The Last Of Us' 'Controversial' Death Differs From The Game In This Crucial Way
Bella Ramsey and Pedro Pascal in The Last Of Us' TV ShowWarning: this article contains (massive) spoilers for The Last of Us season two episode two.The most recent episode of The Last Of Us, which follows Joel (played by Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey) as they attempt to survive in a post-apocalyptic America, included a violent and unwelcome death.Joel, who also dies in the video game on which the TV show is based, unfortunately faced his untimely end at the hands of Abby.Though the character’s controversial demise occurred in the game, too, there are some key differences in how the show depicted his death.Indeed, Laura Bailey, who voiced Abby Anderson in the game, has praised the changes, saying it helped viewers to “prepare” for the fatal turn of events.The Last Of Us' Joel with his hands upHow does Joel die in The Last Of Us’ video game?In the game, Joel teams up with his brother Tommy to rescue a stranger (Abby Anderson) from “the infected.” Abby, who is part of a group called the Washington Liberation Front, takes the pair back to her teams’ outpost. After introducing himself to the Liberation Front, Joel notices the strangers seem tense. Abby then shoots Joel in the leg; the rest of the Front knock Tommy out. Joel, who seems to have accepted his fate, beseeched the Front to “get this over with.” Abby then beats Joel in the head with a golf club. Ellie, who has been looking for Joel, finds him while this is going on. She’s restrained by the Front, and watches him die; she and Tommy are spared.Laura, who voiced Abby in the game, said the “backlash” over the “controversial” death was so severe that she got death threats at the time.Bella Ramsey as Ellie in The Last Of Us' TV showHow does Joel die in The Last Of Us’ TV show?The HBO series shows the whole town of Jackson as being under siege from the “Infected,” rather than just pockets of it (as in the game). Ellie, who was romantically involved with Dina and went to find Joel with her in the game, goes with Jesse instead on the show. She doesn’t have any romantic connection to Dina in the series, either. As in the game, Abby shoots Joel in the leg before killing him with a golf club (in the show, the club is not used to beat Joel and is plunged straight into his head).But Abby is given a bit more context upfront. Her character delivers a speech explaining her motives behind killing Joel, which she didn’t have in the game until long after his death.Laura, who says the “fallout” from Abby’s game character still haunts her online, said she thinks the backlash is “Why HBO is doing what they’re doing” with the script.Related...Why The Last Of Us Nails The Very Real Struggle Of Giving Teens Their SpaceThe Last Of Us Season 2 Premiere Had A Shocking RevealThe Last Of Us Fans Have 1 More Reason To Get Excited Ahead Of Season 2's Debut
