Given the massive amount of hysteria and controversy surroundingThe Last of Us Part 2at the time of its release in 2020, and the first season ofThe Last of UsHBO adaptation sticking close to the first game, fans have questioned what this will mean for Joel Miller. As fans will be aware at the beginning ofPart 2, Joel is killed at the hands of Abby ultimately starting off the entire story ofEllie’s pursuit of revenge.
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WhileThe Last of UsHBO has somewhat been confirmed to be sticking towards its source material in regard to its most pivotal plot points, fans could still be in for a surprise in the same manner as season one, whichintroduced never seen before scenes based on the first gameand even changed some moments fans are familiar with.
5Mental Presence For Ellie
In the aftermath of Joel’s heartbreaking demise inThe Last of Us Part 2, many players' first thoughts were how much of a role Troy Baker’s Joel would have throughout the rest of the game. While Joel is present in multiple sequences during flashbacks, some fans felt as though Ellie’s journey toward revenge against Abby and hunting down the rest of the WLF members would have been much more impactful if Joel was a presence appearing in Ellie’s mind, addingmore horror and grief.
This was one of the theories afterThe Last of Us Part 2’s first-ever reveal at E3 2016, with many fans assuming Joel’s fate with how his face was not shown whatsoever, and Ellie’s mention of “killing every last one of them”. If season 2 of the HBO adaptation is to stick with Abby killing Joel, implementing something along these lines could heavily change the narrative’s impact, and keep the Joel and Ellie dynamic for the journey ahead.
4Joel Handicapped
Before succumbing to being tortured by Abby andbludgeoned to death by a golf club, Joel’s presence as a playable character inPart 2was gone the moment he took a shotgun to his leg. Many fans may have assumed that this would be led by a rescue from Ellie, Dina, and Jesse, but it spelled the tragic end of Joel’s journey.
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Leading with the assumption that the narrative ofThe Last of UsHBO season 2 will implement some surprises and changes to what most fans are familiar with and expecting, a massive change to Joel’s role could come from his survival but left unable to walk on the verge of inevitable death or function the way he once used to. While incredibly unlikely, since this could ruin the emotional vendetta of Ellie’s quest to Seattle, it would serve as a way to give Joel a bigger role.
3Part 2’s Flashbacks
One of the pleasing aspects of the second installment ofThe Last of Usfranchise, were the inclusion of Joel and Ellie’s flashback sequences, which uncovered some of the moments the pair shared together within the duration of the first game’s aftermath. Whilst players may have been upset about Joel’s death, these sequences were enough to appreciate the relationship between the two characters even more as a father and daughter.
As the events ofPart 2are set five years after the first game,The Last of UsHBO has the opportunity to include the memorable flashback sequences from the game, and even expand on these. Considering the discussion ofseason two not covering all the events ofPart 2and rather being split into another season, this would be the perfect opportunity to introduce new story elements that fans of the games have not experienced yet, adding more depth to Joel and Ellie’s relationship, before it all comes crashing down.
2Better Explanation To Ellie
Among the many gripes fans had in regard to the story ofPart 2, one was the manner in which Joel had finally revealed the truth of what manifested in the hospital to Ellie. Joel never mentioned to Ellie the lack of guarantees behind a cure coming from Ellie’s death via surgery, and the fact that the Fireflies gave neither Ellie nor Joel himself a choice whether they wanted to go through with the procedure or not.
While it does not mean that Ellie may have forgiven or understood Joel’s decision, it would have allowed Joel’s fight for his surrogate daughter to come full circle. Withseason two confirmed to be on the way, Craig Maizin and Neil Druckmann would be doing a great service to have Joel appear to be more vocal and open about his actions, and put up a greater fight for Ellie to have a better understanding, rather than just painting him as selfish and evil for loving Ellie like a daughter.
1Death By Sacrifice
With most assumptions among fans that Joel would not live to see the end ofPart 2, it was an expectation that he would have died at some point in the story especially after the characters he wronged inPart 1. Aside from the reasoning of Joel and Tommy becoming much softer and less alert living in Jackson, fans felt as though the giveaway of Joel’s name to Abby felt a little out of place and out of character.
As Joel’s death is almost a guarantee for season two, it would be interesting to see the scene of his demise adjusted to a scenario that leads to him having to sacrifice his lifein order to save Ellie, ultimately changing his role, despite it being short-lived, much more impactful. This would not only make Joel’s death fulfilling, but it would reinforce his final words to Ellie and the idea of how much Joel loves her, as he puts his own life at risk to save her yet again.
The Last of UsHBO’s second season is set to begin production.
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