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(Image credit: Max) It doesn't matter if you knew about it beforehand or not – Joel's death in The Last of Us season 2 is absolutely heartbreaking. And it could have been even more shocking, but director Mark Mylod wanted to "avoid overt torture" when portraying such a pivotal moment for the story. "I don't have much interest in showing violence itself," he explained in a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, where he opened up about the challenges of directing episode 2, titled Through the Valley. "But what motivated Abby to a place where she was doling such extraordinary violence – that is endlessly fascinating. So after establishing the brutality and, hopefully, exploring some of the context to why this young person was driven to such extraordinary violence and cruelty, I wanted to keep most of it off screen – and Craig [Mazin] was very much on the same page," he added. You may like Pedro Pascal recalls "shock and heartbreak" making pivotal The Last of Us season 2 scene: "I've never experienced anything like I did that day" The Last of Us season 2 episode 2 just made a major change to its most heartbreaking moment In the scene, we see Abby (played by Kaitlyn Dever) shooting Joel (played by Pedro Pascal) in the knee before she repeatedly punches him in the face and hits him hard with a golf club. A lot of that extreme violence is featured on screen, but we get some time to breathe when the scene cuts to show Ellie's (played by Bella Ramsey) arrival. "What was important to me was to do my best to deliver those extraordinary words on the page and to do that moment justice. That becomes about working with the actors and, in this case, protecting and supporting Kaitlyn and Bella who both had to go to make themselves incredibly vulnerable. "A lot of this is blind instinct. It has to do with hopefully having an empathetic connection with the cast to feel when is the right time to really push for that Zen state. We always know when we're there because I can't speak after the take, or I'm just simply in tears." Mylod said he wasn't expecting to get emotional while filming the scene, because he had been preparing for it for months, but Bella Ramsey's performance made him cry on set. "Bella took it to a level where I was just destroyed. I can't help connect on some level, as a parent, to seeing a young person in such pain when the performance is that good. It's kind of difficult in the room to disassociate from that and think 'it's just acting' because it was transcending that." Sign up for the Total Film Newsletter Bringing all the latest movie news, features, and reviews to your inbox Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. For the director, the "scariest" and "most satisfying" thing in the episode is "that closeup on Bella" when she realizes Joel is dead. "That will stay with me forever – and hopefully with some of the audience, as well." The Last of Us season 2 is releasing episodes every week on HBO, so check out our The Last of Us season 2 release schedule to keep up to date. See more TV Shows News Streaming Services Mireia Mullor Contributing Writer Mireia is a UK-based culture journalist and critic. She previously worked as Deputy Movies Editor at Digital Spy, and her work as a freelance writer has appeared in WeLoveCinema and Spanish magazines Fotogramas, Esquire, and Elle. She is also a published author, having written a book about Studio Ghibli's 'Kiki's Delivery Service' in 2023. Talking about anime and musicals is the best way to grab her attention. You must confirm your public display name before commenting Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name. Pedro Pascal recalls "shock and heartbreak" making pivotal The Last of Us season 2 scene: "I've never experienced anything like I did that day" The Last of Us season 2 episode 2 just made a major change to its most heartbreaking moment Pedro Pascal has a remarkably cheerful response to his brutally heartbreaking scene in the latest episode of The Last of Us season 2 The Last of Us showrunner Craig Mazin praises Bella Ramsey and Pedro Pascal for "spectacular" take on one of Part 2's most iconic scenes in season 2 The Last of Us season 2 episode 1 makes a major change to Abby's backstory The Last of Us season 2's opening is an Abby scene because it was "important not to hold back those cards" Latest in Sci-Fi Shows The Last of Us season 2 director says he toned down some of the "extraordinary violence and cruelty" in shocking episode 2 moment to "avoid overt torture" Pedro Pascal has a remarkably cheerful response to his brutally heartbreaking scene in the latest episode of The Last of Us season 2 Surprise Star Wars anime show revealed at Celebration 2025, along with the release date for Visions season 3 One clash in Ahsoka season 2 has Star Wars fans hyped for a "galactic chess match" between two franchise icons Anakin Skywalker will return for Ahsoka season 2, Hayden Christensen confirms Ahsoka season 2 first look shown behind closed doors is a seriously retro throwback that features Ahsoka fighting giant evil droids, a showdown with Baylan Skoll, and more Latest in News The Last of Us season 2 director says he toned down some of the "extraordinary violence and cruelty" in shocking episode 2 moment to "avoid overt torture" One of the best Fire Emblem games has been added to the pricey version of Nintendo Switch Online, bringing back an official way to play if you missed out on the Wii U release Publisher behind beloved board game Spirit Island shuts, but the designer is "certainly not done with the game" Monster Hunter Wilds players have found a new way to dodge certain attacks flawlessly – using paid emotes to strike their best pose Nintendo Switch 2 pre-orders live: US stock drops this week and more UK handhelds on their way I've been testing high refresh rate monitors ahead of Overwatch 2 Season 16, and there's one that'll be sick for Stadium GAME REVIEWS MOVIE REVIEWS Arydia: The Paths We Dare Tread review -"Manages to give everyone something D&D can't match" Blue Prince review: "Thisexploration roguelike is like nothing else I've played, and became a puzzle obsession I just couldn't shake" Promise Mascot Agency review: "Yakuza management mechanics are messy, but I'm won over by its truly immaculate bizarre vibes" South of Midnight review: "A spellbinding tale that struggles to find its rhythm" Agricola review: "Accurate representation of the highly competitive and often unstable world of agriculture" A Minecraft Movie Review: "Jack Black's irrepressible star turn helps elevate this video game adaptation" The Electric State review: "Although this may be their most visually stunning movie yet, it looks like the Russos are yet to find their footing outside of the MCU" Fight or Flight review: "Slick and silly action sequences garner well-earned John Wick and Bullet train comparisons" Mickey 17 Review: "Bong Joon Ho's best English movie to date and arguably Robert Pattinson's best movie ever" Captain America: Brave New World review: "Anthony Mackie's Cap earns his Stars and Stripes in this uneven, un-MCU thriller" Andor season 2 review: "Every bit as stellar as its predecessor – at times, it even surpasses it" Doctor Who season 2, episode 2 spoiler-free review: 'Lux' is a "bold, bonkers" second episode with an amazing villain Doctor Who season 2, episode 1 spoiler-free review: "'The Robot Revolution' is an impressive first episode for new companion Belinda Chandra" The Last of Us season 2 review: "Brilliant and visceral but fails to capture the magic of season 1" Devil May Cry review: "Netflix's anime adaptation is dated and clunky, but does capture some of the anarchic spirit of the original games" GamesRadar+ is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. 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