The Last of Us Season 2 filming confirms our biggest fears
While video game adaptations seem to be multiplying like the Infected these days, few have had the critical acclaim of HBO's The Last of Us. Naughty Dog's apocalyptic adventure was originally pitched as a live-action movie, but after Season 1 defied all expectations in 2023, it's hard to imagine it being any other way.
Showrunner Craig Mazin brought 2013's The Last of Us to life across nine episodes of mushroom monsters and conniving cannibals. After rounding off the events of the first game, it was always expected that Season 2 would head into 2020's The Last of Us Part II. With that, we're expecting a shocking character death.
SPOILER WARNING: Major The Last of Us Part II spoilers ahead
The Last of Us Season 2 filming hints at major character death
Over on Twitter, well-known TLoU account DomTheBomb (via Hollywood North Buzz) claims that Season 2's filming is about to head into Nanaimo, British Columbia. The location is expected to double up for Seattle, which would suggest Season 2 will at least get to the events of the "Seattle Day 1" chapter.
The Last of Us Part II's first chapter is set in the seemingly idyllic Jackson, but as we all know, that doesn't last for long. Following Joel's climactic showdown with the Fireflies at the end of the first game, the past soon catches up with him as he's attacked by the Washington Liberation Front and brutally murdered by Abby Anderson.
We were previously worried that Season 2 would adapt Joel's traumatic death when there were reports that Pedro Pascal had finished filming his next run of episodes. Although this was somewhat disputed when an HBO representative told IGN Pascal would be back to film more, it's surely only a matter of time for Joel.
There's still hope for Joel
Click to enlargeIt looks increasingly likely that The Last of Us Season 2 will recreate THAT iconic golf club scene, but with Mazin pointing to the magic number of four seasons, there's still plenty of gas in the tank. These shows often film out of order, so it's possible we'll get a whole season of Ellie and Joel.
Not that we're TV execs, but if we were running the show, we'd kill Joel in the final episode of Season 2 and leave us on a cliffhanger leading into Season 3. It'd be sure to p*ss some fans off, but hey, at least we'd get a lot more of Pascal as Daddy Joel.
The other intriguing tidbit is that Pascal has previously said Joel's fate will surprise us, meaning none of us really know what's going on. As long as we don't get some The Walking Dead-inspired fake-out death like Glenn and the dumpster, only to kill Joel off shortly after, we'll be happy.
