One Subtle Moment In The Last Of Us Season 2’s Premiere Highlights The Story's Most Divisive Joel Debate

A subtle moment from The Last of Us season 2, episode 1 teases a big, divisive debate that is to come regarding Joel's character. The ending of The Last of Us season 2, episode 1 left off with the character of Abby finding Jackson. The flashback sequence in the premiere's opening confirmed that Abby wishes to kill Joel for what he did to the Fireflies in the ending of The Last of Us season 1, setting up this conflict as the main storyline that season 2 will explore.

Kaitlyn Dever's The Last of Us character, Abby, will spearhead this storyline, as will Pedro Pascal's Joel and Bella Ramsey's Ellie. However, as many were made aware of when The Last of Us Part II - the game on which seasons 2 and 3 of the HBO show are based - was released, this revenge story tackles much deeper, gray-area elements than typical plots of that ilk tend to. Why Abby wants to kill Joel is at the forefront of this incredibly complex exploration, sparking a debate that was subtly teased in The Last of Us season 2's premiere.

Joel Being “The Monster” Is Part Of The Last Of Us Part II’s Thematic Core

Which The Last Of Us Season 2 Will Explore As Well

The scene in question involves Joel and his nephew, Benji, and highlights the core theme of The Last of Us Part II: Is Joel a monster? The scene in the premiere shows Joel leaving a room that contains Tommy, Maria, and Benji. Joel tells Benji to "keep shooting those monsters," prompting Benji to mime shooting Joel. Although this could be dismissed as a fun, playful moment between an uncle and his nephew, it raises the aforementioned question and theme that will be at the center of The Last of Us season 2.

In the finale of The Last of Us season 1, Joel murdered countless Fireflies as a means of saving Ellie. Ellie's immunity in The Last of Us meant she would be killed to try and formulate a vaccine. The loss of Joel's daughter Sarah and the paternal role he assumed with Ellie explained his reasoning for saving her, which, of course, made sense to the audience with Joel as the protagonist.

What The Last of Us season 2 - and, indeed, The Last of Us Part II - explores is how Joel's actions may have been warranted from his perspective, but how he can be seen as a monster by others. The Last of Us season 2's new cast members explore that, with Abby and the others being the lone survivors of his onslaught. From Abby's point of view, Joel is a bloodthirsty monster who sabotaged any hope of a cure for humanity for selfish reasons, killing anyone who got in his way. Via Joel’s subtle moment with Benji, this theme is teased.

The Last Of Us Season 2's Big Joel Twist Will Highlight The Villain Debate Even More

Joel's Fate Will Throw This Debate Wide Open

One of the more surprising ways in which The Last of Us season 2 will explore this debate is through Abby's murder of Joel. Many who are unfamiliar with the game may assume Abby's quest for revenge will take up the majority of The Last of Us seasons 2 and 3, with Ellie and Joel fighting back. However, The Last of Us Part II shocked fans by having Abby ruthlessly kill Joel early on, with the rest of the game following Ellie's subsequent quest for revenge and the cycle of violence that ensues.

This twist in The Last of Us season 2 will highlight the debate of whether Joel, Abby, or Ellie can truly be classed as monsters. Joel did what he did to save his newfound daughter, but he killed innocent people who fought for the greater good. Abby kills Joel because he killed the Fireflies and, as The Last of Us season 2 is yet to reveal, her father. Ellie kills countless people to get to Abby because the latter killed Joel.

The events of The Last of Us season 1 and Joel's death stemming from this are the catalysts for this exploration. When the original game was released, this debate was certainly divisive as it forced players to explore the possibility that once-protagonist Joel is an antagonist to someone. The Last of Us season 2 will use its cycle of revenge to explore the same themes: is Joel a monster, or a victim of the cycle of revenge?