The second episode of HBO's "The Last Of Us" Season 2, titled "Through the Valley," included a plot point anticipated by followers of the video game series. The episode saw the death of the character Joel, portrayed by Pedro Pascal. His killer, Abby, played by Kaitlyn Dever, carried out the act in front of Ellie the Last of Us, played by Bella Ramsey.
Abby's motive stemmed from Joel's actions in the Season 1 finale. Joel killed Firefly members, including Abby's father, to prevent surgeons from operating on Ellie, a procedure that would have likely killed her but potentially yielded a vaccine for the Cordyceps infection.
The events in "Through the Valley" depicted Joel and Dina (Isabela Merced) encountering Abby while on patrol outside the Jackson community. At the same time, the town of Jackson was shown defending itself from a large infected horde, altering the circumstances slightly from the game narrative where Tommy was with Joel during the initial encounter.
Bella Ramsey spoke about the impact of portraying Ellie witnessing the death. The actor noted the emotional weight of the scene given the on-screen relationship between their character and Pascal's Joel throughout the previous season.
The character of Abby generated considerable reaction from players following her introduction in The Last Of Us Part II video game due to her role in Joel's death. The television adaptation has included moments intended to build understanding for Abby earlier in the narrative.
The episode concluded with Joel's body being returned to Jackson. The song "Through the Valley" played during the final minutes, performed by Ashley Johnson. Johnson originated the role of Ellie in the video games and appeared as Ellie's mother, Anna, in the show's first season. The performance blended elements of Johnson's original recording for the game's reveal trailer with newer material. Ashley Johnson has maintained a connection to the series.
While the character of Joel has died, Pedro Pascal is expected to appear in future installments of the Last of Us episodes through flashback sequences, according to series creators. His death is set to drive the narrative for Ellie's storyline moving forward.
Neil Druckmann, a co-creator of both the game and the show, commented on the casting of the leads.
"Honestly, knowing now Pedro and Bella, I had no doubt that we would, because I know how they act and what they throw into it," Druckmann said regarding the actors' performances in the pivotal scene.
