plenty of sweet moments that they could have together before Joel leaves the show for good. Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann have already expanded beyond the video game source material in The Last of Us season 1. Their collaboration on season 2 will most likely be similar, giving the characters more to do in a different format. In this context, delaying Joel’s death makes even more sense.
The Last of Us season 2 creates an opportunity for the writers to also expand on other characters besides Joel and Ellie. Some of the best episodes of The Last of Us weren’t even about Joel, such as Bill and Frank in The Last of Us episode 3. The Last of Us season 2 could have some episodes centering around Tommy and the people of his community. Since Tommy’s community is fairly large, there is room to introduce new characters, which in turn could also strengthen Joel and Ellie’s relationship.
How Delaying Joel’s Death Could Help Abby’s The Last Of Us Story
Abby, the woman who kills Joel in The Last of Us Part II, is the daughter of the head surgeon that Joel killed at the end of The Last of Us Part I. Her return to get revenge is used in the video games to illustrate that Joel’s actions have consequences. He may have secured himself some more time with Ellie, but at huge personal cost. Not only does Joel, later on, lose Ellie’s trust, but he prevented the discovery of a possible cure that could rebuild the world – and paid for it with his life.
Since Abby’s story is integral to The Last of Us Part II, it makes sense for The Last of Us season 2 to dedicate a good chunk of the season to her story. If season 2 spends an episode or two mostly dedicated to Abby’s backstory, then Joel’s death can come later in the season organically. Building Abby’s storyline before Joel’s death helps drive home the point that Abby is not a monster, and showing her as someone trying her best in inhospitable conditions might make the gut punch of her killing Joel more effective for the show format.
The Last of Us season 2 could potentially start off with Allie’s point of view after Joel leaves with Ellie. This would further illustrate the gravity of Joel’s actions, instead of the first episode being about him, trying to live a happy, guilt-free life with Ellie. Season 2 could also show both sides of the story, but the more the audience learns about Abby, the more likely they will feel sorry for her and realize the gravity of Joel’s actions.
It will be interesting to see if the audience turns on Joel, once they realize what he has done, beyond the wreckage of the bloodshed of the finale. His actions lead to his death which in turn leads to Ellie becoming the monster that David foresaw back in The Last of Us episode 8. Giving Abby a fair share of screen time means the audience’s bias towards Ellie can be combated, and the audience can question the violence they witness on the screen.
Craig Mazin hinted that they may need more than one season to adapt The Last of Us Part II, meaning that the events of The Last of Us Part II may extend deep into season 3. With The Last of Us’ success, it is likely that this may be the case, which will not only keep Joel and the hype alive, but also make for a richer The Last of Us season 2 overall.
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