If you’ve just emerged from the emotional wreckage of The Last of Us Season 2 Episode 2, you’re not alone.
The show just ripped the cord on what is arguably one of the most anticipated (and dreaded) moments in the series: the death of Joel Miller, played by Pedro Pascal. Yes, it happened. Yes, it was brutal. And yes, fans are already asking: Is Joel really gone from The Last of Us Season 2 after Episode 2?
According to showrunners Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann, Joel’s death was not just inevitable — it was foundational. Speaking to Variety, Mazin confirmed the moment was never about “tormenting people” but about honoring the game’s emotional architecture. Druckmann added, “This is the inciting incident. Everything that follows — Ellie’s grief, her rage, her need for justice — only works if Joel dies early.”
So, is this truly goodbye? Not exactly.
Joel is dead, but Pedro Pascal will still appear in The Last of Us Season 2
Joel’s death — a brutal golf club assault delivered by Abby (Kaitlyn Dever) — was shot with haunting precision. As Ellie (Bella Ramsey) watches helplessly, Joel lifts his head one last time, responding to her voice before collapsing. Then, Abby finishes him off.
As Mazin admitted, “If there’s one person in the world that could make him do the impossible, it would be Ellie telling him to get up.”
Still, despite this definitive moment, creators have hinted that Pascal’s Joel isn’t entirely gone from the series. As TVLine reported, executive producers have teased that while Joel is physically dead, his presence will linger in “flashbacks, memories, and Ellie’s evolving psyche.” In other words, don’t delete Pascal from your Season 2 bingo card just yet.
Given that The Last of Us Part II video game includes numerous flashbacks to Joel and Ellie’s years in Jackson, it’s likely we’ll see Pascal again, just not in the way we’re used to. And based on Bella Ramsey’s emotionally charged performance this week, the narrative weight is only just beginning to drop.
Plus, we need to remember that the official trailer for The Last of Us Season 2 shows us quite a few scenes of Joel that we haven’t seen yet as of Episode 2.
Joel’s death is essential to Ellie’s story AND ours!
Joel’s death was shot against the chaos of an infected horde overtaking Jackson, amplifying the tension along with the collapse of safety and order. “Jackson is now a character in the story,” Druckmann said. “The town’s compromised. The question now is: where do we go from here?”
More than a plot point, Joel’s death sets the emotional arc for the rest of the season. The inclusion of Ashley Johnson’s haunting rendition of “Through the Valley” at the episode’s close, tying Ellie’s past, present, and potential future together, sealed the scene with poetic devastation.
We’ll miss Pedro Pascal’s physical presence, no doubt. But if Mazin and Druckmann’s storytelling holds, Joel’s echo will guide Ellie (and us) for the rest of the journey.
The Last of Us airs new episodes every Sunday on HBO.
