Joel and Ellie are compelled to cover on The Final of Us.Picture: HBO
As we’re right here to speak in regards to the fourth episode of HBO’s The Final Of Us, I feel it’s okay to start out the recap with a little bit of a fourth wall break. Sunday’s episode, “Please Maintain To My Hand,” is nice. There’s plenty of character-building, new conflicts, stable motion, and extra. Nevertheless, I really feel the necessity to disclose one thing. Having seen the remainder of the season already, and particularly what occurs in subsequent week’s episode, this episode performs even higher when you see it in tandem with episode 5.
I gained’t spoil why, however I do suppose it’s essential to notice. If you happen to have been in any manner underwhelmed by this week’s short-ish episode, you aren’t prone to really feel that manner after subsequent week. In actuality, the 2 episodes are one and the storytelling selections listed below are a lot extra highly effective and clear after seeing what’s subsequent. That mentioned, let’s get to the episode.
After the emotional bombshell that was final week’s episode, you might need virtually forgotten that Ellie stole a gun from Frank and Invoice’s home. She didn’t overlook although, and issues began together with her posing with it in a mirror. She’s excited, empowered, and for the primary time we see a duality beginning to develop. Ellie is a smart-ass teenager, however there’s one thing darker in there too.
Ellie and Joel are at a relaxation cease gassing up Invoice’s truck. Apparently, gasoline is so outdated, it’s degraded loads and now they should replenish each hour or so. To kill the time, Ellie breaks out a e book of puns, hoping to lighten the temper. Joel stoically responds, however in Pedro Pascal’s efficiency, we will start to see a few of Joel’s hardened exterior cracking.
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Joel and Ellie are up towards it.Picture: HBO
Set to the tunes of Hank Williams, Ellie and Joel get again on the highway. Right here, for the primary time on the present, we actually get a full take a look at 2023 America in The Final of Us. Deserted automobiles, damaged bridges, and desolate theme parks seem on the horizon because the pair drive throughout the wide-open plains. At one level, Ellie even breaks out a sticky journal with a shirtless man on the quilt, in a second that’s positive to make followers of the online game very joyful.
The desolation of the drive lets Joel and Ellie chat, bond, and joke earlier than deciding to name it an evening. Joel parks the truck within the woods and over a plate of 20-year-old Chef Boyardee, Joel explains his worry not of the contaminated, however of individuals and what they could do if anybody finds them. The thought retains him from sleeping, however not earlier than he blows Ellie’s thoughts by accurately guessing certainly one of her puns.
After an uneventful night time, the pair hit the highway once more. First Ellie can’t imagine individuals drink the “burnt shit”-smelling beverage referred to as espresso. Then, as they take a look at the map making an attempt to determine the very best path to Wyoming, Ellie asks Joel about Tommy. Watching the present, we all know that Tommy was with Joel on the primary day of the outbreak and that Joel is in search of him now, however not what occurred in between. Lastly, we discover out. Joel tells Ellie that Tommy is a “joiner,” all the time in search of a option to make a distinction. First, that meant the Military. Later, after the outbreak, Tommy and Joel joined a gaggle that labored its manner as much as Boston, which is how they met Tess. As soon as in Boston, Tommy met Marlene and he joined the Fireflies, which is how he discovered his option to Wyoming. Nevertheless, Joel reveals, he doesn’t suppose Tommy is even with the Fireflies anymore and that’s why he’s apprehensive about him.
Plenty of essential data was shared between the pair.Picture: HBO
Ellie senses Joel’s common pessimism and asks him why he even tries then. Is there no hope for the world? Joel says you progress forward and check out for household. However no—Ellie isn’t household. She’s cargo that Tess made him promise to deal with, and Tess was household. This change, in any case lately bonding within the automotive, felt prefer it ought to’ve been extra essential than the episode gave it credit score for. It was a really shitty factor to say.
The Boston to Wyoming drive takes the pair by way of Kansas Metropolis, besides the freeway is barricaded. As an alternative of doubling again, Joel decides he can discover the following on-ramp by driving by way of the town. Which, even in our actuality, by no means ever works. So it’s no shock that he and Ellie instantly get misplaced within the quiet metropolis. Tensions rise as they frantically drive round in search of the freeway when a person comes into the road asking for assist. Sensing a entice, Joel speeds round him. Immediately, a cinder block smashes their window, the automotive’s tires are blown, they’re shot at, they usually crash right into a retailer. Joel’s instincts have been proper on the cash. It was certainly a entice.
A shoot-out ensues. One of many present’s patented quick however intense motion sequences. Joel picks off two attackers as Ellie crawls to security however, one other sneaks up on Joel and pins him to the bottom. Joel goes to die… till Ellie pulls out her gun and shoots the attacker within the again. It’s then we see he’s only a younger child and he begins begging for his life. Joel tells Ellie to enter the opposite room and we hear Joel finish the child’s life. They go away the constructing simply as a bunch of vehicles pull as much as the scene.
All reward, Kathleen.Picture: HBO
Already just a few of the belongings you’ve seen on this episode are going to make extra sense if you see subsequent week’s episode—however, particularly, all of what occurs subsequent is much more essential. The scene shifts to what seems to be like a FEDRA jail. Solely, FEDRA is nowhere to be seen. As an alternative, we meet a girl named Kathleen, performed by Yellowjackets’ star Melanie Lynskey. She interrogates a mysterious (for now) physician and asks him if he is aware of the whereabouts of somebody named Henry. This Henry, apparently, instructed FEDRA the place Kathleen’s brother was, and, in consequence, her brother was killed. She now needs the physician to rat on Henry like Henry ratted on her brother. It’s a tense scene that ends in Kathleen placing a gun to the physician’s head. Nevertheless, he doesn’t suppose she’ll kill him and he’s proper.
Kathleen is distracted by some noises and goes outdoors. She learns from what appears to be her second in command (a Will Forte-meets-Commando useless ringer performed by Jeffrey Pierce) that strangers who arrived in a completely loaded truck killed a number of of their males. She thinks that these is likely to be mercenaries employed by Henry to assist him so she orders everybody to exit into the town and discover them. It’s right here that we see the true energy of Kathleen’s group, as a number of vehicles and dozens of individuals set out into the town. She has a military. One which, someway, overthrew FEDRA to take Kansas Metropolis again for the individuals.
Oh, and when Kathleen realizes her captured physician gained’t have the ability to assist one of many males Joel and Ellie wounded, she walks again in and kills the physician in chilly blood. Kathleen is not any joke.
Is the coast clear but, Joel?Picture: HBO
Joel and Ellie are hiding and peek out to see Kathleen’s military trying to find them. Ellie asks Joel who they’re since they aren’t FEDRA or Fireflies and Joel says they’re simply individuals. Individuals who, he is aware of, will discover them quickly in the event that they don’t begin shifting. As they anticipate the vehicles to move by way of, Ellie checks in on Joel. He did, in any case, simply virtually get killed. Joel responds by asking Ellie how she is—since actually, it was Ellie who had the traumatic expertise of getting shot a person within the again. Joel blames himself for getting right into a place the place she had to do this and he apologizes. She says it’s okay as a result of it’s not the primary time she’s needed to damage somebody. A mysterious assertion that’s left unanswered not simply now, however later within the episode too when Joel brings it again up. (Followers of the sport, nonetheless, might need a clue what she’s referring to.)
Earlier than heading out, Joel offers Ellie her gun again and teaches her the best way to correctly maintain it. She’s excited to lastly have Joel’s permission to have a gun and also you see extra of his armor coming down and their belief and respect proceed to develop.
One final time on this episode, issues reduce to Kathleen’s individuals. The Will Forte-ish man takes her right into a hidden attic the place, it appears, this mysterious Henry has been hiding. The attic is roofed in empty canned items and drawings of superheroes. Clearly, Henry is with a toddler, who Kathleen says is known as Sam. In the identical constructing, Kathleen and the soldier discover a crater within the basement. A crater that begins to rumble. Frightened of it, they run out, however Kathleen says they will’t inform anybody about what they simply noticed and to only seal up the constructing. This too, as you may count on, all develop into a bit clearer subsequent week.
Kathleen main her military.Picture: HBO
Hoping to get a transparent view of your entire metropolis to allow them to discover a manner out, Joel and Ellie begin to climb the steps of a 45-story constructing. On the best way up, Ellie asks Joel how he knew the state of affairs earlier than was an ambush and he explains his group did related issues to outlive prior to now. When Ellie asks him if he’s ever killed harmless individuals, although, Joel stops answering.
They get 33 flights up the constructing earlier than Joel will get too drained to proceed. So that they discover a good quiet condominium, Joel spreads damaged glass on the bottom Die Onerous model so nobody can sneak up on them in a single day, and Ellie mentions to him that he in all probability wouldn’t even hear it anyway as a result of she’s seen he doesn’t hear in his proper ear very effectively.
Joel does hear Ellie inform another of her punny jokes and although he tries to carry again fun, he can’t. The pair bust out laughing and only for a second it looks like perhaps these two are going to be okay. If they will share fun, can it actually be that unhealthy? The reply is sure. A couple of hours later Joel, now together with his proper ear within the air, is woken up by Ellie. A person is holding her at gunpoint. Joel seems to be up and he’s additionally being held at gunpoint, this time by a younger little one. The kid holds his finger to his mouth so Joel can be quiet, and the episode ends.
I simply maintain seeing The Final Man on Earth.Picture: HBO
Who’re the individuals holding up Joel and Ellie? If you happen to’ve been paying consideration, it must be fairly apparent, however I gained’t spoil it right here. However, suffice to say, we be taught extra about how they received to this room subsequent week and it’ll make a number of scenes on this episode work so, so a lot better.
“Please Maintain To My Hand” might not have been anyplace close to the genius of “Lengthy, Lengthy Time” however we received to see Ellie develop into herself a bit, Joel develop into extra comfy together with her, and the pair make good progress on their highway to Wyoming. Plus, Melanie Lynskey shoots a dude in chilly blood. What might be higher than that?
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