'The Last of Us' Death in Episode 2 Has Us Shook
- Je-Ree
- Apr 21
- 3 min read
Fans (that do not play the game) are left stunned after a pivotal moment in HBO’s hit series. That Last of Us Death had us shook.
Here’s everything you need to know.
If you thought The Last of Us couldn't get any darker after Season 1’s emotional rollercoaster, Season 2 has shut that down and we are only two episodes in. “Through the Valley,” delivers a gut-wrenching twist that some fans saw coming. Joel Miller, the beloved and complex protagonist, dies and the Internet has thoughts. Thoughts about the season in general if we are honest.
But Joel’s death isn’t just a plot twist, it's a turning point that will shift the series.
Joel’s death in Season 2, Episode 2 closely mirrors the story from the video game The Last of Us Part II by Naughty Dog. Fans of the franchise knew this moment was coming but that didn’t make it any easier to watch. The acting here was top notch.
In the game, Joel’s past catches up to him. After he killed the Firefly surgeon who was going to operate on Ellie in Season 1, he set off a chain of events that couldn’t be undone. That surgeon was Abby’s father.
The show foreshadowed Joel’s fate though, you just had to catch it as the dialogue wasn’t hitting you over the head. Joel was being super emotional with Ellie, and efforts to protect Jackson all hinted at a man trying to make peace with his past decisions. But we know that wasn’t going to happen easily, not in this world.
In Episode 2, Joel and Dina leave Jackson to help a group fighting an infected threat near an abandoned mansion. In the world of Star Wars: it’s a trap.
Abby, introduced in Episode 1, finally shows what she is up to. After gaining Joel’s trust, she ambushes him, shoots him in the leg, and ultimately kills him with a golf club while a restrained Ellie watches helplessly.
This moment is brutal, emotional, and raw. It’s also a moment of truth for Joel and his actions have consequences, and The Last of Us doesn’t shy away from exploring them.
With Joel gone, Ellie is about to pop off. No longer just a survivor or a companion, she becomes a character driven by vengeance and grief. This episode sets everything up perfectly, which is an exploration of justice, forgiveness, and the blurred lines between right and wrong.
Abby isn’t just a villain either, she’s a fully realized character with pain, motivation, and a story of her own. Her confrontation with Joel isn’t about evil (even if it feels that way) it’s about justice, loss, and the consequences of trauma.
The showrunners, Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann, have emphasized that The Last of Us is about more than survival, they want to drive home the consequences the characters face. Killing Joel early in Season 2 changes everything. No one is safe and it gives off The Walking Dead vibes. Joel’s death isn’t just about shock value. It forces every character, especially Ellie and Tommy to confront what they believe in.
It is a safe bet that Ellie’s search for Abby will be relentless. We’ll likely see flashbacks of Joel in future episodes but the story has undeniably shifted. Joel’s death in Season 2, Episode 2 of “The Last of Us” is more than a plot point, it’s a narrative reset.
It’s painful, powerful, and necessary. By boldly committing to the game’s vision and adapting it with cinematic intensity, HBO’s The Last of Us has once again proven it’s not afraid to challenge its audience.
What did you think of Joel’s death in “Through the Valley”? Drop your thoughts in the comments.
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