It does not mean that it is an exact copy of the original video. just like The last of us’ first episode, the series has moments where its dialogue is taken directly from the game, but also expands the world with new scenes and characters. The show opens with Joel siphoning gas from an abandoned car to his truck and Ellie asking where people were returning to in the day with a full tank of gas. Joel’s despondent response of “nowhere” not only highlights a flaw in our own society, but is perhaps fraught with guilt for never having taken Sarah anywhere either.
They hit the road, destination Kanas City this time, not Pittsburgh like the game. But other than that, plenty of the moments are straight out of the game, from Ellie discovering Bill’s erotic magazine to reading puns from his joke book (exceptional in its field, you crack me up). Joel starts the episode by reiterating that Ellie is nothing more than cargo but is willing to stay up all night to keep her the first night. Towards the end of the episode, he smiles and laughs with her as she tells more puns. Joel begins to see her not as cargo but as a person, someone who has spent her entire life in the quarantine zone, unaware of the wonders of life before the outbreak.
When they arrive in Kanas City, which is plagued with abandoned cars (the set design continues to be a highlight of the series), a familiar setup for those playing the game will ensue, with a raider simulating an injury and calling for help. Joel, who says he’s been on both sides of this scam, doesn’t stop for him because it really is an ambush. The truck is damaged and they end up in a laundry mat where Joel fights them off. He nearly died but is saved thanks to Ellie and Frank’s gun. The encounter lulls them both; Joel is shaken to know that Ellie had to shoot a man, something no one her age should do, while Ellie is somewhat troubled by Joel’s murder of an unarmed robber who turned himself in . Ellie later asks Joel about ever killing innocent people, a question he outright dodges, making us wonder how sleazy Joel is.
But there is a fair amount of original content in the series, mostly around the character of Kathleen. She is the leader of the people of Kansas and is looking for a man named Henry. When her people find the bodies in the laundry mat, she assumes Henry is responsible and tells her troops to scour the town in search of him. Through research, the audience learns that there is a child traveling with Henry, drawing a parallel to Joel and Ellie, and Henry and Sam, who are revealed in the episode’s final footage, holding our leads at gunpoint. of a weapon. Who these two remains a mystery for now, but we’ll have the answers sooner than you think, as episode five airs this Friday instead of Sunday to avoid losing viewers at the Superbowl, so score your calendars!
Episode four of The last of us didn’t have the same emotional punch as last week’s episode, but it gave Joel and Ellie time to start trusting each other and bonding. Considering the show will be grounded in their relationship, it was a must to see Joel warm up to her and make the effort to protect her because she’s a person, not because she’s cargo. The score, taken from the game, evoked the right emotional cues and the foundation is now set for the rest of the show. Bring it on.
Add comment