But, of course, HBO is making a TV show, and different mediums call for different methods.
Its an adaptation, not a retelling.
Things were bound to change, for better or worse.
Spoilers for season two of HBOs The Last of Us and The Last of Us Part 2.
We know next to nothing about her, even as shes viciously clubbing Joel to death.
A show to really focus on the last of them.
The show approaches this incident very differently.
What was senseless in the game is given sense.
Make no mistake, this hasnt stopped audiences from being hit hard by Joels death.
After all, they just watched Pedro Pascal get his head bashed in on television.
But I think people should have been angrier at Abby Anderson, actually.
The reason Joels death was so brutal in the game was because it was entirely unexpected.
But I dont think this argument holds water.
We control neither Ellie nor Abby.
We view them through the same lens.
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We see Abby in the first episode outside the hospital, vowing revenge on Joel.
Theres the monologue she performs right before killing him.
Emotional devastation has never felt so devastating.
Weve watched Joel and Ellie for a whole season, and Abby for a single episode.
As showrunner Craig Mazinsaid to Variety, If people know its coming, they will start to feel tormented.
Perhaps the showrunners were trying to head off accusations of playing up Joels death for shock value.
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Perhaps the TV medium made them feel it was necessary.
Maybe the fact that the story will be told over two seasons affected this decision.
But taking the shock out of Joels death diluted it and compromised Part 2s excellent narrative structure.
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Instead, weve been left with a less effective story.
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