Did we just witness the very last of Pedro Pascal’s Joel in The Last of Us Season 2, Episode 6? The latest episode, titled “The Price,” brought back Pascal as the fan-favourite character one more time — and quite possibly for the last time.
Episode 6 turned out to be a heavy flashback episode, focusing more on the root of the tension between Joel and Ellie (Bella Ramsey). Their relationship begins to fracture after Joel, acting out of caution, kills Eugene when he becomes infected with Cordyceps, before he has a chance to meet the love of his life, Gail. This marks the first major rift between Joel and Ellie.
Soon, Ellie figures out that Joel was the one who killed all the Fireflies at the end of The Last of Us Season 1 to save her, even though the cure for Cordyceps would have cost Ellie her life. She argues that it wasn’t Joel’s decision to make, as her sacrifice could have saved humanity. Joel then reveals that he loves Ellie in ways she couldn’t possibly understand and advises her to “do better” than he did when she becomes a parent.
“The Price” was undoubtedly an emotionally intense episode, but it also shows Ellie giving Joel one more chance, despite everything he’s done, to repair their relationship. Their conversation takes place at their home in Jackson on New Year’s Eve. Despite Joel’s past actions, Ellie is willing to make things work with him. But before she ever truly gets the chance, Abby (Kaitlyn Dever) brutally kills Joel.
According to many outlets, Episode 6 is being hailed as the last time fans will see Pedro Pascal’s Joel, as the Season 2 finale is expected to focus on Ellie and Dina’s journey to hunt down Abby across Seattle. We may even see Dever’s Abby appear in the finale, potentially setting the tone for Season 3, which is expected to be told from Abby’s perspective.
The Last of Us Season 2 has already covered most of Joel’s flashbacks from The Last of Us Part II video game, so the chances of Joel appearing in Season 3 are drastically low.
That said, Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann have made several notable changes to HBO’s adaptation in terms of storyline and character development. So, it’s possible Joel might return in Season 3 — though if he does, his screen time will likely be far shorter than in Season 2.
Given the show’s tendency to diverge from the original game, Joel could potentially reappear in a new flashback, even though the major ones have already been explored. However, it seems unlikely that Pedro Pascal will reprise the role in Season 3, making Season 2, Episode 6, his final appearance — at least for the foreseeable future. Stay tuned for more updates.
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