Note: there are massive spoilers in this review. Read on if you’re up to date, or don’t care.

The second episode of The Last of Us’ second season was a tour de force of special effects and tragedy. It follows key events from the game, while also remixing and adding a lot to it, resulting in an emotionally draining hour of television (in a good way).

The big thing this week wasn’t the siege on Jackson, but the quiet and intimate final moments, which resulted in the shocking and brutal death of Joel. Much like the game, the narrative doesn’t waste any time getting to this, and we, the viewer, are left with a feeling of anger, confusion, resentment, and loss, seeing Joel killed off so brutally on-screen. Joel is such an interesting character in that, inherently, he’s not a good guy: he’s a killer and smuggler, but he’s not evil, and his code, strength of character, and will have pushed him into the annals of the greatest video game characters of all time. The show goes one step further by hiring Pedro Pascal, an instantly likable actor, so seeing him suffer so before meeting his end at the hands of Abby is quite the shock, especially for those who’ve not been spoiled this whole time.

Some aspects of the game have been shuffled around. Since Jackson is under siege, Tommy is leading the defences and thus, isn’t with Joel like he is in the game. Instead, Joel is out on patrol with Dina. In the end, it doesn’t change much but I am curious to see what Tommy’s reaction will be after he’s told what has happened.

Likewise, much like last week’s episode, Abby is up front with her motivations. In the game, we, the gamer, had no idea who Abby was and why she was doing this horrible act. But in the show, she tells Joel that he killed her father at the hospital, giving her actions clarity upfront. I understand that this is a different medium, but I prefer the narrative holding back on her motivations, as it gives us more time to stew in the hatred of Abby before we start to learn more about her and her backstory, which in turn results in us questioning our own actions. But television doesn’t have that luxury and presents that information, likely for non-gamers who are watching this story for the first time. So maybe they thought this would’ve been better, but as someone who has played the game, I think the original method of dripping information out slowly is more effective.

The assault on Jackson by the horde of Infected was very reminiscent of White Walkers attacking the Wall in Game of Thrones. None of this happens in the game, save the horde going after Abby, but the spectacle and production value were certainly there. Everything was impressive, intense, and engaging. I do think it was a bit silly that only one Bloater went after Tommy, and no other Infected followed, but maybe that was a budget limitation.

I think it will be a matter of debate as to whether the show or the game did Joel’s death better. Our relationship with the source material and how long we’ve known about the story will certainly play a role in how it’s perceived. While it was a faithful, entertaining, and overall excellent hour of television that captured the spirit of the game, I do think the key decision to tell the audience Abby’s justifications for her actions up front detracts from the greater narrative.

As a note: Andor starts tomorrow, but Disney+ are releasing three episodes per day every week for four weeks. That’s a lot of content to watch and review for a side hustle, so instead of reviewing each episode like last season, I’ll instead be reviewing the season as a whole once it’s completed. Sorry for any inconvenience.