The “Last of Us” episode 5 aired early on Friday due to the Super Bowl, which was a great surprise. It’s even more special as it is easily my favorite episode so far. Jeremy Webb directed this episode, just like the previous one, making him the first director this season to direct more than one episode.
At the start of the episode, we see Sam and Henry a few days before the events of episode 4, and we get a glimpse into their perspective of some of the events we saw in episode 4. We also learn about their dynamic and how they worked together.
We see how Sam and Henry survived in the attic and how they were running out of food. The person who was helping them is the same person who was killed in episode 4 and we find out why he never returned.
When Henry witnesses Joel fighting off the hunters, he sees someone who could potentially lead them out of the city safely and decides to confront him. The episode then picks up from where it left off in episode 4.
Joel is initially very hesitant, but Ellie finds it hilarious. Their adorable dynamic is developing and the actors have amazing chemistry. Henry is finally able to explain to Joel that there is a way out of the city through the underground tunnels, and he believes there are no infected there. Joel agrees to work with Henry and together they escape Kathleen and her followers.
One of the best scenes in the series so far is the conversation between Joel and Henry, where Henry admits to doing something very wrong in the past. He explains that he gave up Kathleen’s brother to save his own brother Sam, which got him killed.
He doesn’t feel like a good man because of that. Joel, who was a father at one point, is able to tell just by his demeanor and the way he acts around Ellie. This is one of the best written and acted scenes in the show, with Pedro Pascal and Lamar Johnson delivering amazing performances.
The relationship between Ellie and Sam is also explored, as we see Ellie interact with another young person and act like a kid. The episode continues to get better, as they escape the underground tunnels and are attacked by a sniper.
Joel goes to the house to find the sniper and kills him, but realizes that he was a lookout for Kathleen and her followers. A tense set piece ensues, with Joel and Ellie fighting off the infected and Kathleen’s followers.
After they escape, Joel, Henry, Ellie, and Sam rest in a motel. They agree to go to Wyoming together, and Ellie and Sam have a fun conversation about comics. However, the episode takes a dark turn as Sam reveals that he was bitten and attacks Ellie.
Henry is forced to kill his own brother and unable to deal with what just happened, turns the gun on himself. The episode ends with them burying Sam and Henry, and Ellie leaving a note that says “I’m sorry” on Sam’s grave.
This episode was intense, dark, character-driven, and everything I wanted in a show like “The Last of Us.” The show has deviated from the game in many good ways and paid tribute to the game in all the right ways. This is easily the best episode so far.
