AceShowbiz - Pedro Pascal broke silence on the shocking twist in the second episode of "The Last of Us." The heart-wrenching scene shattered many viewers who hadn't anticipated such a drastic plot shift so early in the season.

[SPOILER ALERT!] Pedro Pascar's character Joel met his demise in this sophomore outing. The actor explained in interviews with Entertainment Weekly and during the official "Last of Us" after-show that he was always aware his character's time would be cut short.

"It's not like they said, 'Hey, we kill you at the beginning of season 2,' " Pascal noted. "But it was always an understanding that it would stay true to the source material."

Joel's death unfolds when he is captured and brutally murdered by Abby, portrayed by Kaitlyn Dever, seeking vengeance for her father's death at Joel's hands. The harrowing scene, where Joel is first shot and then beaten to death, was a moment that left both the cast and the crew deeply affected.

"It was interesting to step into the room and see the reactions in people's faces. It wasn't one of revulsion but of heartbreak," Pascal shared. He also mentioned the emotional weight of filming such a scene, saying, "It makes me sad."

"I'm in active denial," the actor recalled his initial reaction after learning of Joel's tragic fate. "I realize this more and more as I get older, I find myself slipping into denial that anything is over."

Bella Ramsey, who plays Ellie, also shared their emotional response to Joel's death. "I knew that Joel was going to die, but reading it in the script, I was dreading getting to that bit… and I cried," Ramsey revealed. "I actually sobbed my little heart out. It's the first time I've cried from reading a piece of writing."

They also discussed the heavier responsibility they felt stepping into a more central role in Joel's absence, saying, "Within how dark the story gets this season, it definitely felt heavy."

Series co-creator Craig Mazin explained the narrative decision to include Joel's death early in the season. "There's a danger of tormenting people. It's not what we want to do," he said, emphasizing that the timing needed to feel natural within the story. He aimed to avoid prolonging the agony for viewers familiar with the game's plot by aligning the show's progression with their expectations.

Despite the sorrow that comes with Joel's departure, Pascal takes pride in Ramsey's portrayal of Ellie as the baton is passed to her character. "Bella was never my child, but there's an obvious parental dynamic between the characters of Joel and Ellie," he explained.

The unfolding narrative now rests heavily on Ellie's shoulders, signifying a new chapter in the haunting and beloved series.