The Last of Us S1:E5 “Endure and Survive” Review

By Ben Wright (@iamzavagno | www.xgeeks.co.uk)

This review is spoiler-free.

I am sure that it is getting repetitive by now, but once again I am here on a Monday completely lost for words. How does The Last of Us keep doing this to me?

It’s safe to say that this episode has three major stand-out performers, and that’s not surprising since they are the real focus of the episode. Last week we saw the introduction of Sam and Henry, two very significant characters from the first game, as well as the leader of the resistance, Kathleen.

Lamar Johnson (Henry) was tremendous, and he was just as expressive and impressive in his non-speaking parts as he was when he had dialogue scenes. The non-verbal scenes between, the very talented, Keivonn Montreal Woodard (Sam) were so real and earnest, that they brought these two characters to life perfectly. You felt their brotherly connection, you felt their love for each other, it was just as pure of onscreen chemistry as we saw with Frank and Bill. The power and talent of these performers to come in, and in one episode, immediately leave a long and lasting impression on us is a testament to both their talent and the writing of the show. Speaking of talent, Melanie Lynskey (Kathleen) was, once again, absolutely outstanding! The calm, yet unhinged, of her psyche was terrifying and unnerving. Every time she was on screen you did not know what to expect. In terms of an antagonist in a zombie apocalypse? Kathleen is up there with the best of them!

In many ways, this was another episode of Bella Ramsey (Ellie) and Pedro Pascal (Joel) acting in supporting roles. Still, their relationship continues to blossom, even when they are not the focus of the episode. It all feels very natural and organic, and the pacing of this is fantastic.
On top of all the great performances and writing, this episode also plays host to one of the greatest ‘zombie’ moments in the genre. Two brief seconds of silence, before a most devasting and overwhelming visual experience, packed an incredible punch! It was glorious and terrifying in equal measure. The production and design quality of this show cannot go without mention, you can see where the money has gone, and it has been spent wisely!

Once again, The Last of Us pulls from its gaming origins, not just in terms of story and characters, but actual gameplay mechanics. They have done this twice previously already, and they honour another game mode here, towards the end of the episode. They have embraced the gaming elements more than I thought they would, with the game being more story-driven and cut-scene-focused. So, to see a classic game mode once more jump to live action is a huge positive.

I have to try really hard to find the negatives when it comes to The Last of Us, and no matter how hard I try, I only reach superficial or personal preference issues, that ultimately have no meaningful negative impact. The show is genuinely incredible, enjoyable, emotional, and downright one of the best TV shows in recent times. We are now over the halfway point and if they can keep on this upward trajectory and stick the landing, we could be talking of the show’s greatness for a very long time to come!

Action-packed and psychologically devastating, Episode 5 of The Last of Us is aptly titled “Endure and Survive”, and that is something the audience will need to do if they are to get through this episode emotionally unscathed.

What did you think of the latest episode of The Last of Us? Let us know in the comments or find us on social media.