Episode 4 of The Last of Us aired on Sunday, and I will say this was the weakest episode so far. Don’t get me wrong, it was still really good.
Per usual, there will be spoilers in this review. So, if you somehow haven’t seen the episode, then read with caution. And go watch the fucking episode you twats.
To begin, we saw two of my favorite cutscenes from the game play out beat for beat in the show. The magazine scene in the car with Ellie and Joel was beyond perfect, and it is still just as funny as ever.
The moment when Ellie finds the tape in the car is great as well. They might seem like minor scenes but it begins to further develop the sort of father-daughter relationship that they have.
This was also the first time we began to interact with the “people”, aka the raiders. The scene where they go into Kansas City and the guy is faking the injury is spot on with the game. I was picturing playing the scene where Joel is hiding behind the truck trying to escape the raiders in what looks like a laundromat.
What’s more important is that it’s the first time we see Ellie hurt someone, which is the beginning of how badass her character will become.
I will say, I am not sure how I feel yet about diving more into the world of the raiders. I believe it will play a huge part in the show but in the game, it is virtually nonexistent from what I remember. I do hope it shows how rough society became once the infection began.
While this episode was slower, it was perfect for the development of these characters. We are seeing how much Joel does care for Ellie because he realizes her innocence is gone. Joel doesn’t want her to grow up to become the heartless person he had to be to survive. And we can see resistance in Ellie. Ellie was mortified to shoot the person even though it “isn’t her first time”.
But, the best part of the episode was the very end, when we are introduced to Henry and Sam. I know they did not say their names in the episode, but these are two iconic characters in the game, and their existence is implied.
I actually jumped up and screamed when their faces were shown on screen.Henry and Sam are very important to the original story so get ready to see more of them next week.
As I said earlier, this wasn’t the best episode of the season, but it’s so hard to follow up how good episode 3 was. This offering was still great, and I can’t wait for the heart of the story to begin next week. Remember, this episode will air on Friday due to the Super Bowl, so tune in early because we are witnessing amazing TV unfold before our very eyes.
Rating: 87/100 – Fire
