Pedro Pascal Improvised One of Joel's Most Cutting Lines in ‘The Last of Us’

Video game adaptations were once considered to be a doomed prospect, as disastrous box-office bombs like Max Payne and Assassin’s Creed seemed to indicate that there were no hopes for the genre’s success; even games with well-fleshed-out narratives and characters couldn’t be made into compelling features. However, that dynamic has certainly shifted in recent years, as there have been more video game adaptations than ever before in history. While films like Uncharted and the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise have been fun commercial blockbusters, showrunner Craig Mazin proved that video games could be transformed into prestigious dramas with the critically acclaimed HBO adaptation of The Last of Us. Although the series benefited from the wealth of great source material, one of the most powerful lines in The Last of Us was improvised by Pedro Pascal.

Pedro Pascal Gives New Meaning to Joel’s Loss in 'The Last of Us'

While the gaming series has a lot of extensive worldbuilding that needs to be explained to general audiences, The Last of Us opens with a gripping moment of tragedy that sets up the grim tone of the show. Within the first episode, the viewers are introduced to Joel (Pascal) and his daughter Sarah (Nico Parker) before the fungal infection breaks out and triggers a worldwide collapse. The bitter irony is that while Joel and his daughter manage to avoid being infected, Sarah is shot and killed by a soldier amid the chaos. It makes for one of the most emotionally brutal pilots in television history, and burdens the character of Joel with an indescribable loss for the rest of the series. While two decades pass in the aftermath of the shocking opening moment, it’s evident that Joel is still wrestling with the memory of his daughter’s life being stolen away from her.

Joel may have found his purpose in transporting Ellie (Bella Ramsay) to safety, and he understands that her immunity to the outbreak may help others avoid the sense of loss that he has been tormented with. Despite the noble intentions of his mission, Joel avoids discussing details of his past with his young companion and often dismisses her attempts at socialization. Although he does not initially make any attempts to open up to Ellie, Joel’s reunion with his brother Tommy (Gabriel Luna) allows him to lift the burden of loss from his back. When discussing the thoughts that keep him up at night, Joel feels that he can only turn to family when seeking help.

In the powerful sixth episode, “Kin,” Joel and Ellie reunite with Tommy and his pregnant wife Maria (Rutina Wesley) in a peaceful colony of survivors in Jackson, Wyoming. Despite indicating to his brother that he and Ellie will need to be on the move soon, Joel has an emotional breakdown when he’s able to speak to his brother in private. The most emotional moment of “Kin” was the result of an improvisation on Pascal’s part; he added the line "Lately, there are these moments where the fear comes up out of nowhere and my heart feels like it's stopped. I have dreams, every night." Mazin noted that while it “was obviously a hard monologue to write,” Pascal was so emotionally invested in the material that he added a deeper level to the character.

Pedro Pascal Strengthens Joel’s Connection With Ellie in 'The Last of Us'

It may have been a last-minute addition to the series, but Pascal’s line about how Joel characterizes his loss speaks volumes about the way he is processing his trauma. The viewer has seen Sarah’s death only a few episodes prior, but for Joel, it’s been two decades since he has done his best to erase any images of her from his mind. Joel’s line indicates that he's denied himself the memory in order to cope with his pain. This explains why he is so reluctant to discuss even happy memories of Sarah with Ellie; perhaps, by ignoring her altogether, he might be able to move on. However, the revelation that he still dreams of her indicates that Joel has never been given the full capacity to grieve.

While the line specifically refers to Sarah, Pascal’s improvised moment in “Kin” indicates a similar emotional connection between Joel and Ellie. Despite rejecting her social advances initially, Joel comes to deeply care for Ellie and becomes a protective paternal figure to her. Their connection had only been heightened an episode prior in “Endure and Survive,” as the deaths of Henry (Lamar Johnson) and Sam (Keivonn Woodard) served as a reminder of how dangerous their expedition was. Now that Ellie has come to occupy a similar place in his life as Sarah once had, Joel’s fear of losing her as well has come to haunt him.

'The Last of Us' Is a Complex Depiction of Masculinity

The Last of Us has been hailed as one of the greatest video games of all time and is seen as a significant advancement within the medium in terms of its powerful writing. Although Mazin was able to bring many of the game’s most emotional moments to life, The Last of Us partly works as well as it does thanks to Pascal’s brilliant performance. By showing a sensitive, restrained depiction of masculinity, Pascal was able to ground the story’s supernatural elements in a relatable story about loss and trauma.

Praise was certainly not lacking for his work, as Pascal earned a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Best Actor in a Drama Series for his work in the first season. If the games are any indication, the second season of The Last of Us will have an even more emotional journey for Joel. Pascal will certainly have another opportunity to break viewers’ hearts as Joel and Ellie’s next adventures together are unraveled in the aftermath of their daring escape.