Skip to main content Tom's Guide Tom's Guide Search Tom's Guide View Profile Newsletters Best Picks Entertainment Nintendo Switch 2 Tariff tracker Best Mattress Wordle Today Entertainment 'The Last of Us' season 2 just had its shocking moment — and it was the best episode of TV this year Malcolm McMillan 21 April 2025 'The Last of Us' has officially entered 'Game of Thrones' territory When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. (Image credit: Liane Hentscher/HBO) Last night, "The Last of Us" season 2 officially entered hallowed ground in the pantheon of great shows. Hopefully, you'll pardon my mixed metaphors. Still, after watching "Through the Valley," it's clear to most (but not all!) people that HBO's zombie apocalypse video game adaptation series is up there with the best shows to ever grace the prestige TV network, including "Game of Thrones." Spoilers for "The Last of Us" beyond this point (Image credit: Future) And if this show is now the next "Game of Thrones," then last night, we officially got our "Red Wedding" with the brutal execution of Joel Miller. Like the "Red Wedding," this was a moment that fans of "The Last of Us Part II" game were aware of and protected from their friends. I've been trying to keep it secret from my wife for months. While she had suspicions, the devastated look on her face when the broken shaft of a golf club (seemed like a 9-iron?) went through Joel's neck told me I had done my job. (Image credit: Liane Hentscher/HBO) Now, it's important to note that while myself and many others who watched deemed this an incredible moment, it went down a bit differently than it did in the games. And some fans of the games were not happy about how that went down. However, I think if you set aside the merits of last night's episode as an adaptation of the source material — full disclosure: I don't have an issue with the adaptive choices made so far — it's clear that this was an incredible episode. The moment we know Joel is doomed is devastating. His demise is brutal, with no punches pulled (literally). Ellie coming just in time to watch him wordlessly die is as heartbreaking a moment as it's ever been. But that's also only part of the story. Because while "Through the Valley" may have been this show's "Red Wedding," I'd argue it's also its "Blackwater." The assault on Jackson was as spectacular as Joel's death was devastating (Image credit: Liane Hentscher/HBO) The inciting incident in the game and show for Abby's capture of Joel is a horde of infected pushing the two together. Now, in the game, the horde has done its job once Abby has Joel captive. But in last night's episode, showrunners Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann decided to give the horde a final mission. (Image credit: Liane Hentscher/HBO) Again, this choice has some detractors among the game series' fan base. But while you can argue about whether or not it served a storytelling purpose (which, I do), there's no denying that as an action set piece, it was spectacular. In fact, between barrels of gas exploding infected by the dozens, seemingly more ammo used than in a World War II campaign and an epic one-on-one showdown between Tommy and a bloater that ends in deus ex incineration, I found myself comparing the assault on Jackson consistently with "Blackwater." (Image credit: HBO) For those who never watched the penultimate episode of "Game of Thrones season 2, you should stop what you're doing and watch it now. You don't even need to watch any episodes before or after — it's that good. In "Blackwater," the episode is entirely centered around Stannis Baratheon's assault on King's Landing via Blackwater Bay. The iconic moment of the episode comes when explosive wildfire tears through the ranks of Stannis' ships, decimating his forces. There's also an incredible assault on the city gates that follows, and ultimately, the defenders manage to save the city. If you watched last night's episode of "The Last of Us," I probably don't even need to spell out the comparisons. You know the gas is the wildfire, the infected are Stannis' men, etc. Ultimately, "Through the Valley" will be remembered in the same breath as "Red Wedding" and "Blackwater" as iconic episodes. After watching it myself, I'd be hard pressed to find a reason why it shouldn't. Stream 'The Last of Us' season 2 on Max now Malcolm McMillanStreaming Editor Malcolm has been with Tom's Guide since 2022, and has been covering the latest in streaming shows and movies since 2023. He's not one to shy away from a hot take, including that "John Wick" is one of the four greatest films ever made. Here's what he's been watching lately: 'Sinners' takes one of my favorite horror movies and turns it into a masterpiece I forgot how good 'The Last of Us' is — I'm happy this was only a one-episode season 2 premiere 'The Pitt' finale officially cements the Max medical drama as the best show of 2025 — and it has me excited for season 2 Streaming device deals not to miss Roku Streaming Stick 4K (2021) $38View Deal See all prices Google Chromecast with Google TV $24.99View Deal See all prices Apple TV 4K (2022) $138View Deal See all prices Roku Express 4K+ (2021) $28.10View Deal See all prices Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max 2023 $39.99View Deal See all prices We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices Sign up to get the BEST of Tom's Guide direct to your inbox. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. 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. The Last of Us Malcolm McMillan Social Links Navigation Streaming Editor Malcolm has been with Tom's Guide since 2022, and has been covering the latest in streaming shows and movies since 2023. He's not one to shy away from a hot take, including that "John Wick" is one of the four greatest films ever made. 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. ‘The Last of Us’ season 2 premiere was almost perfect — but HBO made one big mistake Will that big 'The Last of Us' death happen in season 2? 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