The Last of Us season 2 has just set up its most emotional episode yet

HBO’s The Last of Us is once again tugging at our heartstrings, and while those who’ve played Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us Part II knew an Earth-shattering character departure was on the way., that didn't take the sting out of it. Still, the fact that Naughty Dog’s Neil Druckmann and co-showrunner Craig Mazin are known for tweaking the source material, some hoped that big moment would be saved for the season finale. Much like how Part II pulled the rug from beneath us early during 2020’s game, the live-action adaptation wasted no time in offing Pedro Pascal’s Joel Miller.

The Last of Us has never really been about the apocalyptic Cordyceps infection or the mushroom monsters it produces. Instead, it’s the threat of the surviving human race and a poignant message about how a never-ending cycle of vengeance will only lead to misery. We see this in full flow during season 2, with Kaitlyn Dever’s Abby brutally murdering Joel after he killed her father in the season 1 finale. This has spurred Ellie (Bella Ramsey) into her blood-soaked vengeance arc as she tries to get #JusticeforJoel.

While it already feels like a different show without Pascal, The Last of Us hammers home that he’s gone but not forgotten.

We've not Seen the 'Last' of Pedro Pascal in The Last of Us

Before season 2 even came out, there were concerns that Pascal was only listed in four of the shortened seven-episode run. Some complained that this ruined the surprise of Joel’s demise, but after he took a severed gold club to the throat in episode 2, there was at least the solace that we’d see more of him before the final credits roll. The fifth episode, “Feel Her Love”, nearly cued Joel’s return, and with it, we fear we’ll be sobbing all over again. The episode ended with the introduction of spores and the harrowing death of Tati Gabrielle’s Nora as Ellie beat her to death, but as the screen cuts to black, a bloodlust-mad Ellie flashes back to happier times with Joel. Back in their Jackson home, Pascal made his return with a simple, “Hey kiddo.” 

The trailer for episode 6 shows what to come, adapting an iconic moment from the video games we’ve all been waiting for. Part II followed a similar route, and despite Joel’s death, you got a heartwarming return when the game flashed back to him taking Ellie to the Wyoming Museum of Science and History for her 16th birthday. Some scenes look like they’ve been pulled directly from the game, like Ellie wearing a spacesuit and her atop a dinosaur. However, the episode teases it won’t just be a daddy-daughter day, with these happy scenes intercut by moments of a clearly distressed Ellie. Mazin previously warned that season 2 would have a heart-wrenching episode on a par with season 1’s Emmy-winning “Long, Long Time”, telling the press (via GamesRadar+) that the ‘gorgeous’ outing is “not Bill and Frank, but it is, in its own way, its own thing, because it needed to be and just you wait. Just you wait."

Considering Joel bowed out so early in season 2, and things weren’t exactly rosy between him and Ellie at the time, episode 6 should fill in some of the gaps. Gail (Catherine O’Hara) already picked up on the fact that Ellie feels ‘wronged’ by Joel, suggesting that the divide between them was caused by Ellie learning what Joel did to the Fireflies in the season 1 finale. That episode posed the question about sacrificing one to save the many. Like in the games, Ellie is immune to the Cordyceps infection. Led by Merle Dandridge’s Marlene, the Fireflies hoped to concoct a potential cure from Ellie, although the medical procedure would kill her. This led Joel on a bullet-riddled rampage through the Firefly hospital, even killing Marlene despite the fact that she vowed to let them leave. Joel knew that knowledge of Ellie’s immunity would lead to them being hunted down, but in a final twist, he also lied to Ellie about what really happened. 

While some thought an episode dedicated to Eugene, the late husband of O’Hara’s Gail (played by The Sopranos’ Joe Pantoliano), would fill the Bill and Frank gap, it looks like episode 6 is the big one. Given that Druckmann himself is directing the next episode, it makes sense that we’ll get a faithful and tear-jerking take on this emotional roller coaster that the game took us on with its museum road trip. Speaking to Variety ahead of the season, Druckmann teased as much when he said: “That episode is really special because it really gets into the heart of what the show's about… with characters that we love so much.” He went on to praise who we assume are Ramsey and Pascal, concluding: “Our actors, particularly in this episode, felt like they left a piece of their soul in this episode. I'm very proud of it."

The question is, will this be the last time we see Pedro Pascal in The Last of Us? Although there are plenty of chances to bring Joel back via flashback, it feels like the upcoming episode could tie up the few loose ends we have. The Last of Us has been officially renewed for season 3, meaning season 2 looks like it’s careening to a major cliffhanger. Even though the second half of the game effectively turns Abby into the protagonist, we can’t see Druckmann and Mazin sidelining Ramsey anytime soon. Sadly, just like Joel has been scrubbed from the show’s titles, it’s time to accept that Pascal’s time as TV’s dishiest daddy has come to an end