The Last of Us Reveals Why Joel Shot Eugene (And His Reasoning Makes Total Sense)

The trailer for Episode 6 of The Last of Us Season 2 has teased that audiences will finally learn more about the death of Eugene. The post-apocalyptic show established that Joel (Pedro Pascal) is responsible for shooting the Jackson resident, but the circumstances surrounding Eugene's death haven't been fully explained. 

Much of Season 2 of The Last of Us focuses on Ellie (Bella Ramsey) seeking vengeance on Abby (Kaitlyn Dever) and hunting her down in Seattle. But, similar to the game it's based upon, The Last of Us Season 2 has not been afraid to play around with the timeline of events. 

Who Is Eugene In The Last of Us Season 2?

Eugene is a character who has only been mentioned thus far in The Last of Us. In Episodes 1 and 2 of the new season, it's revealed that Eugene was the husband of Gail (Catherine O'Hara), Jackson's resident therapist. In one of her final sessions with Joel, Gail admits she knows that he was responsible for shooting and killing Eugene, which she tries and forgive him for.

All that's been confirmed about Eugene's death, so far in The Last of Us Season 2 is that it was seemingly inevitable. During their therapy sessions, Gail admits that while she hates Joel for murdering her husband, she knew he "had no choice."

Later, while on patrol, Jesse (Young Mazino) and Ellie take refuge in a 7-Eleven housing a weed farm, which Jesse reveals belonged to Eugene, his old patrol partner. Ellie finds an old trinket of Eugene's in the weed farm, revealing he was an ex-Firefly.

Jesse also shed some light on the situation, suggesting that Eugene's death was not an admirable one and that he "couldn't be saved:"

"That was a raw deal, Joel having to put him down... Guy makes it through a war, ends up going out like that. What are you gonna do? Couldn't be saved."

In The Last of Us Part II, Eugene has a similar past, having been an ex-Firefly with Tommy, and establishing a secret cannabis farm in the community. Dina mentions in the game that Eugene died at an old age from a stroke. 

Players never had the chance to meet Eugene, but it's known that HBO has cast an actor in this role: Joe Pantoliano. However, fans are still waiting for Pantoliano to show up in The Last of Us, and the season is rapidly running out of episodes to do this.

The Last of Us S2 Episode 6 Trailer Teases Eugene's Reveal

Judging by the ending of The Last of Us Season 2 Episode 5, Episode 6 looks like it will be a flashback-heavy episode. Pascal will return as Joel after his tragic death in Episode 2 to unravel some unanswered questions, and it seems like this may be where the HBO show finally incorporates Pantoliano's character. 

Some of the outfits that Joel is seen wearing in the promo for Episode 6 tie back to the clothes he wore in the initial The Last of Us Season 2 trailer, in which he shared a scene with Eugene. In the original trailer, Eugene is shown walking in a forest, with Joel standing behind him, taking aim at his head with a rifle. In this scene, Joel wears a collared brown jacket and blue undershirt. 

This same scene is not in the S2E6 promo, but this outfit matches one that Joel wears while walking through a forest with a rifle, Ellie in tow. This suggests that these two scenes are connected, and this will finally be the moment that fans learn the truth of Eugene's death.

So Why Did Joel Kill Eugene? Episode 6 Image Reveals the Truth

A brand new promotional still released for The Last of Us Season 2, Episode 6 has shed even more light on the situation surrounding Eugene, with a bite mark being visible under his shirt.

Eugene's shirt is torn where the bite is located, suggesting an infected managed to get to him and that this is why Joel had no choice but to kill him.

Despite this, there may be more to this the story than Joel told the community, and that he really killed Eugene to cover up a secret, perhaps relating to the Fireflies or Ellie's immunity. Perhaps Joel purposely led an infected to bite Eugene, adding justification for killing Eugene if he was aware of Joel's secret.

Another interesting thing to note is that Ellie seems to accompany Joel in the scene where he kills Eugene, which means she must be aware of his motivations. 

In the game, a flashback scene between Joel and Ellie sees them go into an old hotel where they find two Jackson runaways who had been infected and forced to kill each other. This is one of the first instances that Ellie questions Joel on what really happened at the Salt Lake hospital and whether there are truly other immune people out there who could've cured the cordyceps infection, like he told her. Joel maintains his lie in this moment, but the dead teenagers are a reminder of what sacrificing Ellie in the hospital that day could've meant for the world. 

It's possible that in the TV adaptation, these circumstances will be switched to surround Eugene. If Eugene is infected, this would be a more personal reminder for Ellie that a cure could've saved Eugene, which might be the trigger that causes her to question Joel and investigate what really happened that night at the hospital.

Audiences won't have to wait long to find out, with The Last of Us Season 2 Episode 6 debuting on HBO and Max on Sunday, May 18.