The Last Of Us is one of the latest HBO shows that got the world talking, and the video game adaptation is an Emmy-winning hit. The second season, which is streaming with a HBO Max subscription, aired this year, and saw Pedro Pascal's Joel killed off just like he was in the game. Kaitlyn Dever's Abby is the one responsible for this kill, and she's still getting flak from fans month later.
Season 2 of The Last Of Us once again followed in the games' footsteps, including Joel's death and Ellie's quest for vengeance. Abby murdered him for revenge for her own father's death, and in an interview with Variety Dever confirmed she's having memorable fan interactions related to the show. In her words:
[They complain to me] all the time. I think it just literally happened the other day. Someone came up to me — and it’s been months since that episode aired — and someone said, ‘Why did you have to do my boy like that?’ And I was like, ‘What are you talking about?’ That’s all they said. Then I realized, ‘Oh right, you’re talking about Joel. I’m sorry.’
She's not wrong. Joel's death happened in Episode 2 of Season 2 back in April, so Dever has been hearing complaints from the general public for months now. Despite this, she's still surprised that the backlash is continuing... especially considering The Last Of Us games is where Abby's murder of Joel originated.
After that infamous murder scene, Dever later returned to the role of Abby in The Last Of Us' Season 2 finale. Her character once again took aim at a beloved character, seemingly shooting and killing Ellie in the episode's final moments. We'll just have to wait and see if fans warm to Dever's character when she presumably returns as a protagonist of the next season.
What we know about The Last Of Us Season 3 is limited so far, but fans of the video games have a better idea of what will happen when the acclaimed series returns to the small screen. The coda of Season 2 saw Abby seemingly become the next protagonist, but fans are going to hold out hope for Ellie's survival.
Only time will tell if the public's perception of Dever and Abby changed when the series returns for its highly anticipated third season on the air. I have to assume that folks will soften to her character, but since Pedro Pascal is the internet's daddy, maybe that won't happen. We'll just have to wait and see.
The first two season of The Last Of Us are streaming now on HBO Max as part of the 2025 TV schedule. It's currently unclear when we'll be treated to the third season.
