The Last of Us Episode 4: The End of Innocence

We are almost halfway through the first season of The Last of Us, and with that the series increasingly begins to show the relationship of Ellie (Bella Ramsey) and Joel (Pedro Pascal) – even if it is permeated with violence and early pain for the teenager as a clear presentation of the reality of the post-apocalyptic world, as we saw in the fourth episode of the series – which comes out as a very different point from the three chapters that preceded it.

Without further ado, check out our impressions of the fourth episode of The Last of Us:

Warning: Spoilers ahead!

the first shot

In this shorter episode, the series chose to adopt a slightly slower path than in previous episodes – but still with enough content to have enough to reflect on the protagonists, specifically dividing their interactions into two acts in this chapter.

In the first act, lighter, we see the Ellie of Bella Ramsey beginning to thaw the man's aching heart. Joel by Pedro Pascal – even if the adult survivor treats her as a “commodity”, the teenager's jovial flame begins to reach the veteran, through a curious and terrible book of jokes with a good part of its content delivered by the young woman at the top of her lungs.

You've probably been in a social cycle with new people and had a joke so bad as your only interaction weapon that it simply made a lot of people sketch a shy giggle (or I have strange experiences, who knows), then see slight smiles blooming in Joel while Ellie tells the quips contained in the book is undeniably satisfying and also cozy, ensuring that the series, however set in a terrible world, does not descend completely into the darkness of a hopeless universe. 

But even with love stories or interactions between extremely comfortable travel partners, it is not possible to forget the reality outside these bubbles in the world of The Last of Us – and this is what the second act of the episode shows, when, upon arriving in the city of Kansas, our two protagonists suffer a violent and intense ambush by some survivors of the place.

The scene is strong: the struggle of Joel against their tormentors is grotesque and brutal, showing that conflicts for survival are very different from cinematic choreography. Does not exist glamorous here, there is only pain and an almost animal instinct to try as hard as possible to live to see the sun the next day – a situation that would almost be taken from Joel if not for the intervention of Ellie, who shoots a person for the first time in his life.

At that moment, the mask of the strong, transgressive and determined girl that we have been presented in all the episodes of the series until then falls, giving way to someone who is completely insecure about what she has just done – so much so that she did not even manage to make the shot fatal, doing with Joel finishing off the aggressor. 

With Ellie completely shaken by his action and with Joel now owing her his life, their relationship has completely changed - but we'll only see the true ramifications of that in the coming episodes.

Omen for something terrible

In the last act of the episode, we are introduced to the side of Joel and Ellie's aggressors, through the leader Kathleen (Melanie Lynskey), a character completely blind in her revenge plan against Henry e Sat.. The two brothers targeted by the character's persecution are known to fans of the games, being responsible for one of the most memorable arcs of the franchise, while Kathleen is a character created for the series, and with tones that recall most of the personalities present in The Last of Us Part 2 – especially with her not caring about her welfare or that of her soldiers, even with the possible presence of an infected among them, focused only on murdering those responsible for her brother's death.

the stories of Henry e Sat., Kathleen e Joel e Ellie will still be critically connected, and with possible news in relation to the game – the episode ends with the two brothers pointing guns at our newly awakened protagonists in an abandoned hotel, opening that memorable arc but which will possibly have unprecedented content in the adaptation.

How much more will this develop the relationship of Joel e Ellie, however, we will only know in the next episodes. For now, we're just left with the shock that so many pieces are moving to an arc that was originally pretty straightforward — and how much that will impact our protagonists, as in the game, this is the moment that shifts and unites the most. veteran and teen, without needing a third point of view to pave the way for the title's satisfying conclusion.

directions taken

In general, I found this the weakest episode of the series so far – which, in a sequence of excellence, just means that it doesn't have as many good points as the previous chapters. 

In any case, it is interesting to observe how they continue to bring news even in moments that seemed more difficult to add content. In the presence of Kathleen, a character exclusive to the series and who seems to be a reference to The Last of Us Part 2 adds a lot to the context of the arc of Henry e Sat., and I'm really curious to see how things will unfold - to the point where I can't even come up with a "Speculation Corner” this time since everything seems to go out of my scope.

But the fact is that time with each new episode of The Last of Us remains the best hour of television I can ask for on a weekly basis. I hope the quality continues until the end - but honestly, considering what we've seen so far, I think it's hard for them to lose their hand.

The Last of Us airs weekly on HBO and HBO Max. Due to the Super Bowl, the fifth episode will premiere on Friday instead of Sunday. 

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Text proofread by: Pedro Bomfim