Warning: There are spoilers ahead for The Last of Us season 2, episode 2.The Last of Usco-showrunner Craig Mazin recalls a powerful unscripted moment in season 2, episode 2’s key scene. The latest episode aired on April 20, and saw Abby (Kaitlyn Dever) leading a group of supporters closing in on Jackson Hole. After stumbling upon the person who unleashed violence at Salt Lake City’s Firefly base duringThe Last of Usseason 1’s ending,Abby convinced Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Dina (Isabela Merced) to go to her group, where she revealed that Joel was the person who murdered her father.
While talking toEntertainment Weekly, Mazin revealed thatit wasn’t in the script that Mel (Ariela Barer), the doctor who treated Dina’s frostbite, broke down cryingduring the traumatic scene where Abby sought revenge by killing Joel slowly. Mazin shared that it “wasn’t anything” that was asked from the actor, but it was Barer’s genuine reaction to the violence and the fact that the scene features “an original trauma” moment for Ellie. Read Mazin’s comments below:
It wasn’t anything that [director] Mark [Mylod] or I had asked her to do. It was just she was feeling it. It matters more than any kind of grotesque detail. All those people who are in that room, all those stories are going to continue forward — and in next season, perhaps. But every good story, I think always starts with some sort of original sin or an original trauma. And here is that one right here.
What Craig Mazin’s Comments Mean For The Last Of Us
Ellie’s Original Trauma Moment Is Easily The Most Heartbreaking Scene So Far
Joel’s death scene was particularly traumatizing for Ellie, who had lost nearly everyone she met inThe Last of Usseason 1 while traveling with Joel. A fewchanges were made fromThe Last of Us Part IIin the HBO TV adaptation, and one minor tweak made the scene even more brutal and heart-wrenching. In season 2, episode 2, Abby beat Joel until the golf club was broken. Mazin also revealed in a separate interview thatthey had to put a massive amount of prosthetics on Pascal to reflect Abby’s rage and violence.
While other people in the room being horrified by what Abby did was crucial,Barer’s reaction reflected the drastic emotional impact the scene had on both viewers and Ellie, and the fact that what Abby did was wrong, despite having suffered a tremendous loss. Mazin previously explained thatThe Last of Us, as a show, confronts the hardest feelings people deal with, and for Ellie, witnessing Joel being beaten to death would put her in a very similar mindset as Abby.
Our Take On The Impact of Joel’s Death On Ellie In The Last Of Us
Ellie’s New Journey In The Last Of Us Starts With Joel’s Death
The rivalry betweenEllie and Abbyis key inThe Last of Usseason 2, and the particularly heartbreaking moment also marked a pivotal moment for Ellie. As Mazin said, this is Ellie’s “original trauma” moment that turns her into a killer. As seen in the shocking scene in season 2, episode 2,Mel’s crying and her treating Dina’s frostbite further show that the Fireflies are not cold-blooded murderers, and many did speak against Abby’s scheme for revenge.
While Joel’s death is shocking, it is inevitable inThe Last of Usseason 2’s plot, as it is a major turning point in the game. In season 1, Joel’s journey began after the loss of his daughter, Sarah (Nico Parker). In season 2,Ellie’s grief becomes the catalyst of her journeythat will drive her story in the coming episodes.
