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Connections is the one of the most popular New York Times word games that's captured the public's attention. The game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.

If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for today's Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable What is Connections?

The NYT's latest daily word game has become a social media hit. The Times credits associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu with helping to create the new word game and bringing it to the publications' Games section. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.

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Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer.

If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.

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Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.

SEE ALSO: NYT's The Mini crossword answers for April 21 Here's a hint for today's Connections categories

Want a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:

• Yellow: Found on food packaging

• Green: An unplanned disruption

• Blue: You'd find these in Excel

• Purple: Spiraled

Featured Video For You Connections: How to play and how to win Here are today's Connections categories

Need a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:

• Yellow: Info on a nutrition label

• Green: Metaphor for something unexpected

• Blue: Things you can insert into a spreadsheet

• Purple: Helical things

Looking for Wordle today? Here's the answer to today's Wordle.

Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today's puzzle before we reveal the solutions.

Drumroll, please!

The solution to today's Connections #680 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Info on a nutrition label: FAT, IRON, PROTEIN, SODIUM

• Metaphor for something unexpected: BOMBSHELL, CURVEBALL, TWIST, WRENCH

• Things you can insert into a spreadsheet: CELL, COLUMN, ROW, SHEET

• Helical things: CORKSCREW, DNA, FUSILLI, SPRING

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be new Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for April 21

Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to today's Connections.

Oh hey there! If you're here, it must be time for Wordle. As always, we're serving up our daily hints and tips to help you figure out today's answer.

If you just want to be told today's word, you can jump to the bottom of this article for today's Wordle solution revealed. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable SEE ALSO: NYT Connections today: Hints and answers for April 21 Where did Wordle come from?

Originally created by engineer Josh Wardle as a gift for his partner, Wordle rapidly spread to become an international phenomenon, with thousands of people around the globe playing every day. Alternate Wordle versions created by fans also sprang up, including battle royale Squabble, music identification game Heardle, and variations like Dordle and Quordle that make you guess multiple words at once. 

Wordle eventually became so popular that it was purchased by the New York Times, and TikTok creators even livestream themselves playing.

What's the best Wordle starting word?

The best Wordle starting word is the one that speaks to you. But if you prefer to be strategic in your approach, we have a few ideas to help you pick a word that might help you find the solution faster. One tip is to select a word that includes at least two different vowels, plus some common consonants like S, T, R, or N.

What happened to the Wordle archive?

The entire archive of past Wordle puzzles was originally available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it, but it was later taken down, with the website's creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times. However, the New York Times then rolled out its own Wordle Archive, available only to NYT Games subscribers.

Is Wordle getting harder?

It might feel like Wordle is getting harder, but it actually isn't any more difficult than when it first began. You can turn on Wordle's Hard Mode if you're after more of a challenge, though.

SEE ALSO: NYT's The Mini crossword answers for April 21, 2025 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

A series.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

There are no recurring letters.

Today's Wordle is a 5-letter word that starts with...

Today's Wordle starts with the letter S.

SEE ALSO: Wordle-obsessed? These are the best word games to play IRL. The Wordle answer today is...

Get your last guesses in now, because it's your final chance to solve today's Wordle before we reveal the solution.

Drumroll please!

The solution to today's Wordle is...

SPATE.

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be a new Wordle for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for April 21

Reporting by Chance Townsend, Caitlin Welsh, Sam Haysom, Amanda Yeo, Shannon Connellan, Cecily Mauran, Mike Pearl, and Adam Rosenberg contributed to this article.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to today's Wordle.

It's official: Joel Miller (Pedro Pascal) is dead in The Last of Us, and the show will never be the same.

SEE ALSO: Did 'The Last of Us' Season 2, episode 2 break you? Us too.

The Last of Us Season 2, episode 2 tackles The Last of Us Part II's most pivotal (and notorious) sequence, in which Abby Anderson (Kaitlyn Dever) kills Joel while a helpless Ellie (Bella Ramsey) watches on. Just like in the game, the scene is as heart-wrenching as it is brutal. But as is the case in any adaptation, there are several key differences from the source material. So how does Joel's death in the show stack up to his death in the game? Let's break it down.

Dina isn't with Joel in the game. Tommy is.

One of the biggest differences between Joel's death in the game and the show is who's with him when he dies. In the game, he's with his brother Tommy (Gabriel Luna), but in the show, he's with Dina (Isabela Merced). Tommy remains in Jackson, where he helps defend the town from a horde of Infected (a show-only sequence).

While both Tommy and Dina are out cold for Joel's actual death, the switch between who accompanied Joel to Abby's hideout could have massive consequences for the show going forward. The game sees Tommy hunt Abby for revenge not long after the murder, but could the Infected attack on Jackson — not to mention his young, show-only son — change his priorities? Meanwhile, Dina's presence at Joel's death could further strengthen her bond with Ellie, as the two are both undeniably traumatized by the experience.

Joel actually learns who Abby is in the show.

Part of the mystery of The Last of Us Part II is finding out who Abby is and why she wanted to kill Joel, something you only learn as you play through the second half of the game. (When he asks her who she is before she kills him in the game, her only response is, "guess.")

However, The Last of Us Season 2 wastes no times in giving us an Abby crash course. She interrogates Joel about attacking the Fireflies in Salt Lake City. She monologues about Joel killing her father. She even drops hints about the militia she's joined in Seattle.

The Last of Us laid the groundwork for Abby's backstory reveal starting in episode 1, with her introductory scene by the Fireflies' graves. That early knowledge functions as a way to build sympathy for her earlier on in the show than in the game, allowing us to more completely understand her motivations right off the bat.

SEE ALSO: 'The Last of Us' Season 2, episode 2: Gamers knew it was coming. It still hurts like hell.

The game is very intentional in its omission of these motivations, so this isn't a case of one version of the story being "better" than the other. Instead, it's just a case of each version having a different project when it comes to portraying Abby. For the game, she's a threat until we learn to empathize with her by playing as her. The show wants to build that empathy earlier, while also presenting Joel's death as a specific consequence of his actions in Salt Lake City.

A bonus of learning Abby's backstory so early is that we get to watch Joel process that the events of the Season 1 finale are finally catching up to him. It's a heartbreaking conclusion to his story, yet it also feels inevitable.

That final golf swing looks a little different.

Few moments from The Last of Us Part II are as memorable — or as traumatic — as the final bloody "thunk" of Abby landing her killing blow on Joel. The show opts for a different approach to Joel's last moments. Abby still wails on him with a golf club, but by the time Ellie arrives, the club is broken. It's a simple image, but it speaks volumes to the extent of the damage Abby dealt.

With the golf club broken, Abby opts to finish Joel off by stabbing him through the neck with the broken shaft. That's a gnarly killing blow in its own right, with the squelch of flesh and hiss of Joel's last breath evoking the same feeling as that nasty "thunk": total and complete devastation.

New episodes of The Last of Us Season 2 premiere on HBO and Max Sundays at 9 p.m. ET.

You thought The Last of Us Season 1 was brutal? Season 2 just delivered one of the most harrowing episodes of TV in history. Sunday night, viewers witnessed the grim events that first rocked fans of the video game The Last of Us Part II back in the summer of 2020. 

But amid all the violence, grief, and pain of episode two, there was a song that plays over the end that hit like a shotgun blast to the knees. And fans of the game know it carries a lot of meaning. 

So, let's dig into it. 

Spoilers ahead. 

What song plays over the end of The Last of Us, Season 2, episode 2?

In the final minutes of this devastating episode, Abby's crew abandons the mountaintop chalet, leaving behind a wounded Ellie, who crawls over to Joel's body. As she cradles him, an acoustic guitar begins to play, and a female voice sings, "I walk through the valley of the shadow of death." 

The voice should be familiar to fans of the game, as it's sung by Ashley Johnson, who voiced Ellie in both The Last of Us and The Last of Us Part II. The song is Shawn James' "Through the Valley," covered by Johnson for the trailer for the sequel game.

In the trailer, viewable above, Ellie plays the song on her guitar. In the show, the non-diegetic song plays over the episode's conclusions for Ellie, Abby, and Tommy. 

As Abby's squad tromps through the snow, back to their base in Seattle, the lyrics continue, "I fear no evil, 'cause I'm blind to it all. And my mind and my gun, they comfort me. Because I know I'll kill my enemies when they come."

The carnage wrought on Jackson by the Infected is unveiled under the lyrics, "Surely, goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life. And I will dwell on this earth forever more."

Then, the final heart-wrenching image, of Ellie on horseback with Jesse and Dina, as they drag Joel's body, swaddled in a sheet, through the snow back to Jackson. Johnson's voice sings over this tragic scene, "'Cause I walk through the valley of the shadow of death and I fear no evil, 'cause I'm blind. Oh, and I walk beside the still waters, and they restore my soul. But I know when I die, my soul is damned. But I know when I die, my soul is damned."

Then, the song fades away, and only the sound of the howling winds and the slow progress of horses and their cargo can be heard over the credits. 

What's the importance of "Through the Valley" in The Last of Us?  Bella Ramsey plays Ellie in "The Last of Us." Credit: Liane Hentscher / HBO

On a surface level, the lyrics seem to reflect on Joel's life, playing as a eulogy of sorts.

He was a man who relied on his wits and his gun, seeming fearless in the face of the evils of the Infected world. But something changed him when he met Ellie. She became more than cargo, more than a miracle cure. She became his daughter. When he made the fateful decision to annihilate the Fireflies to save her, he sealed his fate. He was damned. 

Alternatively, viewers could also look to the song as a warning from Joel to Ellie, melodically entreating a grieving girl not to follow in the path of Joel's violence or Abby's vengeance. But Ellie's never been much for listening to Joel.

"Through the Valley" is more than an Easter egg.  Ashley Johnson in "The Last of Us." Credit: Liane Hentscher / HBO

The track can be found on the album The Last of Us Part II: Covers and Rarities. Johnson not only voiced Ellie in the games, but also played Ellie's mom in Season 1 of the TV show. But there's a greater meaning at play behind why Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann picked Johnson's cover of "Through the Valley" for this TV moment. And it relates to how the song showed up in the game. 

The only way to hear "Through the Valley" in The Last of Us: Part II was to beat the game on Permadeath mode. That's a setting that means if your character dies, you're not booted back to the start of the level or your last save point to try again. You lose. In Permadeath setting, death is not a setback, it's the end. 

Thus, this song playing over this sequence underscores the cold new reality: Joel is dead, for good.

There's no going back to do things differently. He was doomed to die as soon as he killed the Fireflies. Even in the game, there was nothing you could do to save him.

But does that mean that's the last of Pedro Pascal we'll see in The Last of Us? Well, the show's done flashbacks before, and flashbacks popped up in the game. So while Joel is dead, Pascal might not be gone from this series just yet. 

The Last of Us Season 2 airs weekly, Sunday at 9 p.m. ET, on HBO and Max.

The Last of Us Season 2, episode 2 takes us through the valley of the shadow of death — in more ways than one.

In the show's largest set piece to date, a horde of Infected storms Jackson, leaving behind countless dead and much of the community to repair. But as the citizens of Jackson square off against their worst nightmare, a smaller, yet greater tragedy plays out in the mountains above. I'm talking, of course, about the death of Joel Miller (Pedro Pascal), and his brutal final moments with Ellie (Bella Ramsey).

SEE ALSO: 'The Last of Us' Season 2: How does that big death compare to the game?

For people who have played (or even just have the smallest familiarity with) The Last of Us Part II, Joel's death this season was an inevitability. But that doesn't make it hurt any less, or make the buildup to it any less stressful. So stressful, in fact, that I often found myself pausing the episode to freak out or brace myself for what was coming.

Here, in chronological order, is every time The Last of Us Season 2, episode 2 stopped my heart (or just ripped it out entirely).

When we see a flashback of Abby after Joel's attack on the Fireflies. Kaitlyn Dever in "The Last of Us." Credit: Liane Hentscher / HBO

The Season 2 premiere revealed almost immediately that former Firefly Abby (Kaitlyn Dever) has it out for Joel. In the nightmare sequence that opens episode 2, we get a better idea of why: When he wiped out the Fireflies in Salt Lake City, he also killed her father, the surgeon who was about to operate on Ellie. The nightmare sees a younger Abby reliving the moment she discovered his body, while present-day Abby cautions her not to. Of course, young Abby doesn't listen. She will always find her father's body, and that will always lead her down a path of vengeance towards Joel.

Witnessing Abby's trauma right off the bat is as clear a signal as any that she and Joel's paths will cross by the end of the episode. Buckle up, The Last of Us tells us, because the countdown clock towards his death is officially nearing zero.

When we learn the Infected are living under the snow.

Down in Jackson, Jesse (Young Mazino) hits Ellie with some extra-disturbing news: A patrol was ambushed by a group of Infected who were living under the snow. How did they survive? Oh, just by using the corpses of other Infected as insulation. Looking out at the snowy expanse surrounding Jackson, the question then becomes, how many other Infected are hiding under all that snow? That's right, you thought you just had to worry about Joel's death this episode? Nope, we also have snow Infected to worry about now.

SEE ALSO: 'The Last of Us' Season 2, episode 2: Gamers knew it was coming. It still hurts like hell. When we find out Joel is already out on patrol.

Some good news to distract from the snowy Infected? Ellie and Joel are in a much better place now after their tense standoff at the winter dance. So much so that Ellie wants to go on patrol with him again. The bad news? Joel is already out on patrol with Dina (Isabela Merced), the two kindly opting to let Ellie sleep. Of course, that kindness comes with the unfortunate side effect of Ellie being separated from Joel at a critical point in their relationship (and, you know, the final hours of his life).

The separation makes Ellie's reassurance that things will be fine between her and Joel hurt even more. "I'm still me, he's still Joel, and nothing's ever gonna change that. Ever," she tells Jesse, with no idea of what's to come. Don't mind me, I'm already preparing my tissues.

When Abby spots Joel and Dina. Kaitlyn Dever in "The Last of Us." Credit: Liane Hentscher / HBO

Episode 2 gives us the occasional sliver of hope that maybe Joel will survive his encounter with Abby. Daunted by the size and strength of Jackson, her traveling companions are planning on calling the whole operation off. Good! Get out of there! Maybe the rest of Season 2 can be a Sliding Doors situation where we see an alternate version of the story where Joel lives.

But of course, The Last of Us sticks to its guns and has Abby spot Joel and Dina while they're out on patrol. She doesn't know he's Joel by this point, but she knows they're from Jackson, and that's a good enough starting point. The hunt is on, and that countdown clock keeps ticking.

When a blizzard starts brewing over Jackson.

The Last of Us is already building an atmosphere of dread, so why not throw some thematic weather in there? As soon as that snow starts blowing in earnest, the dread increases tenfold: Visibility is low and radios are down, cutting off communication with Jackson. Our crew of patrollers — Ellie, Joel, Dina, and Jesse — are stranded, just in time for a stormy showdown.

SEE ALSO: 'The Last of Us' Season 2, episode 1: Ellie's bedroom is filled with Easter eggs When Abby awakens an avalanche of Infected.

I truly don't know what's more horrifying: the image of the Infected corpses just lying frozen in the snow (very True Detective corpsicle of them), or the sinking whirlpool of bodies that forms when the living Infected emerge from their slumber. Either way, this sequence is an absolute nightmare, and no matter your feelings about Abby, I think we can all agree no one deserves the fate of being run down by a literal avalanche of Infected. Run, girl, run! Just maybe away from Joel, thanks.

When Abby gets trapped under a fence. Kaitlyn Dever in "The Last of Us." Credit: Liane Hentscher / HBO

The stress reaches a fever pitch when Abby finds herself trapped behind a chain-link fence, the entire horde bearing down on her. If you hate zombie movies, this is a bad time for you. If you have claustrophobia, this is a bad time for you. It's just an all-around bad time, okay? And that's before we see that shot of an Infected tearing its hand open in an attempt to get through the chain-link fence. What a nightmare. Surely nothing else in the episode can get more frightening or emotionally traumatizing than the sheer horror of a crush of zombies, right? Right?

When Abby hears Joel's name.

Wrong. Because mere moments later, Joel saves Abby, reminding us of the inevitable. And mere moments after that, Dina seals the deal by calling Joel's name. (A change from the game, where Joel gives up his name freely to Abby and her companions back at the lodge.) Watching Abby understand she's stumbled upon Joel is a terrifying turn in an already-terrifying episode. (Shout out to Dever for playing the moment with a perfect combination of realization and fear.)

This moment is also a perfect example of the bait and switch The Last of Us is playing with all episode. Like Joel, you may think the biggest threat is the horde of Infected raging outside. But you can't forget about the core truth of The Last of Us: Often, the real danger is the humans, and Abby is no exception.

SEE ALSO: 'The Last of Us' Season 2 has fans freaking out online about Joel When the Infected descend upon Jackson, "Hardhome"-style.

Just because I'm scared about Joel's fate doesn't mean I can't also lose my mind over the Infected attack on Jackson, a show-only addition. Watching them charge through the snow and crash against Jackson's wooden gates calls to mind another deeply frightening winter zombie siege: Game of Thrones' "Hardhome" attack. Great, now I have Game of Thrones stress compounding my Last of Us dread, a potent combination that at least has the upside of reminding me just how great "Hardhome" was. (Even if the Night King payoff down the line was... less great.)

That this sequence isn't in the game makes my panic levels spike in a different way from watching Joel march towards his unsuspecting death. We're in uncharted territory here: How much will The Last of Us stray from the game? Are Tommy (Gabriel Luna) and Maria (Rutina Wesley) suddenly on the chopping block? What about their show-only son, Benjamin (Ezra Agbonkhese)? I can only take so much major character death in one episode!

When Joel chooses to go to the lodge.

Upon seeing Jackson up in flames, Joel considers returning to help, but Abby continues to lure him up to the lodge with the promise of warmth and her friends' supplies and ammo. Joel, no, they're going to use the ammo on you! For once, it might be safer to run towards the burning city under siege by the Infected.

When the Bloater breaches Jackson's gate.

The early stages of the Jackson battle have enough "hell, yeah" moments — including those big, Infected-killing explosions — that I could breathe easy for a bit. Maybe Jackson would be okay after all!

Then the Bloater appears.

Seeing one Bloater in Season 1 was more than enough for me, but this disgusting tank of a creature takes Bloaters to a whole new level of scary. It rams through Jackson's gates and sends the battle spiraling in a whole new direction. The Infected swarm the streets and crash into buildings — think of the children in the basements! They even scramble up to the roofs, as seen in a very immersive (and yes, stressful) oner of Maria trying to make her way out of danger.

When Tommy fights the Bloater. Gabriel Luna in "The Last of Us." Credit: Liane Hentscher / HBO

The Bloater's appearance gives us the nice bonus of watching Maria and Tommy tag-team it: Maria shoots it from the rooftops, while Tommy draws its ire on the ground. The latter leads to a fiery standoff between Tommy and the Bloater. Tommy blasts the monster, but it just keeps coming. A real case of an unstoppable force meeting an immovable object.

But Tommy's luck begins to run out along with his flame thrower fuel, leaving us with the very real possibility of his death. (Which would be a huge deviation from the game, but then again, so it this whole attack!) Luckily, the Bloater gives out and falls to the ground in a charred heap. Grilled mushrooms, anyone?

SEE ALSO: 'The Last of Us': The song at the end of episode 2 has deeper meaning When Abby turns on Joel.

If you're familiar with The Last of Us Part II, you knew this was coming. But that doesn't make it hurt any less.

Abby drops any pretense of friendliness with Joel, blowing out his knee. That noise you're hearing? That's not Joel howling in pain; that's millions of Last of Us fans yelling at their TVs.

The Jackson fight might have been the flashiest section of the episode, but this moment marks the start of the episode's longest, most brutal sequence. Abby lays out how Joel killed her father, and we watch in real time as Joel resigns himself to his fate, the consequences of his Season 1 rampage catching up to him after so many years.

When the camera pans to the golf bag.

There are no coherent thoughts in this moment, just the knowledge that this is going to hurt.

When Abby tells Joel, "You don't get to rush this."

If this episode hasn't stomped your heart to tiny pieces by this point, Abby's torture of Joel will change that. It's an exhausting march towards death, every blow and every swing of the golf club feeling like a gut punch through the screen.

Speaking of the golf club, it breaks before Abby's done with Joel, further proof of just how much damage he's endured. By the time she stabs him through the neck with the shard of the stick, he's basically a human pulp. He's broken, the audience is drained, and even Abby seems spent, if satisfied. In a show that's repeatedly examined the human capacity for brutality, this sequence takes the cake as its most grueling yet.

When Ellie and Joel share one last look. Bella Ramsey in "The Last of Us." Credit: Liane Hentscher / HBO

This whole episode kicks off with a missed connection between Joel and Ellie, as they don't wind up on patrol together. From there, the episode builds anxiety around whether the two will even meet again for a chance to repair their relationship.

Of course, the two do meet again, but they'll never get that chance.

SEE ALSO: 'The Last of Us' Season 2, episode 2: Gamers knew it was coming. It still hurts like hell.

Ellie finds Joel moments before Abby lands the killing blow, and she has to watch, helpless, as her father figure perishes. "Get up," she pleads, and she's never sounded younger or more alone. As if that wasn't heart-breaking enough, Joel actually tries to get back up. One flicker of his fingers proves he's still willing to fight for Ellie, even after a barrage of torture. After everything they've gone through, the two remain each other's worlds — but that world comes crashing down with Abby's final blow.

The aftermath of Joel's death is equally devastating, with Ellie crawling over to his body and laying with him. That image is enough to break even the strongest of tear dams, and it conjures up many heartbreaking what-ifs. What if Ellie had gone on patrol with Joel? What if Joel hadn't saved Abby? What if he had turned back to Jackson at the last second?

So many hypotheticals, but there's only one tragic reality. Joel is gone, and Ellie never gets to say a proper goodbye. If that isn't enough to break you, I don't know what will.

New episodes of The Last of Us Season 2 premiere on HBO and Max Sundays at 9 p.m. ET.

UPDATE: Apr. 20, 2025, 10:35 a.m. EDT This post has been updated with new details from Season 2, episode 2 of "The Last of Us." The update can be found below the heading, "What was revealed about Eugene in Season 2, episode 2 of 'The Last of Us'?"

The Last of Us Season 2 introduces us to a few new faces, from surviving Firefly Abby (Kaitlyn Dever) to Joel's (Pedro Pascal) new therapist, Gail (Catherine O'Hara).

But Gail also has a husband, Eugene, who's fairly recently died — and although we never got to meet him, it seems as though he'll still play a role in Season 2.

So, what do we know about him so far?

SEE ALSO: 'The Last of Us' Season 2 review: Joel and Ellie's return devastates and infuriates What does Gail say about Eugene in Season 2, episode 1?

When Joel arrives for his therapy session with Gail, he pays her with a bag of marijuana that she complains is "shake and stems." When he tells her it's winter, she replies, "That never stopped Eugene. January, February. That man would grow buds the size of pine cones."

A few moments later, when Joel asks her about her choice of whiskey, she says she woke up feeling sad. "It's my first birthday without my husband in 41 years."

Joel doesn't say anything, but he looks uncomfortable. When Gail unburdens herself partway through their therapy session, we find out why.

"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. I hate you for it. And yes, I know you had no choice. I know that. I know I should forgive you. Well 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 fucking angry."

Credit: Liane Hentscher / HBO Why did Joel kill Eugene?

We don't have much information to go on yet, but there are a few clues. First, we know roughly when Eugene died. Gail says it's her first birthday without him, which means Joel killed him at some point in the past year. We don't for sure why it happened, but it seems like a safe guess to say that Eugene was probably infected. This is implied by Gail saying, "I know you had no choice," plus the fact that Joel hasn't been ousted from the community for murder.

The larger mystery, however, is what Gail means when she says she hates Joel for how he did it. That scenario is trickier to guess at. Did Joel kill Eugene before Gail was certain he was beyond saving? Did he do it with the same surly detachment he does everything else? We don't know for sure, but we doubt we've heard the last of this mystery.

What was revealed about Eugene in Season 2, episode 2 of The Last of Us? Young Mazino plays Jesse in "The Last of Us." Credit: Liane Hentscher / HBO

More details about Eugene were uncovered in episode 2, when Ellie (Bella Ramsey) and Jesse (Young Mazino) take shelter from an incoming snowstorm while out on patrol. An abandoned 7-Eleven convenience store is the "spot" that Eugene had showed Jesse when they used to go out on patrol together. And it's "full of weed" because — as Gail suggested in episode 1 — Eugene was a grower.

Jesse tells Ellie that Eugene was his first patrol partner and trusted him with this secret stash, which he did not dare to grow in Jackson because Maria (Rutina Wesley) wouldn't like it. While looking around the place, Ellie finds dog tags marked with the Firefly logo, and Jesse confirms that Eugene was a Firefly until 2010. According to Jesse, he quit because "he was tired of killing people." Jesse further speculates that Eugene was a military veteran, saying, "I think he was in Vietnam."

Then the conversation turns to Joel "having to put him down," which Jesse describes as a "raw deal." Ellie is uncharacteristically quiet as Jesse continues, "Fucking shame. Guy makes it through a war to go out like that. What are you going to do? He couldn't be saved." The scene ends with Ellie softly saying, "Yeah."

What else can be gleaned about Eugene? Bella Ramsey plays Ellie in "The Last of Us." Credit: Liane Hentscher / HBO

Though the character is dead at start of Season 2, Variety announced in March of 2025 that Joe Pantoliano (The Matrix, The Sopranos) would be joining the cast as Eugene — a part Variety reported as being based on a character from the game, but one that would be expanded upon for the show, much as Bill and Frank were in the Season 1 standout, "Long Long Time."

Episodes 1 and 2 of Season 2 have already presented details that align with the game's Eugene, who was a former Firefly turned Jackson patrolman. However, one major difference between Eugene and the show's version is how he died.

Episode 1 of Season 2 revealed that Eugene was fatally shot by Joel, presumably because the patrolman had been bitten by an Infected. Episode 2 seems to confirm this with Jesse's comments. In the game, Eugene died of natural causes.

So what does all this mean about the mystery of Eugene? And when will Pantoliano come on the scene?

We'll have to stay tuned to find out.

The Last of Us Season 2 airs weekly, Sunday at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and Max.

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Following biotechnology company 23andMe's filing for bankruptcy, losing its CEO, and trying to find a buyer last month, the House Committee on Energy and Commerce launched an investigation into the genetic data company's handling of customers' personal information.

On Friday, the committee sent a letter to 23andMe regarding selling people's sensitive information following its filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The letter was signed by committee Chair Rep. Brett Guthrie of Kentucky, Rep. Gus Bilirakis of Florida, and Rep. Gary Palmer of Alabama. The latter two are chairmen of the Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade and the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, respectively.

SEE ALSO: 23andMe data: How to delete yours

The letter points out that in 23andMe's privacy policy, in a bankruptcy, customers' personal information may be "accessed, sold or transferred as part of that transaction."

"Additionally, a judge recently ruled 23andMe has the right to sell the sensitive medical and genetic information of its 15 million customers, which is considered to be the company’s most valuable asset," the letter states. "With the lack of a federal comprehensive data privacy and security law, we write to express our great concern about the safety of Americans' most sensitive personal information."

The committee then lists many questions for the company, including how 23andMe intends to vet potential buyers and what its plan is to protect people's data should a sale happen. The Committee of Energy and Commerce requested answers by May 1.

In a press release, 23andMe detailed bidding requirements and procedures for a sale, such as that it will not accept bids from entities based in or controlling investments from "countries of concern" like China, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Russia, or Venezuela.

Regarding handling personal data, the company stated in the release, "23andMe takes its responsibility as a steward of customer data seriously. The Company maintains strict data privacy and security protocols, and it is subject to consumer privacy and genetic privacy laws."

In the last few years, the genomics company has been under fire for a data breach and subsequent lawsuit. As 23andMe isn't an entity covered by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), customer information isn't protected by those privacy measures.

With the announcement of the bankruptcy and its former CEO, Anne Wojcicki, stepping down in March, Mashable published a how-to on deleting your data from 23andMe. If you haven't done so yet, now is the perfect time.

UPDATE: Apr. 21, 2025, 10:15 a.m. EDT This article has been updated to include a press release from 23andMe.

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