THE LAST OF US Season 2 Showrunner Was “Terrified” to Film Joel’s Brutal Death; “What Bella Did There Was Pretty Shattering”
If you’ve played The Last of Us Part II, you probably still carry the emotional scar of Joel’s brutal death at the hands of Abby. It’s one of the most talked-about moments in gaming, and as you know, it made its way into HBO’s second season of The Last of Us.
Showrunner Craig Mazin recently spoke about the pressure of bringing that moment to life for the screen—and the emotional gravity it carries. He said:
“I think the one that I was the most eager to create on screen and terrified to create on screen was Joel's death, and specifically, really, when I think about it, it wasn't so much the mechanics of Joel dying—you don't want to recapture what somebody did, but what Ashley Johnson did in the game is heart rending.
“Something like that is so traumatic and binds you to this character in a way that you weren't bound before... you were bound in a different way to that character before—you were bound to Ellie in season one in the first game, as the person that Joel loved after being unable to love for so long.
“Well, here we're bound to Ellie now in a very different way. And what Bella did there was pretty shattering.”
The emotional weight Bella Ramsey brings to Ellie is meant to reshape how we connect to the character on screen. While some game-to-screen adaptations soften their edges, The Last of Us has leaned in on the intensity, knowing that this is a turning point not just for Ellie, but for the entire story moving forward.
In the game, Joel’s murder is jarring partly because of how little explanation the player gets. Abby’s rage is felt, but not fully understood until later.
On the show, the pacing shifts. The adaptation leans into clarity, with Abby (played by Kaitlyn Dever) revealing her motives as she stands over Joel. She tells him about the 18 soldiers—and the “unarmed doctor” he killed. That doctor was her father. And with chilling calm, she lets Joel know exactly what’s about to happen.
Joel’s death lands in Episode 2 of The Last of Us season 2, now streaming on HBO and it’s a gut-punch, but it’s also the narrative fuel for everything to come.
So, how did you feel seeing that scene play out on screen? Did it hit you the same way as the game—or differently?
Via: GamesRadar+