Quick Read
- Pedro Pascal’s character Joel is killed off in Season 2, Episode 2 of ‘The Last of Us.’
- Pascal describes the storytelling as a ‘brilliant achievement’ despite its emotional impact.
- Bella Ramsey ‘sobbed’ while reading the script for Joel’s death scene.
- The episode stays true to the source material from the video game ‘The Last of Us Part II.’
- Series co-creator Craig Mazin explains the decision to include Joel’s death early in Season 2.
Pedro Pascal Reflects on Joel’s Fate in ‘The Last of Us’
Pedro Pascal has broken his silence following the shocking death of his character, Joel, in Season 2, Episode 2 of HBO’s ‘The Last of Us.’ The episode, which is now streaming on Max, sees Joel brutally killed by Abby, played by Kaitlyn Dever, in a scene that has left fans devastated. Pascal, who portrayed Joel in the series, admitted to being in ‘active denial’ about the character’s fate.
Staying True to the Source Material
The death of Joel is a pivotal moment in the storyline, directly adapted from the video game ‘The Last of Us Part II.’ Pascal revealed that he was aware of Joel’s eventual demise when he signed on for the role. ‘It’s not like they said, ‘Hey, we kill you at the beginning of season 2,’ but it was always an understanding that it would stay true to the source material,’ Pascal told Entertainment Weekly.
A Painful Yet Brilliant Achievement
Speaking to HBO during the official ‘Last of Us’ after-show, Pascal expressed his admiration for the storytelling. ‘I have nothing but respect for the level of investment that people have in a video game or a TV show or movie or book. I experience that myself. I’ve flung books across the room because its impact is so profound on me and experiencing the story. I think it is incredibly painful for people and that’s obviously a brilliant achievement of the storytelling,’ he said.
Bella Ramsey’s Emotional Response
Bella Ramsey, who plays Ellie, also shared her reaction to Joel’s death. ‘I knew that Joel was going to die but reading it in the script I was dreading getting to that bit… and I cried. I actually sobbed my little heart out. It’s the first time I’ve cried from reading a piece of writing,’ Ramsey told HBO.
Why Joel’s Death Happened Early in Season 2
Series co-creator Craig Mazin explained the decision to include Joel’s death in the second episode of Season 2. ‘There’s a danger of tormenting people. It’s not what we want to do. If people know it’s coming, they will start to feel tormented. And people who don’t know it’s coming are going to find out it’s coming, because people are going to talk about the fact that it hasn’t shown up yet. Our instinct was to make sure that when we did it, that it felt natural in the story and was not some meta-function of us wanting to upset people,’ Mazin told Variety.
Source: Variety, HBO