A spoiler filled breakfast of champignons, as we reunite with Joel, Ellie and Tess.
like NOTE: THIS ARTICLE CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR BOTH THE SHOW AND THE GAME SERIES IT IS BASED ON.
Ibu soon realises that this specimen has come from a human - something seemingly impossible.
She then uses surgical scissors to further investigate inside the deceased’s mouth.
Understandably, Ibu flees from the room in horror but then comes to an even more distressing realisation.
There is no cure.
They are distrusting of Ellie, and interrogate her about what Marlene was doing with her.
As for Joel himself, he still appears a little shaken by the events of the night before.
It adds another layer of complexity to this version of Joel, with his character clearly struggling with PTSD.
With Ellie out of the room, Tess addresses his wounds, asking if his hand is broken.
Joel brushes her off, commenting that there is perhaps a hairline fracture but his hand will heal fast.
His priority is getting to Tommy, no matter the consequences to others.
A love like this can be very dangerous.
As in the game, Ellie reveals that the Fireflies are working on a cure for the infection.
I didn’t ask for this."
Again, this is dialogue lifted directly from the game.
Joel still pushes for the three to turn back and return to the QZ.
Tess, however, convinces Joel to keep going.
He agrees, but says that if Ellie “so much as twitches” he will shoot her.
Soon, Ellie, Joel and Tess come to a crossroads of sorts.
They agree to check the route ahead by scouting it out from a nearby hotel.
It is a similar move made by Nathan Drake and Chloe Frazer inNaughty Dog’sUncharted 2: Among Thieves.
Perhaps a coincidence, but as a big Uncharted fan, this amused me.
When asked if she was alone in the mall, Ellie becomes slightly shifty but claims that she was.
She also assures Tess that no one will be coming after her.
Those familiar with the game and its DLC will already know what I am talking about.
During this conversation, Ellie also asks more about the infected.
Ellie mentions"fungus spores", and Tess seems moderately amused by this suggestion.
Looking at Joel, Tess' reaction gives us an ominous feeling for things to come.
The three hear an unnerving and inhuman cry from close by.
So, no pallets for Ellie just yet.
I really like and appreciate the moment that happens next.
It’s a small moment that made me smile.
Joel comes to her side when this happens, and offers her his hand.
Ellie takes it, but soon the two release their grasp.
As Ellie walks on, Joel looks down at his hand, clearly a little surprised by this contact.
It’s a small sign of something starting to thaw in his icy demeanour.
In the game, this happens on a semi-regular basis with Joel and Ellie.
We now see more of Joel and Ellie alone.
Again, things are awkward between the two.
Joel asks about Ellie’s knife, she gives him a sarcastic response.
Ellie asks Joel about his past, he refuses to answer.
They do find a ‘safe’ topic, however, when they talk about the infected.
Joel says he has killed many infected, telling Ellie sometimes it is hard.
Thankfully, Tess returns with a new way round for them, so any awkward tension is dispelled.
In its place, however, is a nerve-inducing look at the extent of the infection in the city.
She goes on to say that the fungus also grows underground with “long fibres like wires”.
Then, the infected will know that person’s location, and hunt them down.
For me, this feels like the show’s first really hard steer away from the game.
And, oddly, this bit is actually the part of this episode I enjoyed the least.
Ellie jokes that, if it had to happen to anyone, at least it was her.
Tess seems agitated when they are all out in the fresh air again.
She has twisted her ankle and snaps at Joel when he takes a more pessimistic outlook at their situation.
As someone who has played the game I knew why this was straight away.
Tess asks Joel to leave her, and to go and watch Ellie instead.
Again, we have dialogue taken straight from the game.
The three finally make it to the rendezvous point, however there are no Fireflies to be seen.
After scouting the area, they eventually discover the dead bodies of those they were meant to meet.
They conclude one of them was bitten, and the rest began to fight between themselves.
“You get her there, you keep her alive, and you set everything right.”
Tess knows this is the end for her.
This rather emotional scene is interrupted by one of the bodies on the floor.
It is not, as we all thought, dead, and it is infected.
Fungus creeps out of the earth covered floor beneath the now dead infected, looping into its fingers.
The scene then cuts to the same thing happening to the infected we first saw from the hotel balcony.
“Save who you’ve got the option to save.”
One, however, eventually does and walks towards her with a goosebump-inducing calmness.
She drops it into the gasoline, and the building explodes.
The camera cuts back to Joel and Ellie as they witness the explosion.
Even though I knew this was coming, I cried my eyes out.
The actors deserve nothing but praise for their performances here.
I felt Tess' fear.
I felt Joel’s loss.
I felt Ellie’s shock.
I felt it all.
Well played, TV show.
For a little teaser on next week’s episode, check out the video below.
