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Spoiler warning: This article will cover the major events of Episode 2’s final season 2.
Mark My Rod filmed one of the show’s most devastating scenes
Our final season 2 has ever brought that most disastrous moment. And even the director remained emotionally wrecked.
Episode 2 passes through the valley and sees the brutal death of Joel (Pedro Pascal) at the hands of Abby (Caitlyn Dever). And director Mark Mirod opened up about filming the reasons behind the intense sequences and important changes from the video game.
“After that, there was just a take that I couldn’t speak with tears in my face,” Mylod told Variety, recalling that Bella Ramsey, who embodied Ellie in this shattered scene, emotionally pushing herself. “That’s a lovely moment as a director who knows it’s one.”
While this shows his first episode of Last of Us, MyLod is familiar with high-stakes HBO television and directed 16 39 episodes, including the Emmy-winning “Connor’s Wedding,” as well as six episodes of Game of Thrones. His feature credits include the acclaimed 2022 satirical thriller The Menu.
Mark MyLod (center) on the set of “The Last of Us” | HBO
Why the show couldn’t be held back like a game
Abby kills Joel. The moment is completely visible in the HBO series. According to MyLod, the original plan was to stay true to the gaming approach, but it didn’t feel right.
“It felt like we were out,” he said. “A lot of the game is facing consequences and music. The idea that they were blinking and hiding was embarrassing, almost dishonest and dishonest.”
Instead, Abby drives the broken shaft of the golf club around Joel’s neck, and the camera is not cut out as Ellie is watching Horror.
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Changes from the game: Dina, Group, Spit
In addition to the decision to show Joel’s death more clearly, MyLod and the team also made some changes to the surrounding story elements. In the game, Joel’s brother Tommy is with him at the time of the attack, but in the show, the nearby one is Ellie’s friend Dina (Isabella Merced).
Abby’s group has also been cut down. Instead of arriving with a large crew, Shaw limits her allies to Manny (Danny Ramirez), Owen (Spencer Lord), Mel (Ariella Baller) and Nora (Taty Gabriel). One detail from the game – Manny spitting on Joel’s body – was also ruled out.
“There was a spit version,” Mylod confirmed. “It didn’t feel right in the editing. It didn’t want to spit because it matched the game, it made me feel like the most powerful incarnation of the moment.”
HBO
Creates the emotional weight of Joel’s death
One of the most memorable visuals of the episode features Ellie adopting Joel’s unvigorated body. “It was just trolling and absolute finality,” Myrod said of the shot. “We filmed the scenes specifically in a very whimsical way, which was very important about humanity, vulnerability, anger, all the emotional elements of the characters.
The sequence involves Ellie, Dina and Jesse (the young Magino) dragging Joel’s wrapped body into the snow to Jackson. The image combines the unforgettable rendition of “Through the Valley” with Ashley Johnson (who played Ellie in the game) into a powerful visual coda.
HBO
Inside the infected battle and harsh filming conditions
Beyond Joel’s death, this episode also featured a massive infected horde attacking one of the show’s most elaborate action set pieces, Jackson. The filming was harsh in Alberta’s mountains. The preparation was extensive.
Jackson’s siege was monumental work behind the scenes, with bloating, fire and snow. The sequence, shot in the mountains of Alberta and north of Vancouver, took months of planning.
“It was just a cold day there,” recalls Myrod. “We really needed those warming tents and every piece of clothing we could get,” he added that stunt teams can bear the brunt of their condition, often buried in the snow, sprinting through frozen terrain between takes.
The crew were trained “bootcamp” to complete the infected movement, and required meticulous coordination between the special effects and stunt teams. “It was literally a few months of sitting in the boardroom and walking through it,” Myrod said. “If we did our job right, you can focus on performance — and you can find an emotional connection of chaos.”
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