Humor Heals All Wounds: “The Last of Us” Recap
Image Courtesy of HBO
By Luke Weidenkopf
***Spoilers for “The Last of Us”***
Breaking more records, The Last of Us soared into its fourth week as viewership rose 17%. This episode, titled “Please Hold My Hand,” focused on building the relationship between Ellie (Bella Ramsey) and Joel (Pedro Pascal). Their chemistry is the crux of the fourth installment of the series and puts the majority of the action and Infected in the background.
The episode begins with Joel and Ellie back on the road. There is still animosity between them, but there is a glow of a blossoming friendship and a possible father-daughter relationship. Ellie stole a “dad joke” book from Bill and Franks house, and throughout the episode delivers deadpan jokes to the frustration of Joel. He starts by hating the jokes but eventually cracks up and loses it when Ellie delivers the joke: “Did you know that diarrhea is hereditary? Yeah, it runs in your jeans.”
The show runners took this subtle, cliché approach to develop the personalities between these characters but Pascal and Ramsey are able to work off of this common interaction, and find a charming balance that benefits their characters and is genuinely believable.
While driving through the United States country highways, the pair find no resistance or other people until they reach Kansas City where a key road is blocked by many cars.
Joel decides to go around the pile up and drives into the city. Everything is silent and smooth going until a bloody man appears right before their eyes. Joel swerves to avoid him, but crashes into an ambush. He has Ellie run for cover and is able to kill two of three ambushers with his rifle. The last of the three surprises Joel and jumps him from behind. He chokes Joel and right before Joel passes out, Ellie comes out her hiding place and shoots the assailant in the back, saving Joel’s life. However, her shot does not kill the man and he is left on the ground screaming for mercy and his mother. Joel has Ellie hide behind a wall, and he finishes her job. Then they quickly move, as they are sure the commotion drew some sort of attention from anyone else in the area.
Joel and Elllie stumble into a building which Joel barricades. He cools down and says that “You shouldn’t have had to do that. And I’m sorry.” Ellie wipes her tears away and says “It wasn’t my first time.” Joel looks at her and his expression immediately changes, you see the loss and pain that he has experienced since we’ve first met him run across his face. Pascal conveys such loss and anger in his stature. He is angry at the situation, the world, and himself, as he is the reason why Ellie had to pull the trigger. He is also wondering why he did not just leave her, and go to Wyoming on his own.
He sees his daughter in Ellie, beginning to succumb to the paternal role he has since tried so hard to avoid since the death of Sarah. . He then takes out a gun, shows her how to hold it, and gives it to her. But the tender moment is soon interrupted by a loud crash as Joel and Ellie look outside and see the allies of their assailants searching for them.
The group in charge of Kansas City discovers the bodies of the people Joel and Ellie killed and their leader, Kathleen (Melaine Lynskey), assumes this to be the work of some mystery man, mentioned only as “Henry”, or someone associated with him. She has her militia fan out and sweep the city. Joel and Ellie see them coming and decide to find somewhere safe where they can rest before they plan their next move.
They quickly fall asleep and then Joel is woken up by Ellie talking. The camera fades in and out until a clear image of someone pointing a gun at Ellie appears. The camera pans to a child, who is wearing a superhero-like mask, who puts his finger to his mouth and then it all goes black.
Episode four drops off with the show at a clear turning point. The story has been excellent so far, and while it has begun to lack in frightening scenes it has gained in beautiful character development and heart wrenching scenes. The show creators are trying to develop a father-daughter story that happens to be set in the zombie apocalypse. They are much more concerned with the chemistry and inner workings of their characters, than the evolution of the plot.
Another excellent progression of the show is its subtle uses of the sound and score to throw the audience into the show and immerse them in the apocalypse. The show has used Joel and Ellie’s roadtrip to infuse older, somber music to transport the audience back to a simpler time and make them long for peace and safety. Those two qualities are something that neither Joel nor Ellie will find for a long time.
