Eugene is mentioned a couple of times in The Last of Us Season 2 Episode 1, and he’s a character who’s secretly at the “heart” of Joel and Ellie’s estranged relationship.
The opening episode of The Last of Us’ new episode is mostly sad or nail-biting (excluding Ellie and Dina’s fun banter and barn dance kiss on New Year’s Eve). Joel is upset about Ellie giving him the cold shoulder, Ellie is angry at him for taking her off patrols and being overprotective, and that’s before we get to Abby.
One of the premiere’s standout scenes is between Joel and Gail, Jackson’s psychotherapist and a new character who didn’t appear in the game.
With a few whiskies in her system, she confronts Joel about what he did to Eugene, her late husband – and it raises some other questions.
Who is Eugene in The Last of Us Season 2?
All we know about Eugene is that he was Gail’s husband, they were together for 41 years, and whenever he appears (presumably in a flashback), he’ll be played by Joe Pantoliano.
It’s unclear what role he served in Jackson or how long he was there before he died, nor has it been revealed exactly how – or rather, why – he died.
As Joel complains about Ellie, Gail decides to stop validating him and gets something off her chest. “You shot and killed my husband,” she says.
“You killed Eugene and I resent you for it – no, maybe a little more than that, I hate you for it. And yes, I know you had no choice. I know I should forgive you, but I’ve tried and I can’t… because of how you did it. And looking at your face, sitting in our home, makes me so f**king angry.”
That heavily implies Eugene became infected, and Joel was forced to kill him before he turned and put anyone else at risk. However, what did Gail mean when she said, “How [he] did it”? Did he really need to kill him? Did he treat him humanely? Those questions remain.
Those who’ve played the game will presume the tension between Joel and Ellie stems from his lie about the Fireflies and the events at the hospital at the end of Season 1. But what if it has something to do with Eugene?
Speaking to Variety, Neil Druckmann teased: “The way this character comes in really gets to the heart of Joel and Ellie and their relationship.”
Is Eugene in The Last of Us games?
HBOYes, but he’s been significantly expanded for The Last of Us Season 2.
In the games, Eugene (full name Eugene Linden) is only seen twice… in photo-form. In one picture, he’s with Tommy, and in another, he’s with his family.
He abandoned his wife and children to join the Fireflies, fighting alongside Tommy and carrying out all sorts of brutal attacks (including torturing a FEDRA general). He ended up at Jackson with Tommy, but he often spent time alone at an abandoned library in Seattle.
During a patrol, it’s mentioned that Eugene died from a stroke at the age of 73. Later, Ellie and Dina discover some of his belongings, including his Firefly pendant.
“I get excited when I see these opportunities. I’m like, ‘Oh, I don’t know Eugene that well!’ The story we told [in the game] was somewhat superficial,” Druckmann said.
Find out when The Last of Us Season 2 Episode 2 drops, and until next week, check out our breakdown on when The Last of Us takes place, the show’s soundtrack, and the differences between HBO’s series and the game.
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