'The Last of Us' co-creators explain why that 'heartbreaking' death happened so early in season 2

Pedro Pascal as Joel and Kaitlyn Dever as Abby in season two, episode two of "The Last of Us."

Liane Hentscher/HBO

• Season two, episode two of HBO's "The Last of Us" killed off a major character.
• The showrunners eliminated the character early in the season because it's "the inciting incident."
• They also didn't want to torment fans who have been anticipating the character's death.

Warning: Major spoilers ahead for "The Last of Us" season two.

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