The Last of Us season two spoilers follow. The latest episode of The Last of Us, 'Through the Valley', contained a hidden reference that you might have missed. The second episode from the second season of HBO's post apocalyptic drama series saw Pedro Pascal's Joel Miller brutally murdered by Abby (Kaitlyn Dever), who sought revenge on the figure following the events of the first season.
What to Read Next Following the devastating development, which came after the town of Jackson came under siege, Joel's bloodied body is dragged through the snow while a rendition of Shawn James' 'Through the Valley' is played in the background. For those unaware, the cover version of the tune was performed by Ashley Johnson, who voiced Ellie in Naughty Dog's original games in addition to playing the character's mother in the television series. HBO Related: The Last of Us' returning character is going to have a lot more to fear this season, and here's why Johnson had previously recorded a cover of the song for the teaser trailer of 2016's The Last of Us: Part II, with co-showrunner Craig Mazin telling Entertainment Weekly that the song heard in the episode was a blend of the original performance with some "updated" bits.
Joel's death, which also occurred in the beginning of the original game, naturally marks the end of Pascal's full-time involvement in the series, with the actor saying he was in "active denial" over his character's demise. "[There] was always an understanding that it would stay true to the source material in a specific way and that the, let’s say, practical and exclusive obligation would be for season one," he said. "It was just a matter of how and when.
HBO Related: Best film and TV tours for 2025 "I’m in active denial. I realise [that] as I get older, I find myself slipping into denial that anything is over. I know that I’m forever bonded to so many members of the experience and just have to see them under different circumstances.
"But [I] never will under the circumstances of playing Joel on The Last of Us. And, no, I don’t spend a lot of time thinking about it because it makes me sad," continued the actor, who starred alongside Bella Ramsey in the lead roles. The Last of Us season 2 airs on Mondays at 2am and 9pm on and streaming service NOW in the UK.
The show airs on HBO in the US. Read more The Last of Us news on our dedicated homepage Digital Spy's first print magazine is here! Buy British Comedy Legends in newsagents or online now, priced at £7.99.
