Pedro Pascal reveals reaction to The Last of Us Joel twist: "It makes me sad"

The latest instalment, titled Through the Valley, included the moment that fans of the original video game series had been dreading – Joel's death.

In shocking scenes, Abby (Kaitlyn Dever) brutally kills Joel to avenge the death of her father, the surgeon who Joel fatally shot at the hospital in order to save Ellie (Bella Ramsey) at the end of season 1.

Pascal has now spoken about leaving the series and what it was like to film the intense moment.

"I'm in active denial,” he told EW. “I realise this more and more as I get older, I find myself slipping into denial that anything is over.

"I know that I'm forever bonded to so many members of the experience and just have to see them under different circumstances, but never will under the circumstances of playing Joel on The Last of Us. And, no, I don't spend a lot of time thinking about it because it makes me sad."

Reflecting on the moment he was transformed into his final "bloody pulp" look courtesy of the show's craft team, Pascal said it had a profound effect on his fellow cast and crew.

"I've never experienced anything like I did that day where I stepped onto set in full make-up and then killed the vibe completely as soon as anyone set their eyes on me," he recalled.

"This kind of shock and heartbreak… it was weird to be on the receiving end of that. It's like the extreme version of, 'Is there something on my face?' I really could see this sort of grief take over everyone's look in their eyes."

Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, showrunner Craig Mazin also paid tribute to Pascal's performance and revealed why the scene was extra powerful given his off-screen friendship with Ramsey.

"He had been looking forward to the moment because it had been hanging over everything for so long," Mazin said.

"But I know that also for him and for Bella, it was hard because they have become so beautifully entwined with each other. They have the most lovely, wholesome, supportive relationship, and they both felt a sense like they were saying goodbye.

"There are emotions there, I think, that transcend the acting. They love each other."

While Joel may no longer be in the land of the living, viewers can take some comfort in the fact that Pascal's character is still expected to feature in flashback scenes, as teased in the show's trailers.

Read more:

• The Last of Us showrunner Craig Mazin reveals why the TV show changes Abby’s first scene
• The Last of Us showrunner Craig Mazin talks season 2 and beyond: "I'm obsessed with endings"

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

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