'The Last of Us' Episode 4 Review: A new villain emerges as Joel, Ellie's friendship grows stronger
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Last week, ‘The Last of Us’ delivered a splendid episode about the beautiful relationship between Bill and Frank and how they survived the post-apocalyptic world with nothing but love. The letter Joel and Ellie found in Bill and Frank’s house helped Joel understand that to survive this cruel world, he must have someone to care for. The latest episode is all about Joel getting to know more about Ellie (Bella Ramsey) and in the process, we saw how Joel has started to protect her like she means something to him.
For some, this episode might feel a bit slow, but even with that pace, it manages to entertain and maintain the high quality 'The Last of Us’ has become known for. The latest episode titled ‘Please Hold My Hand’ sees Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie continue their journey as they plan for the upcoming things. They take a pit stop near the woods and spend the night there. The next morning, they resume the journey and Joel tells Ellie to keep looking at the map so that they can find the easiest route to Wyoming. However, things get weird when they see that a tunnel leading to the freeway has been blocked by a lot of vehicles. After taking a look at the surroundings, Joel states that they need to take an alternative route and get back to the freeway.
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'The Hunters' have arrived
But everything turns upside down when Joel understands that they are in danger because they are surrounded by the members of the group called ‘The Hunters’ which is being led by Kathleen (Melanie Lynskey). As they start to drive away from that spot, a man, acting like he’s injured, tries getting help from them, but Joel knew that this is a trap and that’s exactly what it was. They were ambushed by a couple of the members of the group and had to leave their car. Fortunately, Joel and Ellie were able to kill them, but now, they would have to continue walking to stay safe.
This episode is not with action-packed sequences, but it manages to create a thrilling atmosphere and is a build-up for the things that will be coming in the next few episodes. However, the bond between Joel and Ellie is a treat to watch as they continue to evolve as humans. Also, the duo has now started to work together and care for each other.
‘Please Hold My Hand’ also introduced viewers to Kathleen, the ruthless leader of ‘The Hunters’. The character is vulnerable and merciless at the same time. She seems to be a great addition to the series and having her means that Joel and Ellie will be facing a lot of dangerous and difficult situations in the coming weeks. Of course, we would love to see Kathleen and Joel going against each other.
Joel and Ellie's relationship is a treat to watch
Ramsey continues to be the soul of the show and the "embarrassingly funny" jokes that she makes during the episode are bloody brilliant. Ellie lightens the mood with her ‘No Pun Intended: Volume Too’ and even makes Joel laugh. Now, that’s what we wanted to see since the beginning. Meanwhile, Pedro Pascal is just mesmerizing. You just can’t find any weakness in his portrayal of Joel.
But Melanie Lynskey’s Kathleen is the MVP of this episode and is a brilliant addition to the series. We are pretty curious to see how this character manages to create tension for the duo and the fans.
All in all, Episode 4 of ‘The Last of Us’ focuses more on the build-up and viewers learn about many things about the community and people. The relationship between Joel and Ellie grows stronger and they are getting close to each other. However, we would definitely want ‘The Hunters’ to be as riveting as they were in the game because that will manage to create a long-lasting impact.
**** for ‘Please Hold My Hand’
