Joel and Ellie’s journey has kept fans hooked - and now, as The Last of Us returns, we pick up on the pair five years on, and things have got complicated.
As the pair live in a compound in Jackson, Wyoming, the pair’s once solid friendship is on shaky ground, with the now 19-year-old Ellie finding her independence away from Joel.
In turn, Joel has taken to venting his feelings to therapist Gail, with the shadow of what he truly did to get her to safety weighing increasingly heavy on him.
Speaking ahead of season two, actor Pedro Pascal speaks about how he feels returning to The Last of Us, how he feels about the story, and his thoughts on the journey so far.
How does it feel to return to The Last of Us?
It feels so special to be back, and with an expanded identity, if that makes sense, because there are new people and there are old people.
I think there’s something that is really exciting about basically giving everyone another season of a show that everyone loved and that everyone has worked so hard on and has put so much into.
What was your mindset going into Season 2?
On a practical level, it was a beautiful setup by Craig and Neil that the first thing that I got to shoot was just Bella and me in such an intimate setting. There’s an incredibly painful distance between the two of them in the playing of the scene, but we still got to be on set and f**k around and laugh— that was incredibly comforting.
As for my mindset: I was grateful to be back and yet at the same time, it’s hard for me to separate what the characters are going through and how it makes me feel, and in a way that isn’t very healthy. I kind of feel their pain, so I suppose in a way that’s an unhealthy mindset!
What are your thoughts on the power of storytelling?
I think storytelling is cathartic in so many ways, always has been. It’s how human beings have made testimony to life, whether it’s handprints on the walls inside of a cave or a television show that you can stream.
So much of my development is based on books I’ve read, movies I’ve seen and television that I’ve watched. I think there is a healthy – and maybe sick pleasure— in the catharsis of seeing human relationships in crisis and in pain.
What do you relate to most with Joel?
I’m pretty fiercely protective of the people I love and that’s probably the main thing that I most relate to in Joel.
How do you feel about the fame you’ve experienced while playing Joel?
This job has definitely created a new chapter in my life in a profound way. I remember meeting Craig and Neil for the first time and them saying how deeply important the show was to them; it was a rare thing and it will never happen again!
As for getting more known to the public: when the work is like this... it doesn’t shield you, but it’s kind of an anchor.