Pedro come home we miss you.
Welcome back to The Last of Us, where the trauma is fresh and our therapists thank HBO for sending us back to them every week.
Episode 4, titled Day One, begins with our leads Ellie & Dina arriving at Seattle to take on the WLF’s. Whilst the episode itself starts off slow it does not stay that way and this episode it is anything but an easy watch. This episode features full frontal nudity, horrible depictions of torture, and gruesome gore. But there is light within all this dark.
SPOILERS – SPOILERS – SPOILERS
Director Kate Herron, best known for her directing work on shows like Loki, presents a slow burning journey of revenge and blood lust. Whilst things right now as they’re presented too us through Ellie’s seem light hearted and care free is just a front for the serious darkness dwelling below the surface. I’ll be the first to admit I’ve been critical of Ellie seeming a bit too happy and light since Joel’s passing. But I feel that this has been deliberate plan by the direction team, nothing makes the real darker moments more impactful than when they come from a place of innocence.
On the note of innocence, something this episode conveyed greatly was this sense of wonder and nostalgia for the magical world that was modern earth before the apocalypse. Ellie and Dina browsing a music store seemed genuinely full of awe and wonder and really emphasised what our world must look like for people who grew up without seeing it. It gave me all the bubblies and feel goods and is a nice touch of light in an otherwise very confronting season.
This episode doesn’t waste introducing us to more of the WLF’s as it immediately introduces us to Isaac as played by Jeffrey Wright, and I have to say that every scene he is in he dominates. Jeffrey Wright has this commanding and charismatic presence that makes him a joy to watch, I’d have happily listened to him talk about saucers and cooking for an entire 50 minutes. Jeffrey Wright gets the honour of being a returning game cast member for the show, but not only that, he gets to play his original character from the game, Isaac Dixon.
This episode spends a substantial amount of time developing the relationship between Ellie & Dina and boy do they go through it. From some monumental highs to devastating lows within the span of about 12 hours. The beautiful scene recreation of Take On Me in the music shop, the tender embrace at the end and even sharing their deepest secrets having all that interjected with the tense scene of Dina readying herself to execute a newly bitten Ellie was just *chefs kiss*. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again but Isabella Merced has been a series stand out. Every episode she’s in has me impressed with how much she can convey without the use of dialogue.
Whilst this episode balanced its pacing far better than its predecessor I’m still left with the same feeling of knowing that we have three episodes left to wrap up a frankly huge amount of story, and for the game players who know what I’m talking about I’m only referring to the first of half of the game. It’s suspect this season will conclude at roughly the halfway mark of Part 2, but even from where we are in game we’ve barely started.
Also, where the damn hell is my man Tommy, if he doesn’t come in for the assist here I’m gonna be cranky. That said, hints are there that their’s more happening in Seattle that we don’t know about yet.
The Last of Us Season 2 continues to be a show that tries to push the envelope in how much it can torture its audience but thrive with a well written narrative. With only 3-episodes remaining I’m curious to see how and where they wrap up this part of the story. But we’ve finally reached the part in the story where things are going and they will not stop. The last 3-episodes to come will be ones to watch behind your couch.
Wait. Was that Josh Peck?
