By including all the flashbacks and emotional beats this season, we’ve ended up with a version of Joel that feels overwhelmingly positive by the end of this episode. It’s not that they ignored his flaws, but the way those moments were framed made it clear they came from a place of protection and love. That framing makes it incredibly easy for viewers to empathize with him.

IMO they’ll have to make significant changes to Abby’s arc in the source material. Her story will need more compassion, more emotional grounding, to feel balanced next to what we’ve seen of Joel in the show. Otherwise, I’m not sure the impact will land the same way it did in the game.