The Last Of Us Episode 4 Review: Silly puns slow things down towards ominous buildup

Still recovering from last week’s tear-jerker, HBO’s The Last Of Us breaks pace for its fourth, “Please Hold My Hand”. focusing on developing its fantastic leads and setting things up for what’s to come.

The episode follows Bella Ramsey’s Ellie and Pedro Pascal’s Joel, on a road trip to Wyoming, in search for Joel’s brother Tommy. In an exhilarating turn of events, the two find themselves trapped in Kansas City with its inhabitants after them.

Carrying on from its predecessors drastic departure from the game’s original narrative, the fourth episode in the series changes around some major plot points, making things increasingly original and all the more suspenseful for its viewers.

As the duo head West, we learn that Ellie is armed with a handgun she keeps hidden from Joel, as she brandishes it in front of a mirror a la Travis Bickle. But perhaps more deadly than the gun is the porno magazine and the No Pun Intended: Volume Too book of puns that she now wields against Joel.

In a nearly play-by-play reenactment of the brief road trip, the episode triumphs in developing a strengthened chemistry between Ramsey and Pascal, both performers showcasing an incredibly dynamic range, playing into each other's strengths.

Where Pascal relents, Ramsey pulls back, and where both blossom are seemingly unscripted moments of magic. The nascent stages of awkwardness and hostility between the two are slowly coming to a close with each passing pitstop, pun and pondering inquisition into the past.

However, the puns aren’t the only thing Ellie puts to good use, as she’s forced to save Joel from an attacking marauder with her gun. In a tense moment, Ramsey fails to hold back a tear as the marauder’s desperate pleas for his life are silenced with the slash of a knife, off-screen.

With Melanie Lysnkey’s menacing new side-character Kathleen, as the leader of the marauders who order a hit on Joel, Ellie and an alluded third party of brothers, HBO adaptation of The Last Of Us succeeds exactly where Naughty Dog’s award-winning game did: Elevating its NPC’s beyond what is expected.

Craig Mazin’s soulful writing gives life to the fleeting moments in which it casts its side roles, where last cries for forgiveness are just as intense as the mercilessness behind Lynskey’s cold eyes.

This humanisation is what the source material has always prided itself over - going the extra mile in adding depth to every character's motivations. Kathleen’s bloody quest for vengeance for her brother’s ousting to FEDRA, blinds her to a more immediate lurking danger that threatens her people.

As Joel and Ellie navigate Kansas City (which was originally the city of Pittsburgh in the game) that is swarming with marauders, the series branches away from the game once more in a tender moment of understanding between the two.

In stark contrast to Joel losing his temper in the game over Ellie keeping the gun a secret, Joel instead holds out an olive branch of sympathy towards Ellie, claiming nobody her age should have to go through an experience of the kind. Ellie’s response suggesting that she wasn’t new to this reinforces Joel’s resolve of trusting her with the gun, albeit after teaching her how to wield it.

This intimate bonding sequence builds on their relationship a little further, gradually chipping away at the guards the two had raised. Though some disturbing questions are left suspended between the two, Joel and Ellie have grown comfortable in each other's company and respect the other's presence in the journey.

In what almost seems like a break in character between the two actors, a final shitty pun from Ellie’s arsenal to call it a night, draws the episode to the sweetest of closes: a 56-year-old arthritic giggling himself to sleep next to his bratty teenage stowaway, intent on making him laugh.

As the strings of the Argentinian maestro, Gustavo Santaolalla’s nostalgic ronroco, beckon towards this evolving father-daughter dynamic, the episode ends on a cliff-hanger with Joel and Ellie confronted with the previously alluded Henry and Sam; and a far more sinister fungal foe around the corner.

With “Please Hold My Hand”, the series asserts its ability to tap into a far-ranging set of emotions. From devastating queer romances to playful diarrhea-related jokes, HBO'S The Last Of Us transforms itself with exceptional aplomb without missing a beat.  

Episode 5 of HBO's The Last Of Us streams early this week (due to clashes with Superbowl) on Saturday, 6:30 am IST, on Disney+ Hotstar. 

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