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Ellie proves her worth as she is tasked with getting food, protecting Joel, and showing her loyalty.
| Aired (HBO) | March 5, 2023 |
| Director(s) | Ali Abbasi |
| Writer(s) | Craig Mazin |
| Newly Noted Characters | |
| David | Scott Shepherd |
| Previously Noted Characters | |
| Joel | Pedro Pascal |
| Ellie | Bella Ramsey |
Recap
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A Predator In A Shepherd’s Clothing – David
David is the leader of a group that lives in a vacation resort that has come under hard times. The winter has been harsh, and the game has been limited, but David has used faith and religion to keep the people going. It isn’t going to work forever, this is clear, but he has already enacted a backup plan that only a select few are aware of.
I Know Who You Are – David, Joel, Ellie
Ellie is still alone as Joel spends most of his days on his back trying to recover. She has stitched him up, but it seems he is infected. But, while infected, he is alive, so Ellie still has a fighting chance. But, if he doesn’t receive the food he needs, he’ll starve, which will complicate things. So, she goes out hunting, and who does she run into? David.
At first, this isn’t so terrible since David is nice, and she catches him and his companion off guard. Add in she took down a deer, and they are willing to trade half of it for Penicillin, it seemed like a good day. However, then David reveals the group that attacked her and Joel and left him in a basement, that was them, and by killing one of their own, revenge is on the mind of many.
David, however, tries to befriend Ellie, making it seem he’ll protect her, but it isn’t clear why and Ellie is not interested. David’s people, though, who want vengeance, believe both Ellie and Joel should be brought to justice, with Joel executed – potentially on sight.
A Will To Survive – Ellie, David, Joel
But, rather than immediately go after Joel and Ellie, David’s people give them a day. After all, David makes his reveal as Ellie is given Penicillin for Joel, and they do have a deer to take back with them, as Ellie left it behind. The next day, however, they are on the hunt, and with Ellie not covering her tracks well, they end up in her neighborhood.
Thus, she gives Joel a knife and uses her horse to antagonize David’s people and draw them away from Joel. Unfortunately, they shoot the horse, and she falls off and ends up unconscious, leading to her being imprisoned. Luckily, Joel, despite the situation he was in previously, quickly is able to leap into action and take down three or four guys.
Meanwhile, Ellie is fighting for her life as David reveals he is a cannibal and has been feeding his people human meat. Ellie he sees as an equal, unlike the rest, and wants her to join him in a way that seems to be potentially romantic. Ellie is not for this and continues to fight David, leading to him attempting to kill her. So, to buy time, Ellie reveals she is bitten and claims to be infected.
This freaks out David and his partner long enough for Ellie to temporarily get the upper hand and begin a cat-and-mouse game with David. One that ends with David dead, Ellie escaping his torture chamber, and Joel coming onto the scene just in time for them to run off together.
Things To Note
Question(s) Left Unanswered
- Was David a pedophile?
- How did Joel, after such a deep wound, some stitching, and two shots of Penicillin, bounce back like that?
- Where was the rest of the people we saw in the resort when Joel got to Ellie?
What Could Happen Next
- With Joel calling Ellie “Baby Girl,” I do believe whatever reservations or boundaries he made are gone, thus meaning a closer relationship than ever.
Review
Notable Performances or Moments
Ellie’s Handling Of David
While we know Ellie has long been scrappy, there was something about David that pushes the need to ask if there’s more to her story than we know. Did anything happen as an orphan, with only Riley looking out for her? The way FEDRA has been portrayed, them taking advantage of a girl like her seems possible.
That aside, whether that happened or not, I think the way Ellie handled David showed that she is dangerous beyond most comprehension. Not only in terms of her being able to mentally go toe to toe with psychopaths but being agile and violent enough to take them down.
On The Fence
Joel Bouncing Back So Quick
I need to ask, how much time has passed since Joel got stabbed? Him going from laying on the ground, often motionless, with a deep, infected wound, to taking out people again after a stitching by Ellie and two shots of Penicillin? That doesn’t make sense.
Mind you, am I glad Joel is back in action? Yes. But I find it hard to believe he can take down at least three men and get to Ellie, in the middle of hostile territory, as quickly and easily as he did.
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