HBO’s The Last of Us Season 2 has hit the ground running, plunging deeper into the emotional chaos of Joel and Ellie’s journey while weaving in new twists that expand on The Last of Us Part II game. One of the biggest shocks in the premiere episode, “Future Days,” is the mention of Eugene, a character who’s already gone but whose death casts a heavy shadow over Jackson, Wyoming. Played in upcoming flashbacks by Joe Pantoliano (The Sopranos, The Matrix), Eugene’s story is tied to a devastating bombshell: Joel killed him, and it’s breaking the heart of his widow, Gail, a therapist played by Catherine O’Hara. So, who was Eugene, and what led Joel to end his life? Let’s piece it together using the show, the game, and the clues we’ve got.
Eugene in the Game: A Small but Memorable Presence
In The Last of Us Part II, Eugene Linden is a minor character who never appears but is remembered through dialogue and collectibles. He was a patrolman in Jackson, part of Maria Miller’s close-knit community, and a former Firefly who fought alongside Tommy Miller, Joel’s brother. Born around 1964 or 1965, Eugene was a Vietnam War veteran who later joined the Fireflies, a rebel group opposing FEDRA’s authoritarian rule. He left his wife, Claire, and their daughter to join the cause, a choice that left him estranged and alone later in life. In Jackson, he struck up a bond with Dina, Ellie’s friend, teaching her electronics and sharing his passion for growing marijuana in a hidden stash at an abandoned library outside town.
Eugene’s story in the game ends quietly: he dies of a stroke at 73 in 2038, a rare peaceful death in a world torn apart by the Cordyceps infection. Ellie and Dina speak warmly of him, reminiscing about his wit, smarts, and legendary weed buds “the size of pinecones,” a detail echoed in the show. His Firefly days included violent acts, like terrorist attacks in the Denver Quarantine Zone with Tommy, targeting soldiers and civilians, but by the time he reached Jackson, he’d settled into a quieter life of patrols and his secret grow-op.
Eugene in the Show: A Deeper, Darker Tragedy
HBO’s adaptation, which premiered its second season on April 13, 2025, gives Eugene a much meatier role, much like it did with Bill and Frank in Season 1. While he remains a former Firefly and Jackson resident, the show reworks his personal life and death. Here, Eugene is married to Gail, a therapist originally to the series (replacing Claire from the game), and their 41-year marriage ends when Joel shoots him dead sometime in the five-year gap between Seasons 1 and 2. Gail, brought to life with raw emotion by O’Hara, drops this bombshell in a tense therapy session with Joel in Episode 1, saying, “You shot and killed my husband. You killed Eugene, and I resent you for it. No, maybe a little more than that. I hate you for it.” Joel’s silence and discomfort set up a mystery that grows in Episode 2, “Through the Valley.”
Unlike the game’s stroke, Eugene’s death in the show is violent and recent—Gail mentions it’s her “first birthday without my husband in 41 years,” implying it happened within the last year. The show keeps his Firefly roots, with Jesse (Young Mazino) telling Ellie in Episode 2 that Eugene left the group because he was “tired of killing people” and might have been a Vietnam vet. Jesse calls Eugene’s death a “raw deal,” saying Joel had to “put him down,” while Gail admits Joel “had no choice.” These hints, paired with a Season 2 trailer showing Joel aiming a rifle at Eugene’s head, point to a grim moment. But Gail’s anger isn’t just about the killing—she hates “how” Joel did it, suggesting something about the act was especially cruel or personal.
Why Did Joel Kill Eugene?
The show hasn’t laid out the full story, but the evidence points to a mercy killing tied to the Cordyceps infection. Gail’s concession that Joel “had no choice” and Jesse’s phrase “put him down” strongly suggest Eugene was bitten during a patrol, leaving Joel no option but to shoot him before he turned. In Jackson, where the infected are a constant danger, such acts are tragic but understood, explaining why Joel hasn’t faced exile for murder. A trailer glimpse of a bite mark on Eugene’s side, noted in sources like ScreenRant, supports this idea—the infected are a death sentence, and Joel, a hardened survivor, would’ve acted fast.
Still, Gail’s fury over “how” it happened adds a wrinkle. Did Joel shoot without warning, robbing Gail of a final goodbye? Was the killing messier than needed, perhaps to hide the lack of a clear bite mark? A darker possibility, raised in sources like ScreenRant, ties to Eugene’s Firefly past. As a former Firefly, he might have learned about Joel’s actions at the Salt Lake City hospital in Season 1, where Joel killed dozens to save Ellie from the Fireflies’ plan to harvest her immunity. If Eugene uncovered Ellie’s secret or Joel’s massacre, Joel might have killed him to keep it quiet, especially since only Joel and Tommy know the truth. This theory fits with Ellie’s unease when Jesse mentions Eugene’s Firefly days, hinting she might suspect foul play.
What’s Next for Eugene’s Story?
Joe Pantoliano’s casting means Eugene’s tale isn’t done. Showrunners Neil Druckmann and Craig Mazin have teased a flashback episode, with O’Hara telling Entertainment Weekly it was a “killer” to shoot, demanding “so much crying.” Druckmann told Variety that Eugene’s expanded role “gets to the heart of Joel and Ellie’s relationship,” suggesting his death ties into their fractured bond in Season 2, where Ellie’s pulling away over Joel’s hospital lies. The trailer’s image of Joel stalking Eugene with a gun, combined with the bite mark, leans toward an infection-driven killing, but the “how” remains unclear. Was it a quick shot or something more brutal? Did Eugene know too much, making his death a betrayal?
Why Eugene Matters
Eugene’s death is more than a plot point—it’s a lens into Joel’s moral complexity and the toll of survival. In the game, he was a fond memory; in the show, he’s a spark for guilt and conflict. Gail’s hatred, despite knowing Joel’s act was likely justified, mirrors the revenge cycle driving Season 2, especially with Abby’s coming mission to kill Joel for his hospital killings. Eugene’s Firefly history and ties to Dina (and possibly Jesse in the show) root him in Jackson’s community, making his loss felt across Ellie’s world. As Druckmann told Newsweek, Eugene’s story will “expand the town of Jackson” and deepen Joel and Ellie’s arc, perhaps showing how far Joel will go to guard his secrets.
For now, Eugene’s fate is a half-solved puzzle. The likeliest scenario, backed by Gail and Jesse’s comments and trailer visuals, is that Joel shot an infected Eugene during a patrol, but the execution—maybe cold, rushed, or bloody—left Gail unable to forgive. The Firefly theory, though intriguing, lacks hard proof but would add a chilling edge to Joel’s choices. As Season 2 rolls on, with new episodes dropping Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and Max, Pantoliano’s flashbacks will unpack this tragedy, revealing the man who grew pinecone-sized buds and the moment Joel became his killer.