Why Does Abby Kill Joel in The Last of Us Season 2 2 & Game?
The Last of Us Season 2, Episode 2 featured a shocking turning point that altered the course of the story and left a lasting impact. Abby delivers a devastating blow as Ellie looks on, unable to intervene. The scene echoes a significant loss from the original game. While preserving the emotional weight of the source material, the HBO adaptation introduces nuanced changes in how the moment plays out.
Is Joel dead or alive in The Last of Us Season 2 Episode 2’s ending?
The ending of the latest episode confirms Joel’s death.
Pedro Pascal’s character had survived twenty years in the post-apocalyptic world, fighting both the infected and the Fireflies, but ultimately dies at the hands of Abby. In a bitter twist, Joel rescues Abby from the infected moments before she lures him to a mountaintop lodge, unaware of her true identity and deadly intentions.
Why and how does Abby kill Joel in The Last of Us Season 2 Episode 2 and game?
Abby’s killing of Joel is premeditated.
She and her small group of friends, known as the Washington Liberation Front, spent five years tracking him down. Joel had killed Abby’s father, the surgeon assigned to operate on Ellie (Bella Ramsey) in Season 1. The episode shows a brief flashback where Abby learns Joel shot her unarmed father. Afterward, she and her friends form the Washington Liberation Front to take revenge.
In the game, Joel saves Abby from the infected while patrolling with his brother Tommy. After learning Joel’s identity, Abby tricks the duo into following her to their hideout, claiming they have the resources to help Joel’s town fight off an infected attack. Joel remains unaware of Abby’s identity until she shoots him in the leg. Sensing what’s coming, he says, “Why don’t you say whatever speech you’ve got rehearsed and get this over with?”
Like in the show, Abby kills Joel with a golf club in the game. During his ordeal, Ellie—who had been patrolling with Dina—arrives at the location. The WLF members restrain her as she witnesses Joel’s death at Abby’s hands.
