Episode Grade: (8.2/10)
Joel and Ellie team up with Henry and Sam in their effort to escape Kathleen’s clutches. They barely manage to get out of Kansas City, but not without suffering a devastating loss.
Plot (40/50)
This episode was similar to episode three in that the main storyline barely progressed, but it didn’t matter because the storytelling was great. The Kansas City subplot was entertaining and engaging thanks to another expert use of flashbacks. The subplot was well-developed and received a decisive conclusion, much like episode three. The writers managed to weave the story and utilize the element of suspense in a way that kept you guessing. It all started with the revelation that Henry is in fact guilty of the accusations Kathleen made against him, so she was somewhat justified in her quest for revenge. Next, it was the fact that there were actually no infected in the tunnels. Then, there was the old man that held Joel and co. up at the edge of the city that was working with Kathleen. After that, Sam was infected when I for one thought it would be Henry who’d get infected. For Henry to be the one that killed Sam after he’d went through hell to protect his little brother is beyond tragic, so tragic, in fact, that Henry literally couldn’t live with himself after how things unfolded. Tracking back just a bit, the false sense of security established after Ellie “cured” Sam had no business being as effective as it was. In the moment, you know it’s not going to work, yet some part of you hopes that it miraculously might. Maybe it’s just me, but that was masterfully done. Also, how ironic is it that the infected ended up saving Joel and Ellie from certain death? Finally, with not much human settlement ahead, the path forward to Wyoming should be easier than what Joel and Ellie have experienced thus far.
Character Development (13/15)
The parallels between the pairs of Joel & Ellie and Henry & Sam drove much of the character development in this episode. Henry was introduced as a complex character who did something “bad” for the “right” reason. Essentially, he bartered Michael’s life for Sam’s. Henry feels bad for what he did, but he also feels that he had no choice. He was getting his brother the treatment he needed no matter the cost. Joel’s been in these kill-or-be-killed situations multiple times over, and he’s survived for twenty years, so he sympathizes with Henry after initially judging him as a rat. Joel’s had to do worse time and time again, the fact that he has the self-awareness to recognize as much reinforces the humanity of his character. Joel and Ellie grow closer with each passing experience. We even got the first explicit suggestion of the father-daughter relationship from Henry which was instantly shot down by both Joel and Ellie. They can deny it all they want, but that is the sort of relationship that’s developing between them. It’ll be interesting to see what trauma this unlocks in Joel as the bond between him and Ellie continues to strengthen. Speaking of Ellie, her character continues to strike a delicate balance between precocious maturity and childhood innocence. Her interactions with Sam are a testament of said balance. She enjoyed playing games and reading comic books with him, but she was also able to comfort him when he felt anxious. Furthermore, she displayed great courage by saving Henry and Sam from the infected when she could’ve justifiably left them behind to save herself. Unfortunately, it all ended in a deeply traumatic experience after Sam got bitten. Ellie’s childhood innocence came into play when she tried to heal Sam with her blood. She wanted so much for Sam to live that she genuinely thought (or convinced herself) that she could save him. What’s worse, she broke her promise that she would stay up with him all night. To compound her misery, she was attacked by Sam the next day after the infection spread, and then she was forced to watch as Henry killed his own brother before ending his own life. Sadly, Ellie blames herself to some degree. She will now have to carry the guilt with her until she can process the trauma to the extent that she realizes that it was not her fault. Seeing as how Joel went through similar trauma with Sarah, might this be the catalyst that causes Joel to fully open up to Ellie? How would Ellie respond to that? Finally, let me briefly touch on Kathleen’s utter failure as a leader. In her stubborn pursuit of revenge, she leads herself and her people to death and/or infection. What’s crazy is that she doesn’t even get her revenge despite having the opportunity to do so twice. I’m not sure people appreciate how disastrous this sequence of events was; let me elaborate: the people of Kansas City spend two decades trying to gain their freedom from FEDRA, but after less than two weeks of freedom, their leader sacrifices their lives in an unsuccessful pursuit to avenge her brother. Some might say that Henry ultimately died because of Kathleen’s actions, but none of that matters because she died believing that he escaped while her people perished. What a devastating, catastrophic failure.
Theme/Messages (4/5)
- As the saying goes: “The enemy of my enemy is my friend.”
- No one wins in war.
- People are attracted to leaders that get results.
- Humans are frighteningly adept at justifying hurting others in order to protect the people they love.
Acting (13/15)
Pedro Pascal (Joel) and Bella Ramsey (Ellie) were fantastic, as were Lamar Johnson (Henry) and Keivonn Woodard (Sam) in their short-lived time on the show.
Cinematography (12/15)
- Cool shot of Ellie and Sam sitting face-to-face with the lantern in between them (51:24)
- “Fuel to Fire” by Agnes Obel plays as Joel and Ellie set off for Wyoming at the end of the episode in what is another excellent choice of music.