Warning: Major spoilers ahead for The Last of Us Season 2, Episode 1
The Last of Us has never shied away from difficult truths — but Season 2 wastes no time dragging one of Joel’s deepest secrets into the light.
In the HBO drama’s tense and emotional premiere, fans meet Gail (Catherine O’Hara), Jackson’s resident therapist, who brings a quiet storm of grief into the storyline. But she’s not just another townsfolk trying to survive. She’s the widow of Eugene — a man Joel (Pedro Pascal) killed.
So who is Eugene in The Last of Us, and why does his death matter so much?
Eugene’s Game Legacy — and the Show’s Rewrite
Gamers may recall that Eugene is briefly mentioned in The Last of Us Part II as a former Firefly turned town patrolman. In the game, he dies peacefully of old age, remembered only through notes and a hidden grow room in Jackson. But HBO’s version takes a darker route.
Here, Eugene is Gail’s husband — and, as she reveals to Joel during a therapy session, his death was no accident. Joel killed him. No further context is given, but the shift rewrites Eugene’s legacy from a faded memory to a central piece of Joel’s growing moral debt.
“She’s mad and she’s been holding it in,” Catherine O’Hara says in the post-show featurette. “But what’s the point? Let it out.”
Gail has been grieving for nearly a year. Her birthday — the first without Eugene in 41 years — is an emotional landmine, and Joel walking into her therapy room only lights the fuse.
A Character Created for the Show
According to co-showrunner Neil Druckmann, Gail was specifically created for the HBO adaptation, serving as an emotional extension of Eugene’s reimagined backstory.
“Eugene is a character we only heard about in the game, but never saw,” Druckmann explained. “That made him the perfect candidate to rework into the narrative in a meaningful way.”
The change allows The Last of Us to explore deeper layers of guilt, forgiveness, and the human toll of survival — all while expanding its universe without breaking canon.
Joel’s Moral Compass — or Lack Thereof?
The revelation adds another wound to Joel’s already bloodied legacy. It also complicates his fractured relationship with Ellie (Bella Ramsey), who has been keeping her distance since learning the truth about what happened at the Firefly hospital in Season 1.
Did Joel kill Eugene because of a threat? Was it retaliation? Was it a misguided act of protection?
Whatever the reason, the show is clearly laying breadcrumbs that Eugene’s death isn’t just backstory — it’s a ticking emotional time bomb.
What’s Next for Gail and Joel?
Though we haven’t seen Eugene onscreen (yet), his presence will loom large. With Catherine O’Hara delivering a sharp, layered performance as Gail, the tension between grief and justice is bound to escalate.
This twist also raises a haunting question: If Joel could kill Eugene, who else did he sacrifice under the guise of love or loyalty?
What Really Happened Between Joel and Eugene?
The Last of Us Season 2 is making it clear: every life lost has a cost. And Eugene’s death is only the beginning of Joel’s reckoning.
📺 Watch The Last of Us Sundays at 9/8c on HBO
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