We need to have some fun in the apocalypse, don’t we? Eugene certainly thought so. He was secretly harboring a huge weed farm in an abandoned 7/11 just outside of Jackson. This piece of information instantly makes us love Eugene. Is there a better place for a weed farm than a 7/11? We think not. Join us as we break down this oft-mentioned figure from the games who was married to a therapist, growing weed on the side, and seemingly left an impression on many people in town. (Also, he was killed by Joel in The Last of Us series, so there’s that.)
Who Is The Last of Us‘ Eugene?
We first hear about Eugene in The Last of Us season two, episode one. Joel’s therapist Gail, played by Catharine O’HaraOpens in a new tab, lets us know that Eugene was her late husband. Sometime in the last year, Joel shot and killed Eugene. But it’s not that he did it, according to Gail, it’s how he did it. We know Joel can be ruthless, so we bet there’s a lot to the story of what happened between him and Eugene when he killed him.
Gail also mentions that Eugene could always procure the best weed. And now, thanks to The Last of Us season two, episode two, we know how. Eugene was keeping a huge weed farm secret from Jackson, he didn’t think Maria would approve. But Jesse knows about the 7/11 emporium because Eugene was his first patrol partner. Jesse appears to harbor a great affection for Eugene and speaks of him with considerable respect. He also shares that The Last of Us‘ Eugene was a Vietnam veteran and ex-Firefly, but he didn’t want to kill people anymore. The mention of Fireflies has Ellie tense, and we bet we know why.1
In The Last of Us season two, episode three, we got just a touch more information about Eugene. It seems Dina was close to him in The Last of Us TV series as well as in the games (which we’ll discuss below). She shared that Eugene had told her a story once about his past as a Firefly. Eugene revealed that he had seen small or heard of small regional groups across the country all trying to fight FEDRA, and that included the Washington Liberation Front out of Seattle, which Dina and Ellie are after. Dina also mentioned on The Last of Us, that Eugene thought it was very stupid these regional groups didn’t just join together, shedding a little color on his character.
This is the third time Eugene has come up in the first three episodes of The Last of Us season two, so we bet he’s going to figure into the story of the season in some important fashion.
Eugene in The Last of Us Games
Eugene is a character from The Last of Us—Part II game. However, he doesn’t have nearly as much story as he does in the series so far. Eugene’s wife, for example, is a purely series creation, and Gail doesn’t appear in the games. Additionally, Joel does not kill Eugene in the game, so that important connection is created solely for The Last of Us series. In fact, in the games, Eugene is known to have died from a stroke at 73. And that makes Eugene one of the few characters in The Last of Us—Part II to have died from natural causes. But this rare distinction won’t be given to Eugene of the series.
In The Last of Us—Part II, it’s Dina who is closer to Eugene and not Jesse. It’s clear from episode three of The Last of Us that some version of this relationship exists in the series as well between Eugene and Dina, but maybe not to the same degree as in the games. Dina shares that Eugene taught her about electronics, which we actually see Joel do on The Last of Us show.
Like on the show, Ellie finds Eugene’s dog tags and learns that he was a Firefly who served with Tommy. The HBO series has not mentioned Tommy’s relationship with Eugene so far. The Last of Us—Part II game also goes deeper into Eugene and Tommy’s time as Fireflies than the series does. It describes how they killed and even slow-tortured people. Ellie meditates more about the brutality of Tommy and Joel in the context of Eugene in the game than she does in the series.
Additionally, in the game, Eugene left his family to join the Fireflies, whereas in The Last of Us series, it seems like he found Gail after he left the Fireflies. Additionally, it doesn’t seem like Gail and Eugene have any children in the show, unlike in the game.
Eugene still has a huge weed farm in the game, but it’s in his basement, not a 7/11. And we like the 7/11 much better. In all, it feels like The Last of Us series’ Eugene will become a much more fleshed-out and lovable character than he was in the games.
Eugene’s Future on The Last of Us TV Series
We know that Joe Pantoliano will play Eugene on The Last of Us season two. This is no small casting, so it seems likely we’ll see Eugene in more than just a photograph as the series continues. We like basically everything we’ve heard about Eugene so far, so it will be fascinating if we do get to see him and learn more about how exactly Joel killed him and why.
The Last of UsOpens in a new tab season two continues to air on HBO and Max, Sundays at 9 p.m.
Originally published on April 20, 2025.
