Spoiler Alert: This summary and review contains spoilers.
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We get to meet Henry properly and understand why he did what he did, but whether or not that will allow Joel to trust him is a whole different story.
| Aired (HBO) | February 10 2023 |
| Director(s) | Jeremy Webb |
| Writer(s) | Craig Mazin |
| Newly Noted Characters | |
| Henry | Lamar Johnson |
| Previously Noted Characters | |
| Perry | Jeffrey Pierce |
| Kathleen | Melanie Lynskey |
| Sam | Keivonn Montreal Woodard |
| Ellie | Bella Ramsey |
| Joel | Pedro Pascal |
Recap
This content contains pertinent spoilers. Also, images and text in this post may contain affiliate links which, if a purchase is made from those sites, we may earn money or products from the company.
I Am Not My Brother – Perry, Kathleen
It was only 11 days. That is how long Kansas City, nicknamed Kill City because of how FEDRA ruled through murder and rape, had been liberated. However, because of her need for vengeance, Kathleen cost everyone everything. But in her defense, her darkness ran deep because Henry’s betrayal put out the light of her life, Michael.
Her brother, one of the other leaders of the revolution, was a kind man who played a role in getting the people together. However, he also was someone who wanted a peaceful revolution. Heck, even after Henry’s betrayal, he asked Kathleen for forgiveness and to not hold a grudge.
But, as Perry makes clear, while a great man, Michael couldn’t get done what Kathleen has and the military are fully committed to whatever she wants or needs to get done. Including killing Henry to avenge one of their former leaders.
I’m Not a Murderer, But I Killed Someone – Henry, Sam, Ellie, Joel
While meeting someone with a gun pointed at you isn’t the best way to start a partnership, Sam, Joel, Henry, and Ellie do learn to get along. At first, it is because Henry knows a way out of the city and needs Joel in case there are clickers. But, as time goes on, and we see Ellie and Sam bond over comics and being young, the adults eventually come to be willing to rely on each other.
Joel even finds it in his heart to practice empathy after it is revealed that Henry screwed over Michael so that Sam could get drugs to keep him alive after a leukemia diagnosis. Which, for a hardened man like Joel, is notable.
Sometimes, No Matter What You Do Or Feel, It’s Not Enough – Kathleen, Perry, Sam, Ellie, Joel, Henry
Through tunnels and then at the outskirts of Kansas City, the good times come to an end. It begins with Kathleen and Perry finding out where Henry and Joel are, thanks to a sniper who lives in the residential outskirts, just before anyone can clear Kansas City. Joel is able to kill him, but not quick enough for an escape.
This leads to Kathleen forcing Henry out of hiding and almost killing him. However, before Kathleen coaxed Henry out, Joel was shooting up a storm to slow down Kathleen and her liberation army’s offensive, and he got one truck driver who crashed into a house. The truck exploded, sank into the basement, and clickers, including a bloater, were released. This made it so Kathleen had to move her gun from being pointed at Henry to the clickers, and even Perry, ready to have his team take out Joel, got distracted.
Ultimately, this leads to Perry and Kathleen dying, and while Joel, Sam, Henry, and Ellie get away, Sam is bitten. Ellie had hoped just rubbing her blood on the wound would save Sam, but it didn’t. He attacks her in the morning, and Joel is kept from helping Ellie as Henry threatens him. But when he realizes he doesn’t have a choice, he kills Sam, then kills himself.
The loss of her first friend in a long time weighs heavy on Ellie, and she pushes down her feelings, similar to what we’ve seen Joel do, and just wants to move on after Joel buries them.
Things To Note
- Sam’s actor is actually deaf
Question(s) Left Unanswered
- Is Fedra completely disconnected? Is there a central government of any kind?
- How does one overthrow FEDRA?
- Will Kathleen’s mom take over the resistance since her kids are dead?
What Could Happen Next
- Ellie starts to become a bit more like Joel and is distant and wary of making connections with people
Review
Notable Performances or Moments
Henry and Sam’s Death Scene
While someone dies in nearly every episode of “The Last of Us,” there is something different about Henry and Sam. Maybe it was because they were young, with Sam only being 8 years old? Perhaps it was because, unlike most who we’ve seen die thus far, these weren’t hardened people who have done morally ambiguous or outright wrong things?
It’s hard to say, but I know that when Henry panicked, as Sam was attacking Ellie, and didn’t know what to do, that was the most intense moment this show has had for me. For while we know there is still so much Joel and Ellie are supposed to do, for a moment, knowing what happens in the games was set aside, and we were just in the moment, unsure what was going to happen. Including being left discombobulated when Henry killed himself.
Lack Of A Significant Flashback
“The Last Of Us,” to flesh out what the game didn’t cover, loves a good flashback and additional exposition. Luckily, when it comes to world-building and adding additional information or history when it comes to characters, this episode shows that going forward, we should expect more of a balance. Rather than go deep into the past, to the point the present and future feel like an afterthought, there was a balance. We learned of Kathleen’s history, as well as Henry, and Kansas City, while the story is allowed to push forward.
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