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The Last of Us Season 2 Episode 2 is finally here, and of course, the internet is abuzz. With everything from gut-wrenching scenes to indelible moments, this new release has fans responding, speculating, and, of course, memeing their way through every moment. Social media is fully in survival mode.
Whether you're here for the story, the characters, or just the chaos in the comments, there's no denying that The Last of Us continues to dominate timelines and trending lists alike. As viewers process what just unfolded, the reactions range from emotional to downright unhinged (in the best way).
The Last of Us Season 2 Episode 2 has again provided the type of TV moment that everyone is discussing and tweeting about. Watch at your own risk if you're on the internet. The episode: Silent. The fans: Absolutely not.
Before we get into the beautiful mess that is meme land, let's give a quick nod to how The Last of Us Season 2 Episode 2 made the internet one giant emotional support group, with no structure and 100% memes. It was, naturally, handled by fans the only way they know: with unhinged humor, dramatic reaction images, and captions written like they were typing while they screamed.
It's become a tradition by now; no episode is ever finished until the memes flood in like an army of infected. So take out your emotional support snack, steel yourself for secondhand sadness, and scroll on. The memes are arriving, and they're as melodramatic, bewildered, and deeply human as the rest of us.
Disclaimer: This article ahead contains spoilers and reflects the writer's opinion. Reader discretion is advised.
A quick sneak peek into The Last of Us Season 2, Episode 2
Episode 2 of The Last of Us Season 2, "Through the Valley," left fans of the video game franchise on tenterhooks, knowing full well what was about to happen, or perhaps hoping they wouldn't have to endure it again.
Joel (Pedro Pascal) is frantically trying to run away from a horde of creatures that have been tracking him through the snow when he meets Abby (Kaitlyn Dever), who leads him to a nearby ski lodge for what looks like a place of refuge. Of course, things are not what they look like.
In the lodge, Dina (Isabela Merced) gets knocked unconscious, and Abby exposes her real agenda. She shoots Joel in the leg and begins pummeling him mercilessly, much to the distress of her friends, who can't help but avert their eyes. Enter Ellie (Bella Ramsey), who happens upon the scene just in time to see Joel being tortured.
She begs Abby to stop, but it's too late. Abby jams a broken golf club into Joel's throat, killing him. The episode ends with Ellie and Dina hauling Joel's dead body back to Jackson, emotionally traumatized and physically drained, as the enormity of the moment catches up.
Fans are crying, but their memes are surviving like The Last of Us
While the emotional devastation left behind by The Last of Us Episode 2 has made people make their heartbreak an internet work of art. As they were passing tissues and punching walls, the meme factory churned out nonstop. One moment, they're crying about Joel's death, and then they're making aptly timed reaction GIFs of Ellie and Dina lugging Joel's corpse around like it's some kind of new exercise routine.
The internet might be drowning in tears, but at least we’ve got memes that’ll survive the apocalypse, just like the show's characters.
Me trying to save Joel (via X/@Scoby20)
As The Last of Us continues, viewers are suddenly jumping towards the TV, convinced that if they just bound high enough, perhaps some way to save Joel from his fate can be achieved. It's an instant of desperation, perhaps a single bound can turn history around. Sadly, no amount of airborne energy can change the direction of the show, but at least the screen gets a bit of extra focus in the process.
Watching Joel die even though we played the game (via X/@shivmcavoy)
Seeing Joel die, even after you've played the game, is like an evil joke the universe is playing on you. You've seen it before, you know it's coming, but somehow your heart still breaks like it's the first time. It's like the game and the series collaborated to remind you that despite how many times you prepare mentally, some moments will always catch you harder than you expect. It's like an emotional joke, you feel prepared, but you are not actually.
This is actually 10x worse than we thought it would be (via X/@89sharry_)
You watch The Last of Us, and you feel like you're ready, 'I've seen the game; I know what's happening.' But then the episode drops, and all of a sudden it's 10 times worse than you could possibly imagine. It's like signing up for a normal jog but realizing that you actually signed up for an ultra-marathon with a broken leg and a heavy emotional backpack.
Trying to kill Abby through the tv screen to save Joel (via X/@cosmicoraline)
Fans sitting through The Last of Us are like, completely believing that raw anger and angry remote control waving somehow will be able to halt Abby and rescue Joel. As if feeding enough anger through the television will cause her to drop the golf club and say sorry. It becomes an exercise in futility, a shouting, pacing, perhaps even pillow-throwing affair, because, obviously, emotional harm takes physical energy. In the meantime, the TV is untouched, and Abby continues to swing like it's her job.
WHO’S DECISION WAS IT FOR JOEL MILLER TO DIE ON EASTER SUNDAY? (via X/@tvshowgirlie)
Of all the days to emotionally destroy the internet, they truly picked Easter Sunday to kill Joel Miller. As folks were traipsing out to search for chocolate eggs, The Last of Us was doling out existential crises like candy. Somewhere, a writer very much glanced at the calendar and said, Sure, resurrection-holiday-themed day? Great time to break hearts. It's the worst Sunday brunch shock: Joel's dead, and no jellybeans can ever mend it.
Just got done watching The Last of Us Season 2 Episode 2! (via X/@jakemorell)
Audiences who watch The Last of Us Season 2 Episode 2 are left emotionally decimated, blankly staring at the credits as if it were just a virtual apocalypse that they survived. It's the type of episode that reaches out through the screen, tries to steal your soul, and just walks away with your plans for the weekend. Any hope for recovery is pushed back indefinitely, as viewers fall into melodramatic group messages, snack frenzies, and questioning why they ever invested in a show with "last" in the title.
Ellie hugging Joel's body just ruined our entire week, month, and year (via X/@scarjsn)
Ellie embracing Joel's lifeless body was the moment that shattered the internet and everyone's emotional equilibrium in one swift blow. It wasn't just a hug per se; it was a soul-breaking, hope-ending, cancel-everything-in-your-calendar sort of hug. The kind that renders calendars pointless, because days, months, or even a working nervous system are irrelevant after that.
This entire episode of The Last of Us gave us panic attacks! (via X/@aIreadyovers)
This whole episode of The Last of Us was more like a nicely edited panic attack served up in high definition. Each scene had fans gritting their teeth, holding their breath, and apologizing to their nervous systems. It was as if the writers said, "What if anxiety, but on film?" By the end, audiences weren't merely emotionally destroyed; they were checking their pulse and googling breathing techniques.
The second we saw the golf clubs (via X/@GETTINGDARK)
The moment golf club appeared on screen, viewers everywhere collectively held their breath and went into full panic mode. It wasn't just a prop; nothing like it was going to ruin everyone's lives, a silent menace with a tragic backstory. Hearts sank, palms sweated, and every viewer instantly became a professional foreshadower. That wasn't a sports accessory; it was emotional trauma in disguise, and everyone knew it the moment it appeared.
Our reaction when Joel helped Abby in The Last Of Us (via X/@IMercado97)
The second Joel assisted Abby, spectators worldwide had that slow head-turn, wide-eyed reaction like they just watched someone voluntarily walk into a trap with "Pain Ahead" written on it. It was the sort of thing that left viewers scratching their heads, squinting at the screen, and wondering if Joel inadvertently strayed into a different genre, like, sir, this is not a trust fall, it's The Last of Us. The surprise wasn't merely genuine; it was cinematic whiplash.
Ultimately, The Last of Us Season 2 Episode 2 didn't merely serve up an emotional punch; it pulled a steel chair to the heart and hit it over and over again for dramatic effect. Amidst surprise reunions, not-so-subtle foreshadowing, and moments that had fans curled up like clickers in fits of emotional distress, the episode left zero room to breathe. Panic? Check. Tears? Absolutely.
Therapy group chats? Already established. And as audiences try to pick up the pieces, one thing is certain: this program continues to devastate lives gloriously, one emotionally damaging episode at a time.
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