The Last of Us Season 2: Why, How, and When did Joel kill Eugene?

HBO’s The Last of Us season 2 is finally here and the premiere showed something that was quite a departure from the plot of the video game. In the game, Eugene, Gail’s husband, dies of natural causes. However, the show hints that it is Joel who killed him. So, what happened in the episode? In this article, we will explore everything about Eugene's death. 

How did Joel kill Eugene?

In The Last of Us season 2, Eugene is portrayed by Joey Pantoliano. He was seen during a flashback where we got to see what went down between him and Joel. In the game, Eugene worked with Tommy and was a former Firefly. He was married to Claire and died of stroke at the age of 73. 

The game also establishes that Eugene was responsible for the secret cannabis farm that’s present in Jackson’s abandoned library. However, in episode 1 of season 2, Catherine O’Hara’s Gail (a new therapist character invented for the show) is shown to be visibly resent Joel. 

She says, “You shot and killed my husband. You killed Eugene. And I resent you for it.” This shows that Joel killed Eugene by shooting him. 

Why did Joel kill Eugene?

While the show doesn’t provide definitive answers, we can infer some information from what we already know. Since Eugene was a part of Jackson’s firefly unit, he may have been killed while Joel was protecting Ellie. Or maybe he found out that Ellie is immune, and that caused Joel to spur into action.

Gail also says, “Yes, I know you had no choice. I know that. I know I should forgive you. But I’ve tried, and I can’t because of how you did it." This could mean that whatever happened likely caused Joel to lash out violently, and there is only one person whom Joel would protect by any means necessary: Ellie. 

Another theory is that Joel had to kill Eugene because he got bitten and was turning. It’s interesting that Gail says that Joel had no choice. So, it shows that he didn’t want to kill Eugene but had to. 

When did Joel kill Eugene?

Gail also suggests that she is celebrating her birthday for the first time without her husband in 41 years. This means that Eugene’s death probably happened recently. Also, Gail’s words about not being able to move forward without her husband or having trouble forgiving Joel for his actions hints that the death occurred soon. 

It’s interesting to note that Joel doesn’t seem to accept that he killed Eugene. However, his expression when Gail talks about it does seem to hint that he was involved somehow. It will be exciting to see how this season develops.

The Last of Us Season 2 streams new episodes weekly on Sundays on Max.