The Last of Us Season 2 Introduces an Unforgettable Character Who Surpasses Joel

Summary

HBO's The Last of Us should not replace Joel as the lead character, despite having other promising candidates for the position.

The TV show may not have to replace Joel, making it more challenging than replacing a lead character in a video game. However, The Last of Us season 2 should continue to center on Ellie since the entire story revolves around her being Joel's surrogate daughter.

Despite having several promising candidates, HBO's The Last of Us should not attempt to replace Joel as the main character. Pedro Pascal stars as Joel, a weathered and grieving father, and Bella Ramsey plays Ellie, the reluctant surrogate daughter he takes under his wing. Season 1 of the TV adaptation successfully captured the essence of the first Last of Us game, but season 2 faces the challenge of adapting the complex and non-linear narrative of The Last of Us Part II into manageable television episodes. Since the game begins with Joel's murder, the series will need to introduce a new protagonist.

While it is relatively simple to switch main characters in a video game by changing the playable character, replacing the lead character in a TV show is more complicated. Considering that Joel is killed off early in The Last of Us Part II, the TV adaptation will face difficulties in finding a suitable replacement. While there are a few potential candidates, it may not be necessary to replace Joel at all.

The Last Of Us Season 2 Shouldn't Follow The Games By Replacing Joel

A significant portion of the second installment of The Last of Us game derives its impact from the unexpectedness of Joel's early demise in the story timeline. Abby, the daughter of the Firefly surgeon Joel killed to protect Ellie, carries out a brutal act of revenge by bludgeoning him to death with a golf club. This shocking scene serves as a gripping beginning to the game and sets the stage for the complex revenge narrative of the sequel. However, it seems wasteful to eliminate Joel, portrayed by Pascal and possessing star power, so early on in The Last of Us season 2.

The team responsible for the HBO show has already suggested that The Last of Us season 2 will omit this horrifying scene and instead introduce Abby long before she kills Joel. As the TV show will not have the advantage of making the audience play as Abby, the writers must devise alternative methods to elicit sympathy for Joel's murderer from the viewers. Considering the numerous flashbacks depicting Joel and Ellie's four-year stay at Jackson, there is ample story material for the writers to prolong Joel's presence and extend his stay in the series.

HBO's The Last Of Us Adaptation Should Keep Its Focus On Ellie

The Last of Us has always centered around Ellie, right from the beginning. Initially, Joel's perspective was dominant, but the entire saga revolves around Ellie, his inexplicably immune surrogate daughter. The Last of Us Part II enhances the role of Tommy as a second father figure to Ellie and transforms Abby into a mentor figure like Joel when she takes Lev under her wing. However, none of these characters should overshadow Ellie. In The Last of Us season 2, if anyone were to take on the role of the series lead, it should be Ellie, who comes into her own without relying on a father figure.