The Last of Us Season 2’s New Character Could Tell a Major Joel Story

A new character in The Last of Us Season 2 could be part of a significant story involving Joel. HBO’s critically acclaimed adaptation of the hit video game series largely sticks closely to the source material, featuring many of the same major plot beats gamers are familiar with. However, the show has made some notable deviations, such as the now-iconic Season 1 episode “Long, Long Time,” which fleshed out the characters Bill and Frank to heartbreaking effect. It appears that Season 2 is going to follow suit by adding context to another background character from The Last of Us universe: Eugene. Spoilers for The Last of Us Part II game follow!

Beloved character actor Joe Pantoliano is confirmed to play Eugene on The Last of Us Season 2, and his inclusion on the show is a major change from the games. While details about Eugene’s role in the show are being kept under wraps, marketing materials have seemingly presented enough evidence to predict how he fits into the story — and it could have something to do with Joel and Ellie’s dynamic.

Who Is Eugene in The Last of Us Part II?

Those who have played The Last of Us Part II (which serves as the basis for the show’s second season) would be forgiven if they didn’t immediately recognize the name Eugene. That’s because the character doesn’t have an actual physical role in the game’s main story. He is mentioned in dialogue between Ellie and Dina and only appears on-screen in photographs Ellie discovers in the game environment. One picture, attached to a letter from Eugene’s family, shows Eugene with his wife and child. Another depicts Eugene and Joel’s brother Tommy standing side by side during their time with the Fireflies.

Because Eugene isn’t seen in action during The Last of Us Part II (by the time of the game’s events, he had passed away at age 73 due to a stroke), what players learn about him is fairly limited. Dina was close with him, as the two frequently went on patrol routes together in Jackson. Ellie mentions Eugene was funny and was still sharp-witted in his old age. Eugene also seemingly had a drug habit; Ellie and Dina discover a basement where Eugene had grown copious amounts of marijuana during his lifetime.

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So, for all intents and purposes, The Last of Us showrunners have a relatively blank slate to work with as they introduce Eugene to the fold. This is one of the more intriguing elements of the upcoming season, as even die-hard fans of the games are unsure what will transpire. The recently released Last of Us Season 2 trailer could give viewers some hints, however.

How Eugene Might Fit Into The Last of Us Season 2

Towards the end of The Last of Us Season 2 trailer, there is a brief look of Pantoliano as Eugene, with the actor sporting a facial expression that conveys concern and fear. That’s par for the course in a post-apocalyptic world infested with creatures like Clickers, but what’s interesting here is it looks like Eugene is about to be executed. In the one shot of Eugene, a blurry figure can be seen behind him. The trailer then immediately cuts to Joel aiming a rifle, seemingly hinting that he is going to shoot Eugene.

It’s possible this is just a classic case of misdirection in a trailer, but comments from Neil Druckmann suggest this theory might not be so far from the truth. When discussing Eugene’s expanded role in the show with Variety, Druckmann said, “The way this character comes in really gets to the heart of Joel and Ellie and their relationship,” all but confirming Eugene ties into the emotional core of The Last of Us. Eugene’s history with the Fireflies could come into play here.

In the harrowing Last of Us Season 1 finale, Joel kills a hospital full of Fireflies, preventing them from surgically removing Ellie’s brain so they could develop a cure for the cordyceps virus. Of course, Joel lies to Ellie about what happened, telling her that the doctors were unable to create a vaccine. This is a secret he doesn’t want getting out, and it’s possible that Eugene learned about what happened through his old Firefly contacts and confronts Joel about it. Looking to tie up loose ends, Joel may decide the best course of action is to kill Eugene.

Another possibility is that Eugene, an old accomplice of Tommy’s, was someone Joel trusted enough with the upsetting truth — only to be betrayed. Those who have played The Last of Us Part II know Ellie learns what Joel did, which causes her to have a falling out with Joel. The trailer heavily implies that this moment will be depicted in Season 2, as seen in Ellie’s “You swore!” line. In the game, Ellie uncovers the truth during a playable flashback sequence set in the hospital and then confronts Joel in a cutscene. With the story being adapted to a different medium, perhaps the manner in which Ellie learns about the hospital massacre has been changed.

Ellie could possibly learn about Joel’s disturbing actions via Eugene, who’s unable to live with himself keeping it a secret from her. Then, after his argument with Ellie, Joel feels compelled to kill Eugene in an act of vengeance. This wouldn’t be a far-fetched turn of events, keeping Druckmann’s comments about “the heart of Joel and Ellie and their relationship” in mind. Causing a rift between the two definitely taps into the heart of Joel and Ellie’s dynamic and give Eugene a significant part to play on the show.

The Last of Us Season 2 premieres April 13th on HBO.