Warning: Contains SPOILERS for The Last of Us and The Last of Us Part II!
HBO's The Last of Us was just renewed for a season 2, which means that the show risks repeating a major controversy from the games. The Last of Us season 1 has stuck fairly close to the original story of the first The Last of Us game, a pattern that will most likely continue in the second season. Because of this, there is a concern that The Last of Us season 2 will be so faithful to the second game that it will repeat one of its most controversial plot points.
The Last of Us Part II was released seven years after the original The Last of Us game, continuing Joel and Ellie's story in a way that many fans didn't like. From the moment that the sequel's story was leaked, fans rallied against a big change that the sequel made, with the story dividing the fanbase. If the recently-renewed The Last of Us season 2 copies the sequel's story, it will have to repeat the game's big controversy due to how essential it is to the sequel's story.
The Last Of Us Season 2 Will Feature Joel's Death If It Follows The Games
If HBO's The Last of Us season 2 tells the story of The Last of Us Part II, it will have to feature the game's most controversial moment: Joel's death. Early in the story of The Last of Us Part II, a group of traveling survivors kill Joel due to him having killed the father of their leader during the finale of the first game. The rest of the game follows Ellie and her girlfriend Dina as they hunt down the group that killed Joel, the Washington Liberation Front.
The Last of Us Part II's HBO connections are already being set up, with Joel and Ellie trying to find the Fireflies which leads to Joel killing the father of Abby, the head of the WLF. While some are hopeful, it'd be almost impossible to adapt The Last of Us Part II without Joel's death, as that's what motivates Ellie to go on her adventure. While HBO's The Last of Us season 2 could tell an original story, it will have to feature Joel's death if it follows the games.
Why Joel's Death In The Last Of Us Show Will Be Controversial
When HBO's The Last of Us season 2 features Joel's death, it will undoubtedly reignite the controversy that surrounded The Last of Us Part II. Characters in HBO's The Last of Us meet death all the time, but Joel's death is particularly controversial because of the way it happens. In the game, Joel's death is unexpected and brutal, with his head getting smashed in by a golf club early in the game. On top of that, the second half of the game has the player controlling Abby, the one who killed Joel. Joel's death and the switch to Abby is shocking, and HBO's version will most likely be controversial too.
However, there is a chance that HBO's The Last of Us season 2 could fix this. Joel's death isn't fundamentally a bad idea, and it's possible that it could play better if handled differently. On top of that, Abby was controversial due to her being the sole focus of the second half of The Last of Us Part II. If HBO's The Last of Us has Abby's scenes be used more sparingly throughout season 2, Joel's death may not be as controversial. It's impossible to have The Last of Us season 2 follow the games without Joel's death, but it could be handled better.
New episodes of The Last of Us air Sundays on HBO.