Episode six of “The Last Of Us” left viewers on a huge cliffhanger after teasing us with a small glimpse of hope and happiness for our favorite new protagonists.
We’ve barely spent a month and a half traveling across a post-apocalyptic America with Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey). But like Ellie, we’re so emotionally committed to both and their journey that Sunday night’s episode has left us terrified for the future.
The episode started with a tense but pretty funny exchange with a healthy couple left behind after the cordyceps fungus destroyed much of the population, teasing us with what felt like would be a lighter look at the end of the world.
This was further cemented by Joel’s discovery of his brother Tommy (Gabriel Luna) alive and thriving in a small 300-person commune somewhere in the depths of the West. Ellie was given some great goodies by Tommy’s pregnant wife, Maria (Rutina Wesley). And after a heated exchange with Joel over the future of their journey, the pair set off to find the Fireflies once again.
‘The Last Of Us’ REVIEW: The Apocalypse Like You’ve Never Seen It Before https://t.co/w6MhwREHVu pic.twitter.com/t4NKfGzmqJ
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The heaped emotion in episode six was a lot to deal with. Even the toughest of men, like Joel, can’t stop the tide of time, and his ageing body took the biggest blow at the end of the episode, like he’d almost manifested his destiny. While I don’t think this is the end for Joel, it was haunting to leave the story in such a cataclysmic and cold conclusion.
After finding signs of the Firefly’s laboratory, Joel and Ellie were attacked by a group of men. Joel saved the day, but sustained a horrific injury to his torso. As the credits rolled, we panned out on a terrified Ellie, desperately trying to save the one person in her life who she truly believes will stay by her side. Overall, the episode offered a whole new twist to what felt like a classic apocalyptic story.
The one stand-out other than the above was Wesley’s portrayal of Maria. I haven’t seen Wesley in anything since her incredible role of Tara in hit-HBO series “True Blood,” so it’s exciting to see her in yet another iconic show.
“It’s terrifying playing a character that’s been established, even though it’s a game,” Wesley told Entertainment Weekly. (RELATED: ‘The Last Of Us’ Ep3 Explains How The End Of The World Happened In 3 Days, And It’s Terrifying)
“It’s great to see a woman of that kind of stature who is very good with a gun. She can ride a horse. She knows her way around this place and yet she’s taking this child and cutting their hair and getting to know them,” Wesley continued. “I love the juxtaposition of that because sometimes you think people in that position as a leader are not capable of the other, and she’s very capable.” It sounds like this won’t be the last time we see Maria, and we can’t wait for more!
