Series Premiere: January 15, 2023
Starring: Pedro Pascal, Bella Ramsey
Episodes Commissioned: 9
Studio: HBO
Endure and Survive...
I have to be honest, this is the one episode I wholeheartedly dreaded. Not for any negative reason of its quality efforts, but in its events that are if anything, as traumatic as the series' introduction. Without giving away details, be prepared for an equally if not more horrifying mid-season episode that takes HBO's The Last of Us over the hump. The introduction to Henry and Sam, poses an expected path to Joel's initial plan in escorting Ellie to the firefly camp. Kansas' most wanted align themselves with an unwilling Joel, not before compromise. The party of four begin their escape through "Killer City", with Joel offering to lead Henry along with his brother Sam toward Wyoming, in which he accepts without hesitation.
Meanwhile, Kathleen continues to hold numerous patrons hostage while demanding to know the whereabouts of Henry. The story of her heartless actions remain unclear, that is until she's found in her old family home reminiscing on life before the outbreak and how her brother, Michael's life was deemed expendable after his arrest for leading the insurgence against the City. A delusional sadist, she mourns his death as an act of selflessness, comparing him to Jesus, while divulging her malevolent intent against Henry and Sam. Kathleen seeks vengeance on those that have opposed her or in her distorted viewpoint, have done wrong by her. Henry, Joel, and Ellie begin planning to make their escape through town, taking a supposed route beneath the surface of the war torn metropolis.
While Kansas was without a subway system, it did have tunnels built for maintenance which have been abandoned since the outbreak. It’s assumed the pipe ways remain clean, but it’s argued that most infected were buried deep underground before things got any worse. The group take to the tunnels and await nightfall. Taking time to rest within the confines of a makeshift refuge, Henry clarify why he and his brother are both extremely sought by Kathleen and the resistance group. A respective difference between the game and the HBO adaptation here being Sam’s disability caused by leukaemia. The only treatment was within the grasps of FEDRA (Federal Disaster Response Agency), and in return they demand Henry work with them to capture and kill Michael, who Henry deemed an upstanding and incredible man.
Major parallels between this arc and the video game demonstrate a streamlined story for Henry and Sam, rather than stretching their tenure out for the sake of doing so. With only nine episodes for writers to play with, they did a great job fitting in this imperative bookmark within The Last of Us’ prolonged lore. It would have been somewhat welcome to have its climactic act roll-over to the next episode to give the audience an more of an emotional connection toward the two Kansas natives. Albeit, the episode’s final act will have those unfamiliar reeling, despite its lacking screen time for the newcomers. What it does is deliver a reality check to the viewer in respect to the medium’s escapism. A quick contrast with shocking and unforgivable result ends with one of The Last of Us’ most melancholic chapters. Strap in, it’s an emotional one.
Noteworthy Mentions...
- We see more of the father-daughter relationship blossom between Joel and Ellie, even having Henry make reference to the fact that Ellie’s “Father is a bit of an asshole”, to which the comically reply simultaneously debunking Henry’s assumption of the two.
- The twist in Sam’s character was made more compelling, yet knowing the episode’s imposing end certainly had me hoping for an unexpected turn, but we can’t have happily ever afters’ all the time, especially in a post apocalyptic world like this.
- Representation was certainly key within this episode, showing that those with disability do survive the outbreak given the right circumstances, despite its heightened risk. Something that was definitely missing in the game to which I applaud Neil and Craig for adding.
- Melanie Lynskey portrayed Kathleen tremendously, with her soft spoken manner that juxtaposed her ruthless nature. A contrast in character that displayed emotional trauma that undoubtedly led to issues which made her a careless executioner.
The Last of Us is an upcoming American post-apocalyptic drama television series created by Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann for HBO. Based on the 2013 video game of the same name developed by Naughty Dog, the series will follow Joel (Pedro Pascal), a smuggler tasked with escorting the teenage Ellie (Bella Ramsey) across a post-apocalyptic United States. It will feature Gabriel Luna as Joel's younger brother Tommy, Merle Dandridge as resistance leader Marlene, and Anna Torv as Joel's smuggler partner Tess.
Summary: Wikipedia
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