Will Joel's Death In The Last Of Us Repeat The Fallout From Glenn's Brutal Death In The Walking Dead?

The Last of Us season 2 finally delivered the death many fans were dreading, and after the mixed reaction to this big moment, there are questions if Joel's departure could have a similar impact as Glenn's death had on The Walking Dead. Having been one of the most pivotal parts of season 1, Joel's The Last of Us death absolutely crushed viewers and has caused plenty of noise online. Despite its controversial nature, the moment was inevitable considering it is the single event that sparks most of The Last of Us Part II's story, meaning it had to happen eventually.

While it was a surprise to see HBO adapt the scene so early into season 2 rather than trying to drag out Pedro Pascal's role in the series, it's a clear sign that the project is faithful to its source material. TLOU season 2 has made a few video game changes, but overall, it has been very similar to Part II, including the brutality of Joel's final scene. Naturally, the traumatic incident has drawn parallels to Negan killing Glenn in The Walking Dead, and with viewers clearly heartbroken, TLOU could suffer a similar fate to its fellow zombie franchise.

Joel's Death Received A Lot Of Backlash When The Last Of Us Part 2 Game Released

Many Fans Were Upset By The Nature Of His Death Which Caused Discourse Online

Although the reaction to Joel's death has been loud among TV audiences, it has still been relatively tame compared to the backlash the moment received when the game came out. Having waited seven years for the follow-up to The Last of Us, fans were expecting big things, making them extremely frustrated to lose Joel within the first few hours of the game. Considering he was the protagonist of the original project, watching him get brutally murdered by a relative stranger was hard to take, but the hostilities went way too far.

Abby and Joel's controversial The Last of Us scene caused fans to review bomb the game, turn on Abby, and even harass Laura Bailey, who voiced the character, creating an ugly reception surrounding Part II. For some, The Last of Us went from being one of the best video games of all time to a franchise they were done with, much of the reasoning coming back to this moment. Of course, not everyone was upset, as a large portion of the audience enjoyed the story that followed and became invested in this gripping tale of revenge.

Many people even found themselves taking Abby's side by the end of the story and believed she was the most likable character come Part II's conclusion. While killing off someone as beloved as Joel was always going to be a bold decision, no one could have predicted just how unpopular this choice proved to be, and the franchise continues to be influenced by this moment five years later.

Joel's Death In The Last Of Us Show Risks Repeating What Happened With Glenn In The Walking Dead

Glenn's Death Caused Plenty Of Viewers To Give Up On The Walking Dead

Now that Joel's horrifying death has officially been adapted into HBO's TV series, The Last of Us could be repeating The Walking Dead's history with Glenn. Like Joel was in TLOU, Glenn was one of The Walking Dead's most popular characters, with Steven Yeun also getting a lot of love for his performance. He was a true fan favorite and someone viewers could relate to, making his final moments truly shocking. Upon Negan's introduction, the villain lined the show's main characters up and having already killed Abraham, he shockingly offed Glenn as well.

Although TWD fans had experienced plenty of brutal deaths before this moment, none compare to Glenn's. He was beaten viciously with a baseball bat in front of his pregnant wife and even murmured some final words as blood poured down his face, making it one of the most disturbing moments in recent TV history. While the shock value definitely got people talking, Glenn's Walking Dead death at the hands of Negan backfired on the show, with fans vowing to stop watching, and this wasn't just a baseless threat.

Since this incident, the zombie show slowly declined in viewership, and while that can't all be attributed to Glenn's death, it certainly played a major role. From here, the show never recovered, as views continued to dwindle over the years, and while the TV universe remains alive through spinoffs, it's a fate The Last of Us will want to avoid. However, not only do the two deaths have plenty of parallels, but Joel's is even more divisive, meaning HBO's adaptation is treading on thin ice after episode 2.

The Last Of Us Will Face Similar Challenges To TWD With The Loss Of Joel

Losing A Character As Big As Joel Will Leave An Even Bigger Hole Than Glenn's Death Did In The Walking Dead

With Joel gone, The Last of Us looks like it will face similar challenges to The Walking Dead. Despite The Walking Dead having a plethora of great characters, Glenn was one of the most wholesome and felt like the heart and soul of the show. Losing him had a big impact on the series as it lost some of its comic relief and light-hearted tone with Negan's arc making things a lot more somber. As a result, it was hard for fans to stay invested without the fan favorite, making it one of The Walking Dead's most disappointing deaths.

Worryingly, The Last of Us continuing without Joel could be equally devastating. Although Joel has a lot more flaws than Glenn, he is also more important to TLOU's overall story than Yeun's character was to TWD. Therefore, having arguably the show's main protagonist up until this point be ruthlessly killed could make some viewers lose interest. Ellie and Joel's relationship was the driving force behind The Last of Us' story, and with that now gone, it might be easy for fans to leave the show behind and not look back.

To make matters worse, Joel's killer will get a bigger role in the series, just like Negan did in The Walking Dead after killing Glenn, and considering Abby will also eventually find redemption, it only makes these deaths hurt more. As a result, these parallels mean that The Last of Us could face similar obstacles and backlash to The Walking Dead, which would certainly be a shame considering how much the series still has to offer.

Why The Last Of Us Is Still Worth Watching (Even After Joel's Death)

The Last Of Us Still Has Some Extremely Compelling Storylines To Come

Understandably, Joel's death may be off-putting for many, but The Last of Us still has plenty of great moments that make it worth watching. Ellie and Tommy's descent down vengeful paths are both compelling in their own ways and completely change their characters. We see just how terrifying Tommy is when acting without filter, proving why he and Joel have such a fearsome reputation. Likewise, Ellie definitely has scenes that rival Joel's iconic hospital slaughter, which are every bit as entertaining as they are brutal. Abby's character development is also thrilling, as there is still plenty to unpack.

Her WLF story is interesting, and she has a great dynamic with Lev, who hasn't yet been introduced to the show. The cast is also doing a great job and award-winning actor Jeffrey Wright is still to appear, who will reprise his game character. Perhaps most importantly, Joel's death isn't the end of the protagonist. He has plenty of flashback scenes to come, and since The Last of Us has teased numerous Joel moments in season 2 that haven't happened yet, expect more Pedro Pascal, and potentially some video game changes as well that are worth sticking around for.