‘The Last of Us’ Joel Flashback in Season 1? - TVLine

Feb 02, 2023

In addition to making us want to listen to Linda Ronstadt’s “Long, Long Time” on repeat, Sunday’s The Last of Us also made us wonder: Will we ever see scenes from Joel’s life circa 2003-2023, the way Episode 3 (read a full recap) gave us interludes from Bill and Frank’s?

So we took that query to series co-creator/executive producer Craig Mazin, who essentially said… probably not.

“I don’t think we’re going to go backwards at length like that, but Joel’s past is what informs his future,” the EP told TVLine.

And you’ve also got to consider the moment in the premiere that he flashed back to the night Sarah was killed, which caused him to punch a FEDRA officer’s face into a gooey paste.

And, per Mazin, that baggage will inform a highly emotional, yet-to-be-seen point in the HBO drama’s first season.

One reason behind the scene’s significance, the EP added, is that “Pedro Pascal’s portrayal of Joel has so much soul and humanity to it, and vulnerability, especially when Joel is alone.