The Last of Us started off on one of the worst notes in television history. (Warning: spoilers on The Last of Us season 2 are ahead, so, proceed with caution). Joel (played by Pedro Pascal) is brutally murdered by ex-Fireflies member Abby (Kaitlyn Dever) out of revenge for her father, who was killed by Joel to protect Ellie (Bella Ramsey) in season 1. Now that the second season is underway, fans are wondering how many episodes are in season 2, and when they can expect the season finale to drop.

In addition to Joel, there were quite a few deaths throughout season 2 of The Last of Us. Nora (played by Tati Gabrielle) is killed at the hands of Ellie out of vengeance for Joel. Ellie repeatedly asks Nora where Abby is, and she beats the latter to death.

No, Pedro did not quit The Last of Us, but when he signed onto the production, he knew that his character, Joel, would eventually be killed off.

"It's not like they said, 'Hey, we kill you at the beginning of season 2,' but it was always an understanding that it would stay true to the source material in a specific way and that the, let's say, practical and exclusive obligation would be for season 1," Pedro told Entertainment Weekly in April 2025. "It was just a matter of how and when."

As for Kaitlyn, who plays Joel's killer, Abby, the actress applauded her co-stars Pedro and Bella for the chemistry they built in season 1 as the unofficial father-daughter duo.

"I watched you guys in season 1, and your relationship was so beautiful," Kaitlyn said, per EW. "And watching the end of you guys was really, really hard for me, as a viewer."