HBO’s The Last of Us Season 2 has ignited one of the most explosive controversies in recent television history with the early death of Joel Miller, played by Pedro Pascal, in its second episode, aired on April 20, 2025. The brutal killing of the beloved protagonist by Abby, a new character portrayed by Kaitlyn Dever, has led to a significant viewer backlash, with reports of “normie” audiences—casual viewers unfamiliar with the 2020 video game The Last of Us Part II—abandoning the show in droves. This mass exodus has prompted a fierce reaction from the show’s defenders, who have labeled detractors as “sexist” and accused them of rejecting the narrative’s bold shift toward female-driven stories. The fallout, amplified by heated debates on platforms like X, has exposed deep divides within the fandom, raising questions about adaptation, audience expectations, and the cultural politics of storytelling. This 1500-word article delves into the reasons behind the viewer drop-off, the defenders’ meltdown, and the broader implications for The Last of Us and its future.
The Shocking Twist: Joel’s Death and Its Immediate Impact
Joel’s death in The Last of Us Season 2, Episode 2, titled “Through the Valley,” is a faithful yet polarizing adaptation of a pivotal moment from The Last of Us Part II. In the show, Joel and Dina (Isabela Merced) rescue Abby from a horde of infected during a snowstorm in Jackson, Wyoming. Unbeknownst to Joel, Abby is the daughter of a Firefly doctor he killed in the Season 1 finale to save Ellie (Bella Ramsey). Abby lures Joel to her group’s hideout, where she shoots him in the leg, beats him with a golf club, and ultimately kills him by stabbing his neck with the broken club’s shaft—all in front of a restrained Ellie. The scene, described as “horrifying” and “unrelentingly depressing,” mirrors the game’s brutality but introduces changes, such as Dina replacing Tommy (Gabriel Luna) as Joel’s patrol partner and an upfront reveal of Abby’s motivations.
For fans of the game, Joel’s death was anticipated, though no less gut-wrenching. However, for “normie” viewers—those who discovered The Last of Us through HBO’s acclaimed first season—the early loss of Pedro Pascal’s charismatic Joel was a shock. Social media platforms like X erupted with reactions, with posts like “Ummm what the heck!!!!!!” and “How quick things escalated from episode 1 to 2, I’m flabbergasted” capturing the disbelief. Reports suggest a significant drop in viewership, with some estimating a 30-40% decline in live viewership by Episode 3, though official Nielsen ratings are pending. Critics on X have claimed the show’s Rotten Tomatoes score tanked to 54%, with reviews allegedly hidden to mitigate backlash. This viewer abandonment has been attributed to the emotional attachment to Joel, whose father-daughter dynamic with Ellie was the heart of Season 1, and dissatisfaction with the show’s shift to a darker, Ellie-centric narrative.
The Defenders’ Meltdown: Accusations of Sexism
The backlash from normie audiences has provoked a fierce response from The Last of Us defenders, including fans, critics, and even showrunners Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann. On X, defenders have accused detractors of sexism, arguing that their rejection of Joel’s death stems from discomfort with a story now led by female characters—Ellie and Abby. Posts like “Cry Baby The Last of Us SHILLS React to Joel’s Death in Episode 2” highlight the intensity of this pushback, with some defenders mocking normies as “sexist normies” unable to handle a narrative that sidelines its male lead. Others have framed the backlash as resistance to the show’s progressive themes, including Ellie’s queerness and Abby’s complex portrayal, which challenges traditional hero-villain dynamics.
This accusation of sexism is rooted in the perception that normie viewers, particularly those aligned with conservative or “Gamergate-aligned” sentiments, are rejecting the show’s shift toward female-driven storytelling. In the game, Abby’s muscular physique and role as a playable protagonist sparked controversy, with some fans deriding her as a “masculine” figure and targeting her voice actress, Laura Bailey, with death threats. The show’s Abby, portrayed by a less physically imposing Kaitlyn Dever, has been criticized for lacking the game’s intimidating presence, but defenders argue her early humanization—through dialogue revealing her grief over her father’s death—makes her a compelling figure. Posts on X like “There’s a lot of people who will hate what season 2 did the same way that gamers hated what Part 2 did” suggest defenders see the backlash as a repeat of the game’s 2020 controversy, driven by misogyny and resistance to change.
Showrunners Mazin and Druckmann have leaned into this narrative, defending Joel’s death as the “inciting incident” necessary to drive Ellie’s arc and explore themes of revenge and tribalism. In a Variety interview, Mazin acknowledged the risk of “tormenting” fans but argued that the brutality was essential to align viewers with Ellie’s grief. Druckmann, who co-created the game, emphasized the emotional weight of the scene, noting that even as writers, “we want Joel to get up”. Their comments suggest a deliberate choice to provoke, hoping to replicate the game’s polarizing impact while trusting that audiences will stay for Ellie’s journey.
Why Normies Are Dropping the Show
The viewer drop-off is multifaceted, rooted in emotional, narrative, and cultural factors. First, Joel’s death is a devastating blow for normie audiences who bonded with Pedro Pascal’s portrayal. Pascal’s charm and the father-daughter dynamic with Bella Ramsey’s Ellie were central to Season 1’s success, earning it a 96% Rotten Tomatoes score and widespread acclaim. Killing Joel in Episode 2, just hours into the new season, feels like a betrayal to viewers unaccustomed to such bold narrative swings. As one X user noted, “Joel was a relatable complex character with charm and warmth most of the other characters do not have a strong presence other than Elle and Joel together as father and daughter, to carry the series without Joel as of now is a huge mistake”.
Second, the show’s changes to the game’s death scene have amplified dissatisfaction. In The Last of Us Part II, Joel’s death is shocking because Abby’s motivations are revealed gradually, preserving the player’s alignment with Ellie’s confusion and rage. The show, however, frontloads Abby’s backstory, introducing her as a grieving daughter in Episode 1 and having her monologue about her father’s death before killing Joel. This creates early sympathy for Abby, which some fans argue dilutes the scene’s emotional punch. An X post captured this sentiment: “I get that they wanted to humanize Abby early on, but I feel like it took away from the emotional punch of Joel’s death”. Critics contend that this change prioritizes television pacing over the game’s raw impact, alienating viewers who expected a more visceral experience.
Third, cultural and political undertones have fueled the backlash. Some normie viewers, particularly those vocal on X, perceive Joel’s death at the hands of a female character as emblematic of broader Hollywood trends, with posts accusing HBO of “misandry” for having “a WOMAN brutally murder the MALE LEAD”. These sentiments echo the 2020 game controversy, where Gamergate-aligned fans targeted Abby’s role and Ellie’s queerness, often with bigoted rhetoric. The show’s decision to depict Abby more sympathetically and to emphasize Ellie’s relationship with Dina, who is present at Joel’s death, has been interpreted by some as “pushing a progressive agenda,” further driving away conservative-leaning audiences.
The Defenders’ Perspective: A Defense of Bold Storytelling
Defenders of The Last of Us Season 2 argue that the backlash misunderstands the story’s intent. Joel’s death, they contend, is not a gratuitous shock but a necessary catalyst for Ellie’s transformation into a “strong, ruthless woman” who will defend those she loves. The game’s narrative, which forces players to embody both Ellie and Abby, explores the cyclical nature of revenge, a theme the show aims to replicate by humanizing Abby early. Defenders praise the performances of Ramsey and Dever, with Ramsey’s “soul-destroying” reaction to Joel’s death earning particular acclaim. They argue that normie viewers dropping the show are unwilling to engage with its challenging themes, preferring the comfort of Joel’s heroism over the moral ambiguity of Ellie and Abby’s journeys.
The accusation of sexism is a key weapon in defenders’ arsenal. They point to the game’s history, where Abby’s muscular design and the inclusion of a trans character later in the story drew misogynistic and transphobic attacks. By framing normie backlash as a rejection of female leads, defenders position themselves as champions of progressive storytelling, dismissing critics as “chuds” or “cry babies” unable to handle a woman-driven narrative. This rhetoric, however, has escalated tensions, with some X users accusing defenders of alienating casual viewers by “attacking normies”.
The Broader Implications: Adaptation and Audience Trust
The Last of Us controversy highlights the challenges of adapting a polarizing video game for a broader television audience. The game’s 2020 release sparked backlash for Joel’s death and Abby’s role, with some fans review-bombing it and targeting developers. HBO’s adaptation, while critically acclaimed for Season 1, now faces the risk of repeating this divide. Unlike the game, which players purchased upfront, the show relies on weekly viewership and subscription retention, making it vulnerable to audience drop-off. The decision to kill Joel early, while bold, assumes viewers will stay for Ellie’s revenge arc, a gamble that may not pay off if normies continue to disengage.
Comparisons to other TV shocks are telling. Game of Thrones’ Ned Stark’s death and Red Wedding were controversial but ultimately boosted the show’s acclaim by setting up compelling arcs. In contrast, The Walking Dead’s killing of Glenn was seen as a turning point for declining viewership, as fans felt it crossed into “misery porn”. The Last of Us now stands at a crossroads, with its future hinging on whether Ellie’s story can retain viewers. The show’s reported third season and potential for more suggest confidence from HBO, but the current backlash underscores the fragility of audience trust.
The Path Forward: Can the Show Recover?
As The Last of Us Season 2 progresses, with five episodes remaining, the show has opportunities to win back viewers. Flashbacks featuring Joel, as hinted by Mazin and Pascal, could soften the blow, leveraging Pascal’s popularity to maintain emotional stakes. Ellie’s revenge quest, driven by Ramsey’s powerhouse performance, has the potential to captivate if the show balances its grim tone with moments of hope, as Season 1 did with episodes like “Left Behind”. Abby’s arc, which the show is setting up through early sympathy, could also resonate if it avoids the game’s divisive second-half shift to her perspective.
However, the defenders’ aggressive rhetoric risks further alienating normies. By labeling critics as sexist, they may deepen the divide, pushing casual viewers toward alternatives like Andor Season 2, which premiered concurrently to strong reviews. The show’s creators must navigate this carefully, ensuring that Ellie and Abby’s stories justify Joel’s sacrifice without succumbing to the “unbearable tension” that some, like TVLine’s Dave Nemetz, have called “misery porn”.
Conclusion: A Fandom Fractured
The Last of Us Season 2’s handling of Joel’s death has thrust the show into a cultural maelstrom, with normie viewers abandoning ship and defenders doubling down with accusations of sexism. The controversy reflects deeper tensions in modern media: the challenge of adapting divisive source material, the clash between fan expectations and bold storytelling, and the politicization of narrative choices. Whether The Last of Us can recover depends on its ability to honor Joel’s legacy while forging a new path with Ellie and Abby. For now, the fandom remains fractured, with X posts like “HBO killed off Joel in their Last of Us series last night” and “Joel’s death forces a maturation of Ellie” encapsulating the divide between outrage and admiration. As the season unfolds, one thing is certain: The Last of Us has once again proven its power to provoke, for better or worse.
