Summary
- That one scene in The Last of Us Season 2 is stirring up conversation again, with many preferring the game’s version over the TV show.
- One fan thinks the scene was “dumbed down” for TV, while others think the changes fit the TV format a little better.
- Either way, we were made to relive some trauma all over again, and for that, nobody can be forgiven.
Major spoilers for The Last of Us Season 2 and The Last of Us Part 2 are coming up, so if you somehow don’t know what happens, here’s your heads up
HBO’s The Last of Us finally did what we all knew was coming earlier this week, as Season 2, Episode 2 finally took Joel for a round of golf. Instead of getting his head caved in, Abby finished the job by sticking the pointy end of a severely broken golf club into his neck, really driving home the point that Joel is dead, and he isn’t coming back.
In fact, the gold club in the neck was one of quite a few changes that HBO’s The Last of Us made to the game’s iconic scene and the build-up, and fans have been debating whether the TV show or the game gave Joel the better sendoff. Unsurprisingly, opinions are enormously mixed, though one take that has been floating around out there is how much people didn’t seem to like Abby revealing her motivations so soon.
The Last of Us Fans Think Joel’s Death Scene Was Better In The Games
One such viewer was a Twitter user called Felxbr, who said that they thought the scene “dumbed down” the original scene from the game, criticizing the show’s decision to reveal that Abby is the daughter of the doctor that Joel kills in Season 1. In the games, this revelation comes further into the game, and is revealed via a flashback to Abby’s youth. In the show, it’s just explained to Joel (and the viewer) in one of Abby’s monologues.
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A show to really focus on the last of them.
On the other hand, some are arguing that this change makes a bit more sense in the TV format, and that diving into Abby’s backstory in the show would take up valuable time. Some think it’s also an attempt to reduce the amount of vitriol that Abby actor Kaitlyn Dever may receive, by trying to make the audience sympathize with the character straight away.
A lot of people also seemingly enjoyed how Joel’s death lingers a little more in the game, with Ellie crawling over to Joel’s body instead of just being knocked out. It all pretty much depends on if you enjoyed the story structure of the games, because HBO’s The Last of Us definitely deviates from it, but it’s no surprise that Joel’s death is once again a talking point in the community. We’ve played these games before.
- First Episode Air Date
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January 15, 2023
- Cast
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Pedro Pascal, Bella Ramsey
- Where to watch
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HBO Max