The Last of Us episode four introduced us to an unfamiliar scenario. It took Joel and Ellie to Kansas City, straight into an ambush with a rebel group that has managed to overthrow FEDRA and free the city. The group is led by a new character, Kathleen, played by Melanie Lynskey, who is on a revenge drive and is looking for Henry and Sam. To tease the upcoming storyline, the official Twitter account of the series revealed a new look at the duo.
The new image sees Henry and Sam in their hiding spot, and in the background we see Sam’s drawing wherein he has depicted his brother and himself as superheroes. We’ve seen similar images in the last episode, when Kathleen finds Sam’s drawings which makes her think for a moment. Episode 4 was used to set up the atmosphere of Kansas City, though in games Joel and Ellie meet the brothers in Pittsburgh. The series makes a point that Henry is responsible for the death of Kathleen’s brother, whom she now wants to avenge. We only get a glimpse of the brothers in the final shot of the episode from Joel’s point of view when Sam has him held at gunpoint.
The Last of Us is turning out to be the most extraordinary video game adaptation by far. Not only is it accurate to its source material, but co-creators Neil Druckmann and Craig Mazin have gone the extra mile to give fans a background and fully fleshed-out character arcs that weren’t possible at times with the games’ narrative. As we move forward with the story, the central duo of Joel and Ellie are finally warming up to each other. The series is taking its own sweet time to peel back the layers of their individual pasts and that makes the events all the more interesting. We can expect to see a lot of action in the upcoming episode as Joel, Ellie, Henry, and Sam try to dodge the rebels and make their way out of the city.
The Episode 5 cast includes Pedro Pascal as Joel, Bella Ramsey as Ellie, Canadian actor Lamar Johnson as Henry, young actor Keivonn Montreal Woodard plays Sam, Lynskey as Kathleen, and Jeffrey Pierce, who previously voiced Tommy in the games, playing Kathleen’s right-hand man Perry.
The Last of Us Episode 5 premieres on Friday, February 10 ahead of the Super Bowl.