‘The Last of Us’ episode 4 review: The loss of innocence

On this week’s The Last of Us, Joel and Ellie find trouble in Kansas City.

February 5, 2023

Last week on The Last of Us, though we caught up with Ellie and Joel following their escape from Boston, the majority of the episode focused on the previously mentioned Frank and Bill. We received a moving tale of two individuals who found love during the apocalypse. In episode four, we return to the main narrative and follow along as Ellie and Joel head west.

The opening has the elements of a good road trip story including intimate personal bonding and good travel tunes supplied by Hank Williams. Despite his efforts to keep distant, such as referring to Ellie as cargo, Joel is gradually becoming more invested with his companion. It might be corny but puns and dad jokes are an effective tool to penetrating his tough exterior.

The exposition of the pair’s conversations provides insight on the type of person Joel used to be during the early stages of the pandemic as well as a better understanding of Tommy, his brother and the man he needed to leave Boston for. The background scenery while on the road also shows a real scale of how broken down the world of The Last of Us has become. There is a feeling of isolation and dread with the lack of other people and the discarded remnants of society. Yet there is a beauty to it with all the greenery that has grown over.

Things take a darker turn when they pass through Kansas City. Their encounter with hostile residents turns the road trip into a cat and mouse thriller with the violence changing them both. Ellie has always seemed to want in on the action to prove her bravery. She’s been obsessed with obtaining a gun, and her posing at the start of the episode is as if she’s glorifying gang culture.

This is our first time experiencing her getting her hands dirty, and she realizes it’s not as easy. Actually harming someone can be traumatic. I know her victim’s pleading was supposed to humanize him and make her have second thoughts, but I would be reaffirmed by my choice if I saw a blood thirsty assailant strangling my protector turn into a whiny crying bitch once I got the upper hand on them.

Melanie Lynskey the last of us episode 4 — Photo: Liane Hentscher/HBO

As a result of the altercation, The Last of Us also pushes Joel closer to Ellie. Despite the horrors out there, he believes kids should still have the chance to be kids. He goes out of his way to comfort her and ensure she is okay mentally. He blames himself and even apologizes. His biggest gesture is allowing her to process and wait for her to be ready to talk about it. Also, Joel accepts that he can’t shield her from the real world and begins to train her in using a gun. This all helps in advancing their relationship, but the aftermath is effective foreshadowing to the cliffhanger in the end.

Joel and Ellie’s attackers are foot soldiers to the newly introduced Kathleen (Melanie Lynskey). She is the leader of Kansas City and has a vendetta for a person named Henry, who she blames for her brother’s death. The Last of Us tries to display her different layers; she’s loyal to her people and compassionate to a degree, but can be a cold-blooded killer.

Regardless, Kathleen doesn’t come off as an engaging antagonist yet, and she seems like a prototypical villain. The most interesting aspect she is involved with is the mystery to what’s happening underneath the city. The movement we saw on the floor in that basement room is concerning enough to make her and her underling uneasy. It’s not going to be good news when we finally find out what it is.

Episode four has the tall task of following up “Long, Long Time,” and by comparison it is a letdown because it doesn’t reach the same levels of storytelling. However, there is still plenty of positives from the evolving and dynamic relationship between its leads to the effective foreshadowing of events to come.

New episodes of The Last of Us air Sundays on HBO.

'The Last of Us' episode 4 review: The loss of innocence

The Last of Us E 4 review

Episode four has the tall task of following up "Long, Long Time," and by comparison it is a letdown because it doesn't reach the same levels of storytelling. However, there is still plenty of positives from the evolving and dynamic relationship between its leads to the effective foreshadowing of events to come.

Reader Rating0 Votes

Joel and Ellie's relationship begins to be more endearing from their bonding over dad jokes to the more serious aftermath following a traumatic experience.

The cliffhanger played with the running theme of young innocence.

Kathleen seems like a generic antagonist so far.

7.5

Good