Ellie and Dina’s adventure in Seattle takes a dark turn this week. Here’s our The Last Of Us season 2 episode 4 review.
Warning! The following review includes heavy spoilers for previous The Last Of Us episodes.
After a somewhat disappointing episode that strayed away from the original game last week, The Last Of Us season 2 episode 4 feels almost like it’s constantly apologising for the changes it has made so far by sticking closely to the events of the game. Whether that’s a good or a bad thing is up to you, but episode 4 is still a really good episode of TV.
At the end of last week’s episode, Dina and Ellie arrived in Seattle and for the most part, the episode follows the two of them as they make their way through the city. There aren’t many surprises here for the most part, but it’s the episode’s first few minutes that give us something unexpected.
Before we catch up with Dina and Ellie in 2029, we travel back to 2018. The infection has already spread, things are desperate and we jump into a humvee with a bunch of FEDRA soldiers who are joking around. You know, as one does while establishing martial law and essentially enslaving the citizens, who are now called “voters”. Suddenly, a deep, familiar voice interrupts to remind the men that they call people because FEDRA took away their right to vote.
That voice, which you’ll immediately recognise, belongs to Jeffrey Wright who reprises his role as Isaac from the game. Gamers will know a little bit about Isaac already, but the episode provides us some welcome background on him as the leader of the WLF. What’s more, the episode reminds us that outside of the relative safety of Jackson, outside Ellie’s quest for revenge, there’s a whole war going on between the WLF and the Seraphites, the cult we briefly met last episode who communicate via whistles.
We won’t reveal too much here about Isaac, but it’s worth mentioning that Wright is such an effortlessly chilling, interesting villain. He’s one of those actors that you’re always excited to see on screen and they usually make any project just a little better, regardless of their role. There’s a scene later on in the episode that showcases Isaac’s ruthlessness and the calm that Wright plays the character with might one of the more unsettling things I’ve seen in television for a while.
The Rest Of Us – The Last Of Us Podcast:
Elsewhere, The Last Of Us has gone back to imitating the game very closely. The setting in Seattle feels almost identical to the game and we get a couple scenes that are eerily close to their animated counterparts in how they’re performed and shot. It’ll bring a lot of satisfaction to some viewers, but it’s also worth asking if the show wants to offer something new or wants to cater to a specific portion of its audience.
Moments that in the game provide a welcome pause to the never-ending chaos and action don’t quite have the same effect here. Bella Ramsey’s Ellie is driven more by desperation and grief rather than fury and rage. Ramsey and Isabela Merced, playing Dina, have believable, strong chemistry and it’s great to see HBO finally commit to showing their relationship in this episode. We’re treated to a lot more insight into Dina and her sexuality especially, something that was sorely missing from last week’s episode and finally, Dina and Ellie’s burgeoning romance feels real and palpable.
It’s tempting to compare The Last Of Us to Prime Video’s acclaimed Fallout series, but The Last Of Us has a much more difficult task at hand. Whereas in Fallout you play from a first person perspective and there’s no major story, immediately allowing the series to craft its own path, The Last Of Us Part II includes hugely impressive character animation and lots of cinematic cut scenes.
This leads to viewers having to actively put their feelings for the game aside, which is something I admittedly struggle with. I’m enjoying this season a lot, but it’s near impossible for me to watch it without constant comparisons to the source material. This week’s episode is an excellent one; it’s action-packed, full of thrilling sequences and it successfully expands the world of The Last Of Us. It’s just bloody good telly, really.
New episodes of The Last Of Us premiere on Sky and NOW on Mondays.
