Spoilers for The Last of Us season 1, episode 1 below!
Joel Miller's heartbreaking moment in The Last of Us television adaptation was recently teased by HBO's latest behind-the-scenes video. Based on the award-winning PlayStation 3 video game of the same name, the upcoming horror drama stars Pedro Pascal as Joel, a rugged black market smuggler tasked to escort Ellie (Bella Ramsey) across a post-apocalyptic United States to the militant revolutionary group known as the Fireflies. Although reluctant to take the job at first, he soon learns its importance when he discovers Ellie carries a rare immunity to the fungal zombie infection plaguing the earth.
HBO Max recently shared a The Last of Us behind-the-scenes video that teases a devastating moment for Joel early in the season. The featurette includes new footage of the upcoming adaptation and features creators Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann, as well as stars Pascal and Ramsey, discussing what audiences can expect in the series. Pascal describes the loss of Joel's daughter Sarah (Nico Parker) as "the event that shapes the character for the rest of his life." Check out The Last of Us behind-the-scenes video below:
How Sarah's Death Changes Joel
Although details regarding the specifics of Sarah's death may differ in the upcoming television series, the narrative meaning behind his loss will likely remain the same from the original The Last of Us video game. After a long day at work, Joel returns home to find Sarah sleeping on the couch waiting for him. She wanted to give her only parent a gift for his birthday. The brief scene showed the bond the two had shortly before the outbreak reached their doorstep.
A few hours later, Joel, Sarah, and Joel's brother Tommy (Gabriel Luna) attempt to escape the infection but find themselves stuck in the middle of the chaotic panic as the citizens of Austin, Texas all had the same idea. Ditching the car, Joel and Sarah come face-to-face with a soldier who acts on his order to kill anyone on-sight. Joel survives the encounter, but Sarah dies in his arms. His brutal loss causes Joel to lose faith in humanity. Although not seen in the original game, Joel reveals that he went into a dark place, stealing from others and killing those that got in his way, eventually causing his brother to desert him and join the Fireflies.
However, his fateful meeting with Ellie churns up emotions he had not felt since prior to his daughter's death. As the two trek cross-country in search of the Fireflies, Joel and Ellie form a bond that only a father and daughter can develop. The pain of Sarah's death may have dragged Joel down into the depths of despair, but Ellie's precocious personality and unbridled hope challenges her protector's hardened exterior. With The Last of Us premiering January 15, audiences do not have to wait much longer to see the heartbreaking moment that shapes Joel's future.
Source: HBO Max