The Last of Us season 1 ending marked the conclusion of a very faithful adaption of the first video game in the series. However, that isn’t to say the producers didn’t make alterations during the process of reworking the story for television. Video games and TV shows are different mediums, and as such, each can explore certain facets of a narrative that the other cannot. As such, making character changes can sometimes be more effective when a game is being adapted for TV, and Pedro Pascal’s Joel Miller may benefit very slightly due to this fact.

Jesse & Joel Could Swap Deaths In The Last Of Us Season 2

Both characters are killed by Abby in the source material

Fans of the games will know that Joel is killed by Abby very early on in The Last of Us Part II. However, he isn’t the only victim to meet his end at the hands of the character who will be played by Kaitlyn Dever in the coming season. Jesse is shot dead by Abby in Seattle in a cold and almost throwaway fashion that does neither the story nor Jesse’s character justice. The Last of Us season 2 could swap how both men die and make each scene much more effective.

This way, Jesse’s death would be the impactful moment from the opening act, and Joel’s exit would be changed to take on the form of an improved version of the theater shooting. Furthermore, Abby still gets to maintain her villainous kill count from the games, it’s just that the order changes ever so slightly. So, the change may seem bold, but the end result is essentially the same. The main differences are that Jesse gets a more memorable final scene, and Joel gets to survive much later into the events of The Last of Us season 2.

The Last Of Us Season 2 Would Benefit From Keeping Joel In The Story For Longer

There are upsides to Pascal’s presence beyond the story of The Last of Us

Swapping Joel’s fate with Jesse’s would help keep the adaptation fresh in a key way. Those who have played the games will be aware that Joel dies almost immediately at the hands of Abby. However, by having Jesse take his place, pre-existing fans will be caught off balance and not know what other changes the show could make to its source material. It also helps them to experience the story almost as if it were their first time doing so. For those unfamiliar with the games, the overall narrative wouldn’t be different enough to feel like they were missing out.

There is another advantage, outside of story reasons, why Joel’s bigger role would benefit the show. At present, Pedro Pascal is still the biggest name associated with The Last of Us. Pascal’s image, along with Bella Ramsey’s, has been used to promote The Last of Us from very early in the development process. By keeping him involved for longer, Max’s adaptation becomes much easier to market to those who still haven’t seen it. A big name like Pascal can draw in audiences who are unfamiliar with the franchise.

In addition, The Last of Us season 2 needs to succeed if the showrunners have a third season in mind. Certain viewers may move away from The Last of Us if Pedro Pascal’s presence in season 2 is only brief. Although there is the argument that Joel could continue to appear later into season 2 due to The Last of Us Part II‘s flashback chapters after his death, the show may already have lost followers by that point. It may sound a little too much like a business decision, but that is sometimes the reality of the television industry.

The Last Of Us Season 1 Has Already Shown The Adaptation Is Willing To Make Changes To The Games

Bill & Frank’s The Last of Us episode was very different to what happened to their game characters

The Last of Us hasn’t shied away from making changes so far if they’ll improve the adaptation. For instance, what happened to Bill and Frank in The Last of Us season 1, episode 3, “Long, Long Time,” was almost entirely all new content that never appeared in the game. Bill does briefly appear in the original game, but Frank is only mentioned by name. This notable deviation created by The Last of Us season 1 timeline means that the show can be vastly improved by making bold creative decisions, so the Joel/Jesse swap could be very effective.

That being said, “Long, Long Time” was more of an elaboration on what was said and shown in the first game. Joel changing places with Jesse would be a much bolder move than anything the show has done to date. However, The Last of Us season 1 set a precedent for keeping viewers engaged whether they had played the games or not. Therefore, it wouldn’t be out of character for the show to push the envelope even further in The Last of Us season 2.

Jesse & Ellie’s Relationship Would Need To Be Altered For The Swap To Work

Dana is the object of both characters’ desires in The Last of Us Part II

One of the biggest obstacles that’s stopping the death of Jesse being the story’s main catalyst is that his relationship with Ellie isn’t too well suited to instilling within her a thirst for revenge. Although Ellie and Jesse are civil with one another, Jesse is more of a romantic rival to Ellie than anything else due to their shared feelings for Dana. Therefore, the TV show would need to present Jesse and Ellie as much closer friends than they are in the games.

Not only would this mean his death would still send Ellie on the warpath, but it would also add to her suffering when she discovers her close friend and love interest were set to have a baby together. Then, when she departs for Seattle with Dana to hunt down Abby, Joel would travel with them rather than Jesse. The death of Joel in Seattle would have a greater impact due to the extra time he managed to spend with Ellie, which wasn’t possible in The Last of Us games.