This article contains spoilers for the television series The Last of Us. Don’t read unless you’ve seen episodes one through four…
After the harrowing two-handed Bill and Frank extravaganza, here we saw Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey) return to center stage as they embark on an epic road trip and adjust to life after Tess.
Everything was going smoothly until they reached Kansas City, where the roads were blocked and they needed to find a detour. Of course, this being The Last of Us, nothing can go as planned. After a quick firefight, in which Joel quickly took out two of his attackers, a third took advantage of Joel’s poor hearing to sneak up and get the best of him. Fortunately, Ellie, who had been begging for a gun, had hidden one of her own while she was rummaging through Bill’s house and used it, saving Joel. I’m sure he wanted to be disappointed, but how could he be anything but pleased. Later, she gave her ward some advice on stance and grip for her troubles.
Ellie, for her part, said she had killed before. To whom could she refer? (I don’t think she was referring to the trapped Infected she stabbed in the head in the bunker.)
We then met Kathleen (Yellowjackets star Melanie Lynskey), the leader of a local band of revolutionaries who have apparently risen up to overthrow the Federal Disaster Response Agency (Phaedra), which is in control of the city, and dismantle the quarantine zone. The group’s rule is as terrifying as Phaedra’s, with Kathleen hell-bent on finding Henry (Lamar Johnson) and his little brother Sam (Keivonn Woodard). It’s not clear why (something about giving Phaedra information), but she talks to the doctor about her brother’s being beaten to death, and pulls out a list of names of people she’s looking for, “collaborators,” and then rushes. her back to the cell to calmly kill the doctor. She may have an absolutely harmless voice, but don’t be fooled: she’s a ruthless person.
As the militia searched everywhere for the children and the mysterious strangers we know to be Joel and Ellie, we saw a strange ripple on the ground. It’s never a good sign, especially in the survival horror genre… “When do we tell the others?” said Kathleen’s bearded right-hand man Perry (Jeffrey Pierce). “Not yet,” Kathleen said. “Let’s handle what we have to handle. We can deal with this later. That definitely sounds like a sensible suggestion that won’t bother you again.
Ambush city limits
As Joel and Ellie made their way to the top of that scary looking staircase, she hoped something was waiting for them as they climbed up, Ellie seemed surprised to learn a bit more about her traveling companion. Joel was so quick to spot the earlier ambush because he had done similar things to Tommy and Tess in the past. He’s also 56, and his hearing is probably even worse than he’s let on, a result of shooting too many guns.
However, Ellie wasn’t the only one who had questions, as Joel picked up on something Ellie had said earlier about hurting people. “What did you mean it wasn’t your first time?” he asked her. “I don’t want to talk about it,” was his reply, his reassurance failing when she admitted that this life doesn’t get any easier as you get older. It’s the closest they’ve come to a normal conversation and ultimately a bond. Thanks to the minimal script and excellent performances by Pascal and Ramsey, it’s entirely believable.
They fell asleep, but Joel’s hearing is totally damaged; even their glass-on-the-floor trick didn’t stop Henry and Sam from sneaking up on them. What a show to wake up to; two kids with guns. Let’s just hope they’re not as dangerous as Kathleen thinks they are. I have a feeling they’re not…
Notes and observations
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One person commenting on the recap of the first episode suggested that it was ridiculous that gasoline-powered cars would still work in a world without gasoline production, correctly stating that fuel has a lifespan. It was nice that that was addressed here, with Joel explaining why he and Ellie had to stop for gas so often. “It’s basically water.” Bleak_T_W, I hope you enjoyed it.
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I liked Joel’s attempt to explain how siphons work. Something, something, gravity is also about the extent of my understanding.
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Ellie’s book, No Pun Intended: Volume Too, is straight out of the video game. It was an artifact first seen as a collectible in The Last of Us Pt I and later in the expansion spinoff The Last of Us: Left Behind. It was written by Will Livingston.
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The Hank Williams song playing in the truck was aptly titled Alone and Forsaken.
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Lincoln, Massachusetts, where Joel and Ellie picked up Bill’s truck, is about 2,500 miles from Jackson, Wyoming, where they are headed. In a good race, with efficient fuel and no military roadblocks, it would take about 39 hours to drive.
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If you think eating 20-year-old canned ravioli is bad, here’s a video of someone eating canned soup 90 years old.
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Jeffrey Pierce, who plays Perry, provided the voice of Tommy in the video games. He was cast as Joel’s brother after an initial audition for the role of Joel.
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The closing song was a cover by New Order. True Faith by Lotte Kestner. (That link is safe, but a warning to anyone wanting more information on that cover version: spoilers abound, and the YouTube comments section is not your friend!)
What did you think of episode four? Enjoying things so far? Who are Henry and Sam? What is that underground? Give us your opinion below…
