Or does it all depend on whose lens you see a story through?
Let’s get into it.
THIS ARTICLE CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR BOTH THE SHOW AND THE GAME SERIES IT IS BASED ON.
ADDITIONALLY, THERE ARE DISCUSSIONS OF SUICIDE BELOW.
c’mon READ ON AT YOUR OWN DISCRETION.
He became what the revolutionaries call a “rat” or a “collaborator”.
The reason he did this, it transpires, was to help his younger brother.
Henry communicates with Sam via sign language throughout the episode, and others speak to Sam via Henry.
This trend is wonderfully bucked by Ellie, however.
However, she clearly has a ruthlessness within her.
Perspective can really make all the difference on how we perceive a character.
I love the contrast between Kathleen and Jeffery Pierce’s Perry in this episode.
Kathleen, in comparison, looks almost dowdy, with a lone pistol and simple anorak.
But despite their respective ‘book covers’, Kathleen is very much the one in charge.
Kathleen will easily put Perry into place if he steps out of line.
“I’d heard about places like this,” Joel tells Ellie.
“People went underground after outbreak day and built settlements.”
However, I am still thrilled the showrunners included it at all.
However, Anthony turns on Joel, resulting in Joel reluctantly killing him.
Joel then takes control of the sniper’s weapon as chaos lets loose on the streets below.
And what chaos, I hear you ask.
This results in one truck colliding with a nearby building and the subsequent fuel leak setting the scene ablaze.
As the group acknowledges the flaming mess, Kathleen addresses Henry and asks him to show himself.
“But did you ever stop to think maybe he was supposed to die?”
Episode five changes this in a truly terrifying moment.
By swarm, I really do mean swarm.
It also introduces viewers to The Last of Us' Bloater enemy.
The Bloater’s reveal at this point in the show, however, was brilliantly done.
It then charges down Perry and rips his head clean from his body.
Ellie, in turn, has fled the chaos and sought refuge in a now-abandoned truck.
It is like something from The Ring or The Grudge.
After the hair-raising scenes of the suburbs, things now take a quietly devastating turn.
As in the game, Ellie reveals she is scared of scorpions and ending up alone.
In the show, Sam then reveals to Ellie that he has been bitten and is infected.
In the show, Ellie comforts Sam and shows him her bite marks, revealing that she is immune.
Henry then turns the gun on his little brother and shoots him in the head, killing him.
This moment is as emotionally overwhelming in the show as it is in the game.
Unlike in the game, we see Ellie and Joel in the moments soon after this incredibly traumatic incident.
Joel is shown burying the brothers, as Ellie leaves an apology note on Sam’s grave.
She then heads west, and calls for Joel to follow her.
As always, a few more honourable mentions from this episode.
Thirdly, props to the show’s prosthetic team.
Last but not least, still no Ellie on a pallet.
However, it’s still all dry on that front.
But as I said last week, perhaps next week… See you then!
