The Last of Us Just Killed Joel – Can the Series Survive Without Him?
Man, I still can’t believe they actually did it. Joel is gone. It feels unreal even saying it out loud – like waking up from a bad dream and expecting things to go back to normal. But no, HBO’s The Last of Us season two, episode two, delivered one of the most gut-wrenching and divisive moments in TV history. And I’m still trying to process what it means, not just for Ellie, but for the entire story going forward.
The episode opens with chaos, teasing an avalanche of infected and a town on the edge of disaster. But all of that is just buildup to something far more personal and devastating. Joel, our flawed protector, our gruff, reluctant hero played so brilliantly by Pedro Pascal, is brutally tortured and killed by Abby – a character driven by revenge for the death of her father, who Joel shot years ago in Salt Lake City. That connection alone makes her fury understandable, but the way it all goes down? It’s savage. It's raw. It’s the kind of scene that doesn’t just make you gasp – it makes you angry, sick even.
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Ellie, played with heartbreaking intensity by Bella Ramsey, is forced to witness Joel’s death, restrained and helpless on the blood-soaked floor of a ski lodge. Her scream, her desperate crawl to his lifeless body, it’s the sound of someone’s world ending. And ours too, maybe a little. This wasn’t just the death of a character – it was the death of a bond that carried the weight of an entire season.
And yet, even with the horror of it all, you can’t help but feel the bravery behind the storytelling. It’s bold, maybe even reckless. But it mirrors real pain. Real loss. Joel wasn’t perfect – far from it – and this is the price for the choices he made. Still, does that mean he deserved to die like that? And so soon?
There’s no going back now. Ellie is changed forever. And so are we. What started as a story of survival has just turned into something else entirely – something darker, more vengeful, and maybe more human. If you thought the first season was emotional, buckle up. Because after this? All bets are off.
The question now is – can The Last of Us survive the loss of its heart? Or will this be the turning point that defines it forever?
Only time will tell.
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