The second episode of The Last of Us Season 2, titled “Through the Valley,” aired on April 20, 2025, and delivered a seismic shock to fans, particularly those unfamiliar with the video game’s storyline. The episode, which mirrors a pivotal moment from The Last of Us Part II, saw Pedro Pascal’s character, Joel Miller, meet a brutal end at the hands of Abby, played by Kaitlyn Dever. This devastating scene, long anticipated by gamers, left audiences reeling and sparked widespread discussion. Pascal, along with co-star Bella Ramsey and the show’s creators, has since shared emotional insights into the impact of this moment, both on set and for the series’ future.
For those who have played the game, Joel’s death was no surprise, but its execution on screen was no less gut-wrenching. In the episode, Abby, driven by vengeance for her father’s death at Joel’s hands in Season 1, tracks him down in Jackson, Wyoming. After a tense encounter during a blizzard and a siege of infected, Abby shoots Joel in the leg, tortures him with a golf club, and delivers a fatal blow as Ellie, played by Ramsey, watches in horror. The scene’s raw intensity, amplified by prosthetics designer Barrie Gower’s meticulous work on Joel’s battered appearance, left a lasting impression on viewers and the cast alike. Pascal, speaking to Entertainment Weekly, described walking onto the set in full makeup as a surreal experience, noting the “shock and heartbreak” reflected in the crew’s reactions. “It was like the extreme version of, ‘Is there something on my face?’” he quipped, highlighting the visceral response his appearance elicited.
Pascal’s comments reveal a deep connection to the role, despite knowing Joel’s fate from the outset. “It’s not like they said, ‘Hey, we kill you at the beginning of Season 2,’” he told Deadline, “but it was always an understanding that it would stay true to the source material.” He admitted to being in “active denial” about Joel’s death, a sentiment echoed by fans on social media platforms like X, where posts mourned the loss of the beloved character. Pascal’s bond with the cast, particularly Ramsey, made the farewell especially poignant. “I know that I’m forever bonded to so many members of the experience,” he said, adding that thinking about Joel’s end “makes me sad.” His emotional response underscores the weight of the moment, both for him as an actor and for the audience invested in Joel and Ellie’s father-daughter dynamic.
Bella Ramsey, who plays Ellie, shared a similarly raw reaction. In an HBO “Making of” segment, they revealed sobbing while reading the script, a first for them. “I knew that Joel was going to die, but I was dreading getting to that bit,” Ramsey said. Their performance, capturing Ellie’s anguish as she witnesses Joel’s death, has been hailed as a standout, with critics praising the show’s ability to translate the game’s emotional depth to the screen. The episode’s director, Mark Mylod, known for his work on Game of Thrones, brought a seasoned hand to the sequence, drawing comparisons to the shocking deaths in that series, such as Ned Stark’s in Season 1.
Despite Joel’s death, showrunner Craig Mazin and co-creator Neil Druckmann have teased that Pascal’s presence will linger. Flashbacks, hinted at in Season 2 trailers, promise more scenes of Joel and Ellie, offering glimpses into their fractured relationship before his demise. “There’s a good amount of Pedro and Bella together,” Mazin told TVLine, reassuring fans eager for more of the duo. These moments, likely exploring Ellie’s grief and memories, will keep Joel’s legacy alive, even as the story shifts focus to Abby’s perspective and Ellie’s quest for justice.
The episode’s impact extends beyond the screen, sparking debates about the show’s fidelity to the game and its bold narrative choices. Kaitlyn Dever, whose portrayal of Abby has drawn both praise and scrutiny, spoke of the personal toll of filming the scene, having lost her mother weeks prior. “I was in a daze,” she told People, yet found a surprising bond with Pascal through the violent act their characters shared. As The Last of Us Season 2 continues, airing Sundays at 9 p.m. on HBO, the fallout from Joel’s death promises to shape the narrative, challenging viewers to grapple with themes of revenge, loss, and redemption in a world without its grizzled hero.
