- The Last of Us season 2 has arrived
- It introduced us to some new characters
- Fans are wondering about Eugene and what Joel did to him
Who is Eugine in The Last of Us season 2 – and what exactly did Joel do to him?
Only one episode of showrunners Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann fungal-infected drama has aired so far but it’s already left us with plenty of questions to mull over.
Read more: Isabela Merced: Who is The Last of Us season 2 Dina actor?
A primary quandary involves a brand new character, one of many featured during the show’s return. After the chaotic events of the first season, The Last of Us season 2 picks up Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie’s (Bella Ramsey) story after a five-year time jump.
Here, we find them living in the relatively peaceful town of Jackson alongside a group of other survivors. While Ellie enjoys a budding relationship with her new love-interest Dina (Isabela Merced), Joel attends therapy sessions with newcomer Gail in order to come to terms with his complex relationship with his fellow survivor.
Read more: The Last of Us season 2 recap: What happened?
Another key – but so far unseen – character in The Last of Us season 2 is Eugene, played by The Sopranos star Joe Pantoliano. Already, it’s clear that something dark has happened to him which directly involves Joel – but who exactly is Eugene and what was his fate?
Here’s what we know so far…
Meet Eugine in The Last of Us season 2
Eugene is a character that was briefly featured in The Last of Us Part II video game.
So far, we’ve not seen him in the TV version of The Last of Us season two, although details about him were mentioned in the show’s first episode back.
In the game, he’s primarily introduced to players in photograph form. He’s discovered by Ellie and Dina who find an old library which he transformed into his own outpost. It is revealed that his wife was named Claire but she is no longer with him. In his outpost home, he tinkers with electrical goods and grows marijuana.
Mazin and Druckmann’s TV version of the character appears to be slightly different. Here, he is married to Joel’s new therapist Gail, played by Catherine O’Hara. It’s also clear that he died before the events of season two began.
It’s clear that something bad happened between Joel and Eugene – but what?
What happened between Eugene and Joel?
It hasn’t been 100% confirmed exactly what happened between Joel and Eugene but some dialogue from season two’s debut episode does shed some light on this question.
During one of Joel and Gail’s therapy sessions, it becomes apparent that Gail does not like Pascal’s character. It’s also mentioned that Joel shot Eugene – but the reasons behind this killing remain unclear.
With Eugene being played by a recognised name like Pantoliano, it’s very likely that we’ll see him appear in flash-back form in future episodes. These will more than likely reveal exactly what happened between him and Joel.
While it’s possible that Eugene became infected during an outing from the safety of Jackson, it’s also entirely plausible that he stumbled onto some information that incriminates Joel in some capacity.
Either way, we’ll find out more as The Last of Us season 2 continues.
