The Last of Us OG Fans Comfort the Uninitiated HBO Newbies: “10x worse than I thought it would be”

The Last of Us is not for the faint of heart, whether you have played the games or watched the live-action adaptation, chances of being an emotional wreck afterward are pretty much a guarantee. The showrunners hyped up the second episode of the latest season to be action-packed and hinted at a controversial scene that rocked the gaming community to its core, and casual audience members needed a minute to process what had just transpired.

While the source material was already heart-wrenching and graphic, the live-action adaptation went above and beyond for this version. Fans of the show are now experiencing what players felt in 2020 when the game was originally released on the PlayStation 4.

Fans of The Last of Us Show Are in Their Feels After the Death of a Beloved Character

The Last of Us Season 2 will not cover the entire story of the second game, and there is no way to tell this story without killing Joel early on. In the original game, Joel Miller dies at the hands of Abby Anderson after he rescued her from a horde of runners and clickers; however, this heroic act led to his untimely demise.

The show follows the same story beats with a few creative changes, such as redirecting the horde to Jackson and changing patrol partners, but it all still leads to the moment at the lodge where Joel literally entered the wolves’ den. Kaitlyn Dever delivered a bone-chilling monologue and proceeded to torture Pascal’s Joel similarly to the source material.

this is actually 10x worse than i thought it would be #TheLastOfUs pic.twitter.com/O6x7BpGPWS

— l (@89sharry_) April 21, 2025

This was a controversial moment for the original game, especially after Joel became a fan favorite throughout the years. Fans were heartbroken, upset, and annoyed by how Naughty Dog handled Joel in the sequel, but showrunner Craig Mazin is adamant about following the source material and is not interested in making major deviations. While Mazin and Druckmann worked side by side, the pair managed to make this moment much sadder.

The HBO adaptation was much more action-packed with the inclusion of the Jackson horde, which never happened in the game, and showcases how the town was able to defend itself from different threats.

That was genuinely one of the best episodes of television ever. The writing, the dialogue, the action, the tension building up, the sense of danger hanging over the entirety of the episode, the action, and ofcourse the incredible acting performances. #TheLastOfUs pic.twitter.com/2bx6M7HNee

— ES 🌙 (@dinmurdock) April 21, 2025

Even after the major losses in this episode, some fans were satisfied with the direction, execution, and performances. It speaks volumes about how The Last of Us Part 2 was well-received by some fans in 2020, and this version knew how to recapture that same feeling with something extra.

Dear people who’ve never played #TheLastOfUs: DO YOU KNOW HOW LONG WE HAVE HELD THIS SECRET?!? You’re welcome. pic.twitter.com/whG8NdeGdj

— TASK the Ol’ Nerdy Bastard (@UpToTASK) April 21, 2025

It is worth noting that Joel’s death was inevitable and is common knowledge at this point, even before the game was released, since Naughty Dog suffered major leaks back then. Casual audience members may have succeeded in avoiding major spoilers that have been shared in the past few years, making this moment much more harrowing.

HBO’s The Last of Us Made Joel’s Death Scene Much Sadder

The live-action version made a few changes, like removing certain characters from Abby’s crew, and trimmed it down to Owen, Manny, Mel, and Nora. If you played the game, Ellie will walk into the basement and see Abby torturing Joel slowly with a golf club, but she proceeds to use her fists and stab him in the neck with the broken golf club. After Joel’s death, Ellie was knocked out, but in the show, she was fully conscious and crawled her way to Joel’s body.

This is one of the few ways the HBO adaptation elevated the source material and made it better for fans of the game and audience members. There is no telling what other changes the showrunners will make in future episodes.

For more Thumb Wars coverage, check out how Ubisoft is fumbling the bag once again, as well as Craig Mazin’s thoughts about the controversy surrounding The Last of Us.