“The Last of Us” and an episode 5 about the (terrible) things we do for love | CRITICISM

An episode where the main objective is to get from one side of the map to the other becomes captivating because of what is behind it. “The Last of Us” from HBO shares the spotlight with two new characters whose story echoes the overall theme of the series. And for that very reason the result is painful.

three reflections

“Endure and Survive” works as a reflection of the third chapter, “Long Long Time”, where characters do everything possible to protect the bond they have with another. This week we meet Henry, who painfully accepts committing heinous acts to protect himself, including ratting out Kansas resistance leader Michael, brother of the ruthless Kathleen (Melanie Lynskey). Henry and Sam’s (played by Lamar Johnson and Keivonn Woodard) relationship affords us several tender moments, not the kind of thing you’d expect from a post-apocalyptic story.

It is those moments where the heart of the episode falls. “The Last of Us” is a love story in the midst of disaster. Whether they are love affairs with an abrupt end, such as the death of Kathleen’s brother, which leaves the resistance leader with a desire for revenge; or also of the love that is sustained in the betrayal, like that of Henry, who, after having been close to losing Sam, actively treasures him without forgetting his sins. A second reflection: grown brothers, each on opposite sides of the conflict, but whose histories are so well curated that it’s not possible to hate them even though they do terrible things.

But if it’s about dark feelings, how can you not have a certain contempt for Kathleen. And here there is nothing left but to salute the excellent performance of Melanie Lynskey, who is casually terrifying. Her resentment and decision in her words makes her a fearsome antagonist, one of the best differences with the original video game, where her character does not appear. Desensitized to the suffering of others, she orders killings and hunts out of her hunger for revenge. But what makes the difference from a common villain is that she knows that what he is doing is not correct, since her brother expressly asked him to forgive.

Here comes the third reflection of the episode, which could be that of a distorted mirror where, rather than showing a relationship, it exposes a vision of the world. Kathleen asks if just one person is worth risking everything for, a phrase that could be directed at the series itself. I call this a distorted reflection because depending on where the viewer is in relation to the story (the one who just met it and the one who played the game), what they see will not be the same. To say more would be to make SPOILERS.

the greatest fear

The aforementioned stories connect to that of Bill and Frank who, the cornerstone of everything to come. They are links that, in the absence of one of the parties, the other only has to disappear. Bill chose to die rather than live without Frank. Kathleen moves heaven and earth to get revenge on Henry, which leads to her own death. And when Sam dies, Henry commits suicide.

Behind these decisions there is a dark argument, opposite to the main one, that of love: in the face of external misfortunes, no matter what one does, the end is always death or loneliness, where only a few can afford to end with all on their own terms.

Joel saved Sarah from the undead, but lost her to a soldier. Tess wanted to give the world a new chance, but she died in the process. Now it’s Henry who loses his brother, despite betraying a good man in the process. Unlike the usual zombie stories, “The Last of Us” is not a fight of life against death, but of love against the absence of it. Ellie sums it up in one sentence to little Sam: “I’m afraid of ending up alone.” For her, who has seen the horror of the living dead, there are fates worse than death.

loose thoughts

• The Ellie and Sam scenes were beautiful. A brief but unforgettable friendship.
• As I read in a tweet: if “The Walking Dead” had had to tell this same story, it would have taken at least one full season.
• Bella Ramsey shows a remarkable performance. She is warm to Sam, but she is also filled with despair when she witnesses Henry’s death. Tears of horror rather than grief.
• The underground shelter where the characters arrive has a story behind it that only appears in the game. Narrated only with pieces of paper that the player finds progressively, it shows a community of survivors that, at the slightest mistake, falls apart because of the infected.
• The giant infected is called a bloater. In the games he is an implacable enemy.
• Another reference to the video game is in the comic “Savage Starlight” (a collectible object), from which the phrase that gives the episode its name comes from.

QUALIFICATION

4 out of 5 stars