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Fans of HBO’s *The Last of Us* were stunned by Joel’s shocking death early in season 2, but showrunners Neil Druckmann and Craig Mazin are hinting that Joel’s story is far from over. In a recent press event, the creators cautiously left the door open for Joel’s return in upcoming seasons — or at least, deeper exploration into his past.

“It’s always good to leave some things a mystery,” Druckmann said, suggesting that while season 2 had to focus on the fallout from Joel’s death, season 3 might take more liberty to explore untold stories. Mazin added with a wink, “Maybe a side trip to Joel and Tommy terrorizing the countryside… we’ll never know.”

Though Pedro Pascal, who expertly brought Joel to life, has already had a “wrap” party, the show could depict a younger Joel played by a different actor, as it did in season 2’s flashbacks. Season 3 is expected to shift more focus to Abby, mirroring the perspective changes that made *The Last of Us Part II* so compelling, with the finale teasing Abby overlooking a sprawling Wolf base in Seattle.

The showrunners also addressed key changes from the game — like adding new characters such as Gail, who gives Joel a rare emotional sounding board, and omitting some darker moments, including the infamous Alice the dog death scene. These changes reflect the differences between game and TV storytelling: no player control here, just narrative choices crafted to evoke emotional impact differently.

Meanwhile, in the world of shooters, *Doom: The Dark Ages* brings back its signature fast-paced, brutal combat and some intriguing new mechanics like shield parrying. But not all expansions hit the mark. The game’s sections involving a giant mech, the Atlan, and a mechanical dragon don’t mesh well with the high-octane gameplay. While blasting demons from the mech’s gun is fun, slow melee brawls and dodge-heavy dragon segments drag the pace. The dragon fights, in particular, fall flat as they devolve into waiting for perfect dodges rather than nonstop demon-slaughtering chaos.

Doom fans will still appreciate the core combat and the inventive medieval-meets-tech setting, but here’s hoping future mechs and dragons feel less like awkward detours and more like extensions of the Doom Slayer’s unstoppable fury.

For now, *The Last of Us* keeps teasing new directions and surprises, while *Doom* reminds us that not every flashy addition fits the core experience — a lesson all adaptations and sequels eventually learn.