I never expected The Last of Us Season 2 to make this scene even more heartbreaking than the game

Disclaimer: This article on The Last of Us Season 2 reflects the author's opinion. Reader's discretion is advised.

Fans of The Last of Us video game knew that a devastating moment would soon come in the HBO series Season 2 as well, but if you only followed the show, then be prepared. It's been only two episodes of the latest season, and I'm already heartbroken.

The show kicked off with Joel and Ellie now living in a community in Jackson, while a new group of youngsters, especially Abby is waiting to hunt down Ellie's biggest supporter. Yes, that's correct.

Since her father's death, Abby has been finding ways to track down Joel and now she finally knows that he's in Jackson, Wyoming. In The Last of Us Season 2 Episode 2 "Through the Valley", the unthinkable happens.

Joel, played by Pedro Pascal, is brutally killed by Abby and it’s not a random act of violence. This is deeply personal. Abby is the daughter of the doctor Joel killed at the Firefly hospital back in the Season 1 finale, when he rescued Ellie.

The scene is so heartbreaking and brutal that it will leave you in tears. Something I didn't expect in HBO's live-action. You feel bad for both Abby and Joel. While Abby is reliving the pain, Joel is living his final moments by enduring torture with Ellie shouting "Joel, get up" the entire time.

Continue reading to find out more about this emotional scene in the HBO series.

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Joel's death in The Last of Us Season 2 was dreaded, but it still broke me

If you've played the game, you knew what was coming. Joel's death is no longer a twist. It's a shadow that looms over every moment of the story. But seeing Pedro Pascal's Joel die in live-action was another level of emotional gut-punch.

The Last of Us Season 2 didn't just recreate the scene. It elongated it, dwelled in it and made us experience the sheer horror of what Ellie saw. Watching Joel helpless, bloody, broken and bewildered was one thing.

But it was Bella Ramsey's uncensored response as Ellie that broke me. Her screams, her rage, her total breakdown. All of it was too much. In the game, I was behind the controller, removed but engaged.

Here, I was merely a helpless bystander and that made it worse. What's worse is that Joel just saved Abby's life mere moments before he was murdered. Abby was set to be attacked by the infected, but Joel arrived just in time. Yep. The man she's been tracking just saved her life.

Also Read: Where was The Last Of Us filmed? Filming locations of HBO's post-apocalyptic drama, explored

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Small changes in The Last of Us Season 2 left a massive impact

What surprised me was how the show leaned into restraint. No dramatic music, no slo-mo, no dialogue-heavy monologues. Just brutal silence, awkward pacing and cold cruelty. They didn’t try to soften anything.

In fact, the series quietly magnified the horror by staying loyal to the game’s narrative but not relying on it like a crutch. They included enough — Ellie's echoing screams, the sickening thud of the golf club, the awed silence of Abby's groupmates — to make you wonder if you had been in the room.

Abby's fury, Joel's frustration, Ellie's desperation… everything hit harder because the show never attempted to talk it down. Hardcore fans of The Last of Us video game might feel the same.

Although you might have experienced this moment through gameplay, the live-action version will leave a deeper scar. Maybe because you don't have a controller in your hand this time. Maybe because Pedro and Bella made Joel and Ellie feel like real people. Or maybe because, in live-action, grief has nowhere to hide.

What I do know is that The Last of Us Season 2 didn’t just match the game. It made some scenes feel even more personal, more human and painful. Honestly, I didn’t expect that.

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Also Read: What happened to Jesse in The Last of Us? Here's everything we know about the character till now

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