‘The Final of Us’ lastly answered: Who’s Eugene?

Since he was first talked about in episode 1 by his widow, Gail (Catherine O’Hara), The Final of Us followers have been asking: Who’s Eugene?

In Joel’s very unorthodox remedy session with Gail within the first episode of Season 2, we realized that 1) Eugene was her husband. 2) He is been useless for lower than a 12 months. And three) He was shot to loss of life by Joel — presumably as a result of he’d been contaminated.

Episode 2 revealed Eugene was a former Firefly who did patrols in Jackson with Jesse and had a secret marijuana develop in an deserted 7-Eleven outdoors of city. In that episode, when Jesse spoke of Eugene’s loss of life at Joel’s arms, Ellie appeared dismayed, however it was unclear why. I imply, possibly it simply sucked to lose a beloved member of the group. Perhaps, because the proposed remedy for the Cordyceps an infection, Ellie felt in some way liable for Eugene’s loss of life? Nicely, seems it is greater than that. 

Eugene’s loss of life started the rift between Ellie and Joel. 

Episode 6 takes audiences again throughout 5 years of birthdays (15 to 19) for Ellie in Jackson. Joel aimed to make every of them particular. He bartered to get her a cake. He made her a guitar in his wooden store, the one she surveyed in episode 3 as she grieved for him. He took her on a day journey to a forgotten museum. And when she turned 19, he gave her what she needed most: her first patrol. 

Joel had been protecting Ellie off patrol to guard her. Positive, she will be able to take a chunk from the Contaminated and never be affected. However getting bit would danger her security in Jackson, as nobody however Joel and Tommy know her secret. She even burned her arm to cowl the chunk mark left by that ill-fated mall date with Riley (“I wanted to wear short sleeves again”). However a part of rising up is taking dangers. And dangers like getting a tattoo, doing medication, and hooking up with Kat have been inflicting friction between Joel and Ellie since she turned 17. 

In a bid to reconnect on her nineteenth birthday, Joel agreed to permit her on patrol with him, however it was a fateful resolution. Whereas they have been out, they got here throughout Eugene, who’d been bitten by the Contaminated. How Joel dealt with this infuriated Ellie, who known as him out in entrance of Gail after they gave her the dangerous information again in Jackson. 

What did Joel do to Eugene? 

Bella Ramsey and Pedro Pascal in “The Last of Us,” Season 2, episode 6.
Credit score: Liane Hentscher / HBO

Everybody in Jackson knew the protocol. Joel needed to kill Eugene (Joe Pantoliano), as a result of as soon as the an infection took over, the person could be a senseless, rampaging risk to the group. However — as Gail put it in episode 1 — “it’s how [Joel] did it” that stings. 

When Eugene got here throughout Ellie and Joel within the woods, he admitted instantly he’d been bitten. Joel stored him at a distance by aiming his gun on the outdated man. From this level, Eugene pled, “Please. I figure I’ve got about an hour. So this is what we do. We go back to the gate,” referring to the big protecting wall that surrounds Jackson. “We get Gail out, keeping her at a safe distance of course, and I say goodbye.” 

Joel instantly shot down the concept, pardon the pun. Eugene grew to become more and more determined, declaring, “I need to see her. I’ve got things to tell her. You don’t understand.”

Joel replied, “I do. But we have rules, and it can’t happen.”

Ellie tried to cause with Joel, asking Eugene to do the counting take a look at she needed to do earlier than Joel in Season 1 to show she wasn’t reworking. “He has time,” she insisted. “We tie him up, and we bring him back. Joel, let him see his fucking wife. Please.” 

Joel reluctantly agreed and urged Ellie away to collect the horses. He regarded her within the eyes, and he promised. However he was mendacity.

No quantity of pleading or rationalizing would change Joel’s thoughts. To convey Eugene again to Jackson could be a danger he could not take. He shot Eugene within the wilderness, as the person cried out to see his beloved spouse yet one more time. “I need her last words,” Eugene yelled, “For me!”

It was to no avail. Joel executed him the place he stood, overlooking a picturesque view, however pining just for his final sight to be his spouse’s face. 

Why did Eugene’s loss of life hit Ellie so exhausting? 

Joe Pantoliano is Eugene in “The Last of Us,” Season 2, episode 6.
Credit score: Liane Hentscher / HBO

On one stage, Eugene’s loss of life was traumatizing to Ellie as a result of it proved Jackson will not be completely secure from the plague raging outdoors its partitions. On one other, Joel lied proper to her face. 

Earlier within the episode, Ellie practiced asking the burning questions she had for Joel about their escape from the Fireflies. She suspected one thing was off. Joel making a promise to her face, then breaking it as quickly as her again was turned, appeared proof. 

As they rode again to Jackson following Eugene’s execution, Joel advised her, “When we get there, I’ll tell Gail what she needs to know and nothing more. It’s the right thing to do.” Ellie did not reply, even when Joel stated, “I had no choice.” 

Catherine O’Hara and Pedro Pascal in “The Last of Us,” Season 2, episode 6.
Credit score: Liane Hentscher / HBO

Ellie might see Joel making use of the identical logic to the Fireflies’ slaughter. So when she known as him out in entrance of Gail and Tommy as they introduced Eugene’s physique again to camp, she was appearing out in rage, due to what she suspected about Joel’s lies to her. 

Many in Jackson, together with Tommy and Gail, see Ellie and Joel as the identical. However she set herself aside by telling Gail the exhausting fact. “That’s not what happened,” she stated, denying Joel’s story of a fearless give up to execution. “He begged to see you. He had time. Joel promised to take him to you. He promised us both. And then Joel shot him in the head.” 

It is little marvel that Gail hates Joel. And with this scene, as Ellie hissed, “You swore,” we perceive higher than ever what drove these two aside. Not what Joel did, precisely, however that he lied about it. 

For 9 months, Ellie stewed on this. The evening of the New Yr’s dance, she confronted him. And in a season stuffed with heartbreaking moments, Joel lastly confessed to all he’d finished, saying, “And I’ll pay the price because you’re gonna turn away from me.”

Little did both of them know the value would be a lot greater for each of them.

The Final of Us Season 2 airs weekly, Sunday at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and Max.