The Last of Us season 2 episode 2 was right to take a big swing with major death

Following on from last week’s premiere, easing us into the life Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey) have settled into in Jackson alongside Joel’s younger brother Tommy (Gabriel Luna), we were primed for a certain level of violence, with teasers of an infected horde approaching and Abby’s group in sight of the settlement.

And in shocking scenes, Joel met his unexpected end in a revenge killing five years in the making at the hands of Abby (Kaitlyn Dever). All as Ellie watched on, unable to protect the man who ‘saved’ her.

Initial reactions have been divided – game fans knew the storm to come, others will deem this a mistake that spells the end of the show, however misguided that opinion may be.

The Last of Us doesn’t resort to protecting characters, or keeping fan favourites immune (bar one certain immune lead). Many shows have built legacies on ruthless deaths – Game of Thrones being the most obvious – while others stumbled after similar decisions – Orange Is the New Black and The Walking Dead primarily.

However, Joel meeting his end is necessary to the world of The Last of Us. The series hasn’t shied away from characters suffering the consequences of their actions: Tess accepted the risks of smuggling Ellie across the country and swiftly lost her life; Kathleen was driven by revenge, ignoring the threat of the infected until she and her army were overrun; Henry shoots himself when he’s unable to live with shooting his infected brother.

For us to assume Joel could happily ride off into retirement in Jackson after stamping out the Fireflies resistance and only known progression towards a vaccine? That’s on us. It was never going to happen. No one in this show has gotten off easy – no exception is made for Joel Miller.

No one is immune from bad decisions, or ones we may later rue. Joel would never regret saving Ellie, but his massacre secured his fate. His choice to kill the Fireflies can be balanced with saving Ellie to the viewers.

For Abby, who’s unarmed father was gunned down as he attempted to save humanity, Joel is the worst person in existence. He murdered the only family she had without hesitation. He may have been our protagonist, morally grey or not, but to the survivors of the hospital? Joel is a sadistic, cold-blooded murderer who took out 18 people in mere moments.

Joel is not an admirable man, and never claimed to be, his track record has been clear and we’ve been on his redemption journey, but how much destruction can you erase? He joins the rank of Walter White and Don Draper - objectively terrible men glorified by those not willing to look further into their characterisation, beyond the level of masculinity they represent and the ‘impressive’ actions they take.

The dynamic of the series is forever changed. Our new leads are Ellie and Abby. Our found family focus is over, and now it’s all about a twisted relationship built upon a blind lust for revenge. Ramsey will be given a chance to define their characterisation of Ellie, with space for newcomers Abby, Dina and Jesse to represent the first generation to only know a broken world.

Abby is, in her story, a hero – her actions are justifiable and understandable. Ellie’s newfound rage and need for revenge are too. As was her anger at (presumably) knowing Joel lied to her. Ellie and Abby are two sides of the same coin, they’re both driven by a futile need for revenge. Killing Joel doesn’t bring back Abby’s father, and taking out Abby will never see Joel back with us.

While Ellie and Abby’s story is just beginning, Joel’s arc has already been completed. He closed the loop of failing to save Sarah by being able to save Ellie, he mended his relationship with Tommy and found himself able to love again. Twenty-five years into the apocalypse at this stage, it’s time for new leads to take the reins.

How does Joel’s death in the Last of Us differ from the game?

In The Last of Us Part II, less is given away about Abby’s motivations. Speeding this up is a positive change, as waiting weekly to understand who she is and why we should care would be painful. This measure might be to lessen any hate Dever receives online, with Abby’s motion capture artist and voice actress, Laura Bailey, being hounded for years for the simple crime of portraying a complex and dynamic woman.

In the game, there is no focus on an infected horde breaching the walls of Jackson. This addition seems to purely serve as a misdirect, though we begin to forget about Jackson when the majority of our leads are far beyond its walls.

Joel is paired with Tommy on his final patrol, and the two of them come across Abby. In the show, Joel is accompanied by Dina, leaving Tommy and Maria to defend Jackson, and Ellie is paired with Jesse, in lieu of Dina.

The broad strokes remain the same, down to the set dressing, shot to the knee and brutality with a golf club. However, Abby’s killing blow in the game is another hit from the golf club, rather than a menagerie of fists and the point of the broken club through the neck.

Thematically, it seems like we’ll be taken on the same journey, and judging by shots of Joel in the trailers for this season yet unused, we’re going to have a lot of emotional flashbacks of him and Ellie in the years between season 1 and 2.

The Last of Us airs on Sky Atlantic and NOW in the UK and on HBO in the US.

Check out more of our Sci-fi coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on this week. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.