‘The Last Of Us’ Episode 5 Recap And Review: Kansas City Blues

The Final Of Us aired two days early this weekend relatively than delay per week to keep away from battle with the Tremendous Bowl this coming Sunday. That’s in all probability a smart transfer on HBO’s half, and it’s actually good for followers. Sadly, the episode fell a bit of in need of what’s come earlier than this season, and I can’t assist however suppose it’s partly as a result of what works in a online game simply doesn’t all the time translate to a TV present or movie adaptation, particularly when the difference has a fairly severe tone and (principally) looks like premiere tv.

I discussed this a bit final week, however in the end discovered the video ‘gamey-ness’ of that episode endearing relatively than off-putting. When bandits waylay our heroes in Kansas Metropolis, the following shoot-out options NPC dialogue that was principally plucked from the online game, and it was fairly corny. That felt like a pleasant nod to Naughty Canine’s recreation. This week, whereas there have been some robust moments, felt quite a bit weaker than what’s come earlier than.

The online game bit in Episode 5 that I’m referring to is the Bloater. Bloaters are a kind of Cordyceps mutant-zombie-monster that’s not simply extra disfigured and delicate to sound just like the Clickers we’ve met earlier, it’s just about lined head-to-toe with fungal progress, and someway it’s grown into a large. These are probably the most harmful forms of enemies in The Final Of Us, a uncommon fourth-stage evolution of the contaminated which might be highly effective, aggressive and lethal, but additionally gradual and clumsy.

Even within the video games I didn’t actually just like the Bloaters. They felt probably the most out-of-place of all of the contaminated, like one thing you’d add to a recreation simply to make enemies extra diverse. Within the present, the Bloater simply appeared tremendous goofy to me. This can be a present that’s been fairly gritty and real looking to this point (fortunately not simply grim, as there are many humorous and tender moments additionally) however on this episode that realism got here toppling down the second the Bloater appeared. And I knew it was coming. I simply hoped it could work higher than it did. Certain, it’s form of an “oh shit!” second however . . . then it simply feels kinda tacky.

What did work on this scene have been the remainder of the contaminated pouring out of the outlet within the earth and overwhelming Kathleen and her thugs. The little woman Clicker was tremendous terrifying and creepy and positively overshadowed the Bloater for me. She will get Kathleen in the long run, which was a pleasant contact. I used to be getting M3GAN vibes big-time.

As for Kathleen and her goons . . . I’ve to say I really feel form of letdown. I used to be enthusiastic about this character final week, as a result of I really like Melanie Lynskey in Yellowjackets, however we actually didn’t get sufficient of her or her folks to actually justify their existence. A smaller group of dangerous guys searching Henry and Sam—possibly even a bunch of scary white supremacist sorts—would have been quite a bit scarier and narratively efficient. As an alternative we get all these imprecise particulars about Kathleen’s brother who Henry betrayed to FEDRA to save lots of Sam’s life and Kathleen and Henry each discuss how nice he was after which . . . contaminated come pouring out of the earth, there’s a gunfight, a bunch of individuals die and Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey) escape with Henry (Lamar Johnson) and Sam (Keivonn Woodard) and get the hell out of Dodge. Or, effectively, out of Kansas Metropolis (which was Pittsburgh within the recreation).

The perfect elements within the episode have been between Sam and Ellie who turn into quick pals instantly. I beloved all these moments—proper as much as the bitter finish. We’re reminded—as is Joel—that Ellie actually is a child. She’s 14 and Sam, who’s deaf, is 8, however they hit it off so effectively and the childlike facet of Ellie, sans all her posturing and snark, comes out in spades. The 2 are lovely, which makes the ending much more terrible and horrific.

I assume I want the present had leaned extra into the connection developed between these 4 characters relatively than spend a lot time on Kathleen and her individuals who, in the long run, felt nearly pointless. We might have had some faceless hunters chasing down Henry and Sam and it could have labored higher, permitting extra time for the 4 good guys to bond on-screen. Take out the Bloater additionally and have an analogous showdown with the hunters, hunted and contaminated (although scaled approach down as a result of we simply don’t want 75 goons chasing down our heroes in huge zombie-proof vehicles, this isn’t Mad Max!) and I assure it could have felt extra intimate and labored higher.

In the long run, Sam is bitten and divulges this to Ellie who cuts herself, telling him that her blood is drugs. She wipes it on his lower and he asks her if she’ll keep awake with him. In fact, she ought to have gone and advised the adults, however she says she’ll sit with him after which she falls asleep. Within the morning, she wakes up and sees Sam sitting on the sting of the mattress and he or she should suppose that her blood drugs labored as a result of she goes over to him and touches his shoulder. That’s when he turns round, enamel bared, eyes crimson, snarling and feral and lunges at her. She screams and races into the opposite room the place Joel and Henry watch in horror.

Joel makes for the youngsters however Henry pulls a gun, tells him to cease. Henry is in shock, clearly doesn’t know what to do, however doesn’t need Joel to do something both. However when Sam leaps for Ellie and he or she screams, he acts on intuition and shoots his child brother within the head. Horrified, he says “What did I do? What did I do?” Joel tells him to provide him the gun, however Henry factors the gun at his personal head and pulls the set off. And identical to that, their two new pals are lifeless.

They bury them exterior of the little motel and head off, on foot, towards Wyoming. As Joel finishes protecting the our bodies with grime, he appears down on the little Etch-a-Sketch pad that Sam carried round and sees the phrases “I’m Sorry” written on it.

Verdict

That is each the darkest, most dispiriting episode of the season to this point and the one which clicked with me the least. Every little thing to do with Sam and Henry and Ellie and Joel labored nice, however every thing else felt sloppy and tacked on, like items glued collectively that didn’t fairly match. Kathleen and her folks felt directly like an excessive amount of and too little, numerous further baggage added for little or no payoff. Not like the marvelous Invoice and Frank story (which additionally didn’t actually sync with the principle plot) this advised a narrative that actually didn’t transfer the needle a lot. The majority of the emotional weight came about between the 4 heroes, with the rebels serving principally as NPC dangerous guys with an excessive amount of backstory.

What did you consider this episode? Let me know on Twitter or Fb.

As all the time, I’d like it for those who’d observe me right here on this weblog and subscribe to my YouTube channel and my Substack so you may keep up-to-date on all my TV, film and online game evaluations and protection. Thanks!