Action intensifies as Last of Us twists viewer emotions into fungal knots of pain

As the final installments of HBO’s The Last of Us play out, the action has continued to heighten as slow burn character development gives way to survival horror. Episode five, “Endure and Survive,” introduces fan-favorite characters Henry (Lamar Johnson, The Next Step) and his brother Sam (Keivonn Woodard, Fractal), who serve as powerful mirrors to the relationship between Joel (Pedro Pascal, The Mandalorian) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey, Game of Thrones).

The time the show saves not scrounging for supplies or artifacts transfers, thankfully, to developing backstories and adding extra cushion for smaller storylines. This provides a healthy alternative to information given through the notes found throughout the game. These notes manage to bridge the gap between game experience and cinematic world building.

Episode four, titled “Please Hold My Hand,” sets up Henry and Sam’s storyline with the addition of new character Kathleen (Melanie Lynskey, Yellowjackets), who has become the leader of a Kansas City resistance group fighting against FEDRA (the corrupt remains of the U.S. government). This group doesn’t exist in the game, but serve as a replacement for the numerous hunters met across the title.

Kathleen is shown searching for Henry to enact revenge for her brother. This establishes a history for the two brothers that was left fairly vague in the game, bringing insight into the conflicts they have had to face in order to survive. Of course, having game creator Neil Druckmann on board as showrunner ensures the themes and characterization remain consistent with the more skeletal structure provided in the source material. Henry chooses to take an alternative approach to fighting than Joel, who favors brutality, as Henry’s strengths lie elsewhere. Episode five successfully shows the assets each character brings to the group they have formed while not failing to include sweet moments between Ellie and Sam as they both relish in having someone to discuss comic books with (and truly enjoy a moment of enjoying childhood in the midst of apocalyptic horror). These often rare moments of happiness make it even more painful when the peace inevitably ends.

The format of the show and inclusion of new storylines, unfortunately, forces other scenes to be cut, especially various fight scenes within the game. For instance, the audience’s initial experience with a bloater occurs in tandem with the first large flood of various stages of infection, which results in a major bloodbath unseen before in this adaptation. Henry and Sam, having not encountered infected on a frequent basis, remind the audience of the threat these creatures still hold, increasing the gravitas of the ensuing battle.

Having the infected embodied by actors with CGI or practical effects offer more fluid motion than possible with the slightly constrained media of animation. While The Last of Us lacks the pure gore frequented in other zombie shows, such as The Walking Dead, this added realism and personalization does justice to the true horror of the scene and the frantic energy of the original game. The bloater relishes its time to shine, stomping into frame amongst the sea of ravaging runners and clickers to literally rip a man’s head from his shoulders.

The dynamics in this survival alliance allow the cast to exhibit different sides to these individuals. Giggling while chasing Sam around a bunker, Ellie enjoys a brief respite to act like a kid again, allowing viewers to see her softer, empathetic side as she tries to learn ASL to communicate better with the deaf child. Joel also breaks down his walls more to let Henry and Sam in. This insight on Joel’s evolution continues through the rest of the second half.

The Last of Us weaves in amazing foreshadowing for the latter sections of both part 1 and 2, which the show has already been renewed for. Each episode establishes well-done parallels between various characters, further portraying the differences and similarities in survivalists. Every group and individual person showcases different reactions to the world they now inhabit, including the lengths that people will go, and the directions they are heading. Some turn to communism, others cannibalism, and all exemplums illustrate the avenues of humanity.

While each episode holds its own individual story, they all are important to the overall arc of the show, no matter how insignificant they may seem at the moment. Each serves as a stepping stone to the finale, where everything Joel and Ellie have gone through to this point will come together. As with any epic quest, the journey is far more important than the destination.

A+

Award-worthy performances within a story that’s heart-breaking in the best ways possible make The Last of Us one of the best shows of the year.

by: Addi Isely

Published on March 17, 2023

Oshkosh West Index volume 119 issue VI