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How Joel and Ellie’s Relationship Changed Forever in The Last of Us Season 2

BBG News

If you’ve been curious about the events that led to the estrangement between Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey) in the gap between seasons 1 and 2 of The Last of Us, Sunday’s episode offered some long-awaited insights.

In Episode 6 of Season 2, which is almost entirely set in flashbacks spanning over five years, the series revisits Joel and Ellie’s lives almost every year on Ellie’s birthday. Some of these flashbacks, such as their emotional trip to the museum, were inspired by the video game “The Last of Us Part II”. However, the show also made some changes to the original source material, giving a slightly different perspective on how Joel and Ellie’s relationship eventually fell apart.

On Ellie’s 19th birthday, a crucial event unfolded, featuring the demise of a character only mentioned in the game – Eugene (portrayed by Joe Pantoliano). Earlier in the season, we discovered from therapist Gail (played by Catherine O’Hara) that she and Eugene were married for 41 years before his death, and her grief over his passing, despite it being inevitable, was still palpable towards Joel.

In the Season 2 premiere, she told Joel, ‘You took my husband’s life, Eugene’s. I harbor a deep resentment towards you for that.’ She went on to say, ‘I don’t just resent you; I hate you for it. Yes, I understand you had no other option. Yes, I know about your lack of choice. I’ve tried to forgive you, but I can’t. It’s difficult because of the way it was done.’

This significant change from the game introduces a different ending for Eugene. In the series, Ellie and Dina (portrayed by Isabela Merced) discuss that Eugene passed away due to a stroke. The additional information about him unveiled through gameplay is that he was previously associated with the Fireflies but left their militia group because he felt weary of taking lives. He later became Jackson’s local marijuana farmer. Some aspects of his background remain consistent in the show, but his demise is far less tranquil.

Neil Druckmann, one of the series creators, expressed his enthusiasm when discussing the new changes, telling Variety: “I’m thrilled when I encounter these opportunities. It’s like, ‘Wow, I don’t know Eugene very well!’ The narrative we previously presented in the game was somewhat surface-level. However, the way this character is introduced delves deep into Joel and Ellie’s relationship.

In Episode 6, Ellie, who was approaching her 19th birthday, had been growing distant from Joel due to suspicions that he might have deceived her about the events at the Fireflies’ Salt Lake City facility. On her birthday morning, she was preparing to confront him about it. However, before she could, Joel arrived to escort her on her inaugural patrol around Jackson.

Despite Joel assuming the patrol would pass without incident, it turned out they were needed to support against an infected assault. However, when they got there, all they discovered was Eugene, who had been bitten during the struggle. Eugene understood he was nearing the end but desired to be escorted to Jackson’s gate so he and Gail could bid farewell. Initially, Joel declined, but Ellie managed to persuade him—or at least she believed so—that Eugene still had time left before transformation to grant his final wish.

Joel sent Ellie on her way and assured her he’d catch up with Eugene later, but instead guided Eugene towards the lakefront and fatally shot him. Upon returning to Jackson with Eugene’s corpse, Joel attempted to deceive Gail about the circumstances, claiming Eugene had heroically taken his own life after being bitten to protect others. However, an upset Ellie stepped in to correct Gail, exposing Joel’s true actions.

Nine months passed, and the evening before Joel’s demise, this incident sparked a heated argument between Joel and Ellie, during which Ellie discovered the truth about Joel’s actions to protect her from the Fireflies. Initially, Ellie reacted angrily at Joel for removing her reason for living. However, the dialogue culminated with Ellie sobbing as she expressed a desire to forgive him. This moment served to clarify Ellie’s grief following Abby (Kaitlyn Dever) killing Joel and offered insight into why she is now so intent on seeking revenge.

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2025-05-19 06:06

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