HBO’s Hit Series Delivers Its Most Devastating Moment Yet
HBO’s The Last of Us season 2 has officially crossed the point of no return. In episode 2, titled “Through the Valley,” fans witnessed the shocking and brutal death of the show’s central figure, Joel Miller, played by Pedro Pascal — a moment long-anticipated by gamers but still emotionally jarring on screen.
Joel’s Final Chapter
Set five years after the explosive season 1 finale, the second episode sees Joel’s past come back with a vengeance. The man who once chose love over the fate of the world — saving Ellie (Bella Ramsey) at the cost of murdering a Firefly doctor — is finally forced to face the consequences. That doctor’s daughter, Abby (Kaitlyn Dever), exacts revenge in a remote house outside Jackson, Wyoming. With her group of former Fireflies, she traps Joel and kills him in a chillingly unflinching scene using a golf club — a direct adaptation from The Last of Us Part II video game.
The Weight of Silence
On set, the event was almost too heavy to name. “It was a hushed thing,” Bella Ramsey said to Entertainment Weekly. “It feels like too big of a thing to just speak about it.” Co-showrunner Craig Mazin admitted that even among the production team, the death was discussed carefully and respectfully, using euphemisms like “that day” or “the Joel and Abby moment.”
Pascal himself knew his fate from the start. “It was always an understanding,” he says, recalling how faithful the show aimed to be to the original story. While it wasn’t spelled out explicitly when he signed on, it was clear that Joel’s arc would center around season 1.
A Performance Anchored in Pain
Joel’s final moments were filmed over two emotionally and physically demanding days in Kamloops, Canada. Freezing temperatures and stormy weather challenged production, even preventing Pascal’s flight from arriving on time. Despite the grueling conditions, Pascal delivered a harrowing final performance, emerging bloodied and broken, yet still embodying the character’s steely resolve.
“I get killed a lot,” Pascal joked, referencing his extensive resume of doomed roles in Game of Thrones, Kingsman, and more. But this one hits differently — for the audience and for the narrative. The void left by Joel becomes the catalyst for Ellie’s transformation, and sets the stage for the emotionally complex journey ahead.
Setting the Stage for Vengeance
With Joel gone, Ellie is consumed by grief, rage, and a thirst for justice. Mazin and Neil Druckmann, co-creator of the original game and series co-showrunner, have both emphasized that the story moving forward isn’t just about loss — it’s about what comes next. “It talks about what is left behind,” Mazin explained, “and the price we pay for loving someone that deeply.”
The show’s faithful yet bold approach to its source material has already earned it accolades, and with season 2 now fully embracing the darkest corners of its narrative, it seems The Last of Us is ready to break hearts all over again.
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