Joel (Pedro Pascal) departedThe Last of Usvia a brutal death at the hands of Abby (Kaitlyn Dever) at the end of Season 2, Episode 2, but he returned this past Sunday in the form of beautiful flashbacks with Ellie (Bella Ramsey). Joel is a beloved figure inThe Last of Usanthology, but few would argue how his merits as a father help to make him a good person. The most recent episode ofThe Last of Usintroduced a new character, Joel’s father Javier, who is portrayed byTony Dalton. During a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly,The Last of UscreatorNeil Druckmannspoke about this change and how it constantly evolved as the team continued to work on it:
“As we kept working on that scene,it became about something else, which is not only generational trauma, but generational repair and hope.”
While nothing can excuse some things Joel has done in his life, this certainly explains some of them and adds at least a thin layer of sympathy for the life he had growing up.The Last of UswriterHalley Grossalso dishedon adding Joel’s father to the series, and how it helped to not only challenge him to be a better dad, but also how it will inspire Ellie to do the same in the future:
“It also provides us a glimmer of hope for the future for Ellie.We know Joel. We’ve spent a season and a half with Joel. We understand that this man has done horribly dark things and, also, when living with intentionality, risen above his nature. To me, what the arc of this episode provides is a platform to say, when we live with intentionality,we can make healthier choices, but what that requires is reflection. That requires Joel to look back at his father and his identity and say,‘I want to be that better dad.‘What it’s going to require of Ellie is some level of reflection of saying,‘This is who I am. Who do I want to be?'”
Those who have playedThe Last of Us Part IIin its entirety are aware that Ellie does become a parent in the series, andThe Last of UsSeason 2 Season 2 is already heading down this same path with the reveal that Dina (Isabela Merced) is pregnant. Ellie’s response in the game is a bit different from that in the series, so it stands to reason that her road to parenthood and inevitable time as a parent will also see sizable changes.
Who Plays Eugene in ‘The Last of Us’ Season 2?
Eugene Lynden inThe Last of Usis portrayed byJoe Pantoliano, who is best known for his work in movies such asThe Goonies,The Matrix,Memento, and more. He’s also famous for playing Captain Howard inWill SmithandMartin Lawrence’sBad Boysfranchise, and he even recently featured in an episode ofDexter: Original Sinas Mad Dog. Eugene was married to Gail (Catherine O’Hara) before his passing inThe Last of Us.
The first six episodes ofThe Last of UsSeason 2 are now streaming. Stay tuned to Collider for future streaming updates and watchThe Last of UsonHBO Max.
The Last Of Us
After a global pandemic destroys civilization, a hardened survivor takes charge of a 14-year-old girl who may be humanity’s last hope.
Source:Entertainment Weekly
