How Pedro Pascal is dealing with 'The Last of Us' shocker: 'Denial'

Pedro Pascal has shared his thoughts on the most recent episode of "The Last of Us." Released on Sunday, the show delivered its biggest twist, the death of Joel, the character that Pascal has been playing for the past couple of years. The twist was a big part of the video game story but a surprise for viewers of the series, who likely weren't expecting the removal of the first season's lead character.

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Pascal and his co-stars, Bella Ramsey and Kaitlyn Dever, were featured on the cover of Entertainment Weekly, where they shared their thoughts on Joel's death. Pascal had a very simple way of coping with the sad news. “I’m in active denial,” he said. “I realize this more and more as I get older, I find myself slipping into denial that anything is over." 

He revealed that the most heartbreaking part of leaving the show is the fact that he won't return to working with some of the people he'd met while making the series. "I know that I’m forever bonded to so many members of the experience and just have to see them under different circumstances, but never will under the circumstances of playing Joel on The Last of Us. And, no, I don’t spend a lot of time thinking about it because it makes me sad," he said. 

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Joel's death is gory and comes at the hands of Dever, who plays Abby, a recently added character. Pascal shared that the crew had an interesting reaction to seeing him covered up in makeup and playing his death scene. 

“It was interesting to step into the room and see the reactions in people’s faces. It wasn’t one of revulsion but of heartbreak," he said.

What comes next for the series? 

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As the show progresses with a third season already approved by HBO, Ramsey and Dever will take on Pascal's reins, and continue the story to its conclusion. When discussing the future of Ramsey, who began the franchise with Pascal, he shared how proud he feels to have seen her take on this leadership role. 

“Bella was never my child, but there’s an obvious parental dynamic between the characters of Joel and Ellie,” he said. “I did feel this sort of pride that I had nothing to do with but was able to observe how effortlessly they stepped into a position of leadership.”