You Won’t Believe How Cheap Joel’s Death Felt in The Last of Us S2

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(The following contains spoilers for The Last of Us Season 2, Episode 2, “Through the Valley”)

The second season of HBO’s hit zombie series, The Last of Us, is moving forward, with two episodes already aired and five more to follow. While the first episode was relatively slow-paced, Episode 2 introduced a shocking twist that left many fans reeling. However, those who have played the game on which the show is based, The Last of Us: Part II, were not surprised by this turn of events, as they already knew that Joel (Pedro Pascal) would meet his end at Abby’s (Kaitlyn Dever) hands early in the season. This information has been kept secret since before the show began.

For those unfamiliar with the plot, Joel’s death was utterly unexpected. However, such unexpected twists are now quite typical in zombie storylines, so it might not have been as surprising if not for this trend. The creators of the series, Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann (also behind the games), may not have had another option but to stick with the game’s narrative to avoid backlash from loyal fans, yet it still felt like an economical tactic to intensify the season.

Season 2 Episode 2’s Storytelling Leaps

In other words, “Through the Valley” takes a significant jump in narrative reasoning as it unfolds, since Abby’s group, who were once Fireflies, discover Joel resides in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, which is now a heavily secured settlement. As Abby ponders how to penetrate the fortified defenses, the undead start stirring from their icy slumber, advancing menacingly towards the town.

In a close call with an onslaught of infected, Abby is miraculously rescued just in the nick of time by Joel, who coincidentally was at the same location when the zombie attack occurred. While it’s clear that Abby is aware of Joel’s presence, given the vast expanse of the area, the fact that Joel happened to be precisely there at that precise moment seems more like a contrivance to facilitate Joel’s eventual demise rather than a natural progression in the storyline. In essence, after five long years of searching, Abby and Joel’s encounter appears to be more a matter of luck than careful plot development from a narrative perspective.

A Shocking Move at the Expense of Character

Zombie tales have consistently shown dramatic and gruesome demises, from the climactic disembowelment in “Night of the Living Dead” to regular character deaths in “The Walking Dead”. This pattern seems to be a recurring theme in the genre, indicating that during a zombie apocalypse, anything is possible. Moreover, it’s not uncommon for these fatalities to occur at the hands of other humans, as these stories often explore the savagery among the living as much as the undead.

People found Joel’s death in The Last of Us unexpected, as it seemed more designed to shock than make narrative sense. This is partly because Pedro Pascal is a well-known actor, so audiences often anticipate that major stars don’t get killed off abruptly. However, the impact of this event was lessened due to the fact that viewers had just been introduced to Abby in the last episode and hadn’t yet seen her fully developed as a character beyond her quest for revenge.

As a passionate movie-goer, I find that “The Last of Us” often delves into the murky territory where even good individuals may resort to unsavory acts just to stay alive. Abby’s thirst for vengeance is understandable given Joel took an unarmed doctor’s life at Firefly’s camp – her father, no less. However, at this stage in the series, Abby remains somewhat underdeveloped as a character, and her quest for revenge feels more shocking than emotionally impactful beyond that single scene. Maybe if Abby had exacted her revenge on Joel later in the season, it would have provided more room for the narrative to grow and for the weight of their confrontation to build up over time.

The plot development doesn’t provide room for Ellie and Joel’s relationship to progress further. It’s deeply moving that Joel passed away before they could resolve their differences from the five years separating Seasons 1 and 2, leaving Ellie with lingering guilt over unresolved emotions. However, this also tends to diminish Joel’s character, portraying him more as a trigger for Ellie’s personal growth rather than a significant figure in his own right. Given the time spent in Season 1 building their relationship into a strong surrogate father-daughter bond, Joel’s untimely demise at this stage of Season 2 doesn’t seem emotionally satisfying.

When translating a story from one format to another, the creators must constantly balance the desires of longtime fans with those who are new to the narrative. In the case of The Last of Us, not killing off Joel early in the series might have angered gamers as much as actually doing it did. Given this, it was probably unavoidable that his death would occur at the same pivotal moment in the show. However, for those unfamiliar with the original story, Joel’s demise may seem somewhat out of place, representing a situation where adhering to the source material may detract from the overall narrative quality.

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2025-04-26 18:32