‘The Last of Us’ Episode 5 Recap: A Twisty Tale of Two Brothers

The Last of Us episode 5 got here to HBO and HBO Max on Friday, leaping again to Ellie and Joel (Bella Ramsey and Pedro Pascal) after their sleep was rudely interrupted by two guys wielding weapons. The encounter got here because the smuggler and his teen buddy tried to flee Kansas City.

The Midtwestern metropolis been taken over by a militant group led by the vengeful Kathleen (Melanie Lynskey from Yellowjackets). Her brother Michael was killed by FEDRA (the Federal Disaster Response Agency), which runs quarantine zones with the remnants of the US navy and represents one of many final remaining bits of the federal government. 

This can be an interruption to our heroes’ actual quest — getting Ellie to the Fireflies, a insurgent group that wishes to copy her immunity to the fungal an infection that is turned billions of individuals into monsters.

The pair holding Ellie and Joel at gunpoint will probably be acquainted to anybody who’s performed the PlayStation sport that impressed the present, however followers is likely to be stunned by how a lot the variation provides to their backstory. Time for SPOILERS as we dive into the darkish episode 5. 

FEDRA’s fall

The episode opens with a flashback exhibiting how Kathleen’s civilian militia pressure overthrew FEDRA 10 days earlier than Joel and Ellie acquired into city — the folks rose up in opposition to this oppressive pressure and just about slaughtered its members within the streets. It’s graphic and horrible, and 8-year-old Sam (Keivonn Woodard) witnesses a few of this violence as his older brother Henry (Lamar Johnson) rushes him into hiding in an attic. 

Talking to a bunch of captive FEDRA collaborators, Kathleen affords them mercy in change for Henry’s location. One of the folks talks, however she orders her goons to kill the complete group anyway. It looks like her quest for vengeance has left her devoid of mercy.

Shortly earlier than they depart their hiding place, Henry comforts his younger sibling by portray a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles bandanna (in Raphael pink) throughout his face. It appears superior, and it is a good second of aid from all of the depth.  

Unlike within the sport, Sam is deaf — the identical is true of actor Keivonn Woodard in actual life. It’s a captivating change, and it makes the character’s dynamic with Henry and Ellie much more participating.

Crossing paths

Henry spots Joel taking out a bunch of Kathleen’s scavenger crew, and he realizes our hero might help him and Sam get out of town. Despite Joel’s “asshole voice,” they type a tenuous alliance and enter the subterranean upkeep tunnels.

FEDRA managed to clear town of contaminated by forcing them into these tunnels. Unbeknown to Kathleen and firm, FEDRA apparently cleared the monsters out. The camerawork and lighting when our quartet enters the tunnels is fairly chic too.

We later study that Henry collaborated with FEDRA in order that Sam might get remedy for leukemia. He had to surrender Kathleen’s resistance chief brother for this. Joel initially dismisses Henry as a rat however finally acknowledges that he was proper to do no matter it took to maintain Sam protected. 

A heartbreaking side-story

The sewer dwelling area the place Ellie, Joel, Henry and Sam briefly take a breather is empty, nevertheless it was clearly a spot the place folks managed to outlive for a very long time. Joel spots a toddler’s drawing of two folks holding weapons, with the caption “Danny, Ish, our protectors.” 

If this has piqued your curiosity, we find out about these folks’s fates within the sport via notes which might be scattered round. That model of occasions takes place in Pittsburgh, however the names and the present’s set are the identical, so it is doubtless occasions performed out equally. Be warned although, it is terrible.

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In the wake of the outbreak, Susan, Kyle and their kids ran right into a survivor named Ish, who introduced them to his hideout within the metropolis’s sewer system. Their survivor neighborhood grew to just about 50 folks (together with a man referred to as Danny), they usually carved out somewhat haven below the postapocalyptic hell above.

Unfortunately, regardless of Ish, Kyle and Danny’s greatest efforts to take care of safety, the contaminated finally acquired in via “one open door” and spoiled the entire thing. 

Kyle barricaded himself and a few youngsters in a room, inadvertently trapping all of them. Instead of letting these kids starve or get contaminated, he shot all of them, lined them in a sheet and scrawled, “They didn’t suffer” on the ground. Then he took his personal life.

“Jesus Christ,” says Joel on seeing the stays. It’s grim stuff all proper.

Kyle’s spouse Susan managed to get out with Ish and another youngsters, however she was devastated concerning the lack of her household and tried to return to the sewers. Ish managed to cease her.

“Every part of my being just wants to give up. It’d be so easy to surrender to this world. I can’t do that, though. I have too much faith in humanity,” his closing notice reads. “I’ve seen that we’re still capable of good. We can make it. I have to stay strong … for her.”

It’s unknown what occurred to them after that time, however let’s assume they acquired someplace protected and lived fortunately ever after. That appears doubtless on this hellish fictional world, proper?

The different aspect

In a sequence that performs out equally to a piece of the sport, the tunnels lead our heroes into suburbia, the place a sniper’s bullet cuts via their jovial ambiance. Joel manages to sneak up and take the man out, however not earlier than he requires backup. Kathleen and her henchman Perry lead an enormous pressure to their location, they usually lure Ellie, Henry and Sam. 

She understands that Henry betrayed her brother to avoid wasting Sam, however she makes it clear that the children will not be allowed to dwell.

“Did you ever stop to think that maybe he was supposed to die?” she says. “This is what happens when you fuck with fate.”

Just as she prepares to shoot Henry, a mass of contaminated climb up from underground and butcher Kathleen’s forces. The large one is named a Bloater within the video games — these late-stage contaminated are tremendous robust and robust, as evidenced when this one rips Perry’s head proper off. Kathleen is slain by a toddler that is remodeled right into a Clicker, which leaps on her and rips her to shreds.

A darkish twist

Ellie, Joel, Sam and Henry seemingly escape unscathed and discover an outdated motel to relaxation in (this additionally occurs in a lot the identical approach within the sport). Ellie theatrically reads comics with Sam whereas the 2 males sleep within the subsequent room, however the younger fella is clearly distracted. 

“If you turn into a monster, is it still you inside?” he writes in a notice, gearing Ellie and us up for an emotional gut-punch.

He reveals to his new buddy that he acquired bitten within the commotion, which is principally a dying sentence. Disclosing her immunity to Sam, she smears a few of her blood on his wound. Which looks like a good suggestion, however neither of them appear satisfied. Neither of them make these admissions within the sport. 

Ellie additionally agrees to remain up with the nervous Sam, however she dozes off. She awakens to search out him sitting up and dealing with away from her, quickly discovering that the an infection has taken maintain. Sam is gone — although his continued deafness suggests remnant of his human self stays — changed by a savage monster that assaults her.

Their tussle brings them into the room with the adults, the place Henry picks up a gun and shoots the little brother he sacrificed a lot for. He briefly goals the weapon at Joel earlier than turning it on himself and pulling the set off.

“Oh God,” says Joel as he, Ellie and each viewers member tries to course of this horrible scene.

Saying goodbye

Ellie and Joel bury their misplaced mates close by, and {the teenager} locations the Magic Slate reusable notepad she’d been utilizing to speak to Sam on the boy’s grave. 

“I’m sorry,” it reads. 

Despite being emotionally distraught, the 2 proceed their journey west to search out Joel’s brother Tommy and the Fireflies. That was tough.

Episode 6 of The Last of Us hits HBO Max subsequent Sunday, Feb. 19.