‘The Last of Us’ Episode 5: Let There Be Cordyceps

The inaugural season of The Last of Us has been an absolute delight, with each episode better than the last. The characters are intricate, the conversation is both clever and emotional, and the emotional impact is quite tangible. Nevertheless, it must be acknowledged that there has been a notable dearth of zombie action. Fortunately, this week’s episode delivered a zombie battle royale, which was absolutely amazing.

**********But first, spoilers beyond this point.**********

We’ve arrived at the story of brothers Henry and Sam, you know, the two pointing the guns at Ellie and Joel at the end of episode 4. Long story short, Henry draws up a way for them to escape the city but needs Joel’s brawn to his brain. Henry and Sam know about the maintenance tunnels in the city that should be cleared of all the infected. Joel thinks the plan is shakey, and Henry agrees that it’s a “dicey as f — k plan” but also their only shot.

Kathleen is still on the hunt for Henry (Lamar Johnson; Your Honor), and during a break in their journey, Henry takes a moment to explain to Joel why. Sam (Keivonn Woodard) got sick with leukemia. One drug worked, but there wasn’t much left, and it belonged to FEDRA. Henry was forced to make a difficult choice—surrender the Kansas City resistance movement leader and Kathleen’s brother to FEDRA.

“I am the bad guy because I did a bad guy thing.”

Henry

Joel understands Henry because he, too, has had to make difficult decisions for the people he loves. This break also gives Ellie a moment to relish her childhood. Although she’s technically a teenager, the conditions she has faced have compelled her to mature earlier than she should have, especially with the fate of the world resting in her blood. Ellie’s interactions with Sam are genuine and filled with youthful exuberance, providing a brief respite from the oppressive weight of reality.

Henry and Sam’s plan works, and the foursome makes it to a residential neighborhood at the edge of town. Freedom is in their sights when shots fire from a window in the second story of a nearby home. Joel does what Joel has to do to stop the shooter, but by then, Kathleen and her crew have caught up with them.

In an effort to save everyone else, Henry steps out to face Kathleen. When Kathleen is about to end Henry, we see a car slide across the ground and fall into a pit. Seconds later, an army of infected unleashes at full force. In my Oprah voice, “WE HAVE ZOMBIES!”

The action is at a ten; everyone is running and shooting. Joel is still in the house, covering Ellie from the window. Ellie finds shelter in a car. Then, an acrobatic clicker finds its way into the car through the back window and starts to chase Ellie over the seats.

Pause. These zombie-like beings are already terrifying, but having them be flexible, flipping, and tumbling like an Olympic gold medalist is an added level of terror I wasn’t expecting and absolutely loved. We even got a bloater!

The depiction of the infected overtaking the masses in the series evokes memories of World War Z, with their swift and frenzied movements. Impressively, these scenes were created without the use of CGI. This was the largest gathering of infected in the series to date, and the decision to bring in movement choreographer Terry Notary was a wise one. Notary has a reputation for excellence, having worked on several blockbuster films such as Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, Suicide Squad, Avengers: Endgame, and Black Adam. The cast of infected was exceptional, with their movements expertly executed to evoke fear in the audience. And I was definitely scurred.

Our girl Ellie gets active, knifing one of the clickers to save Henry and Sam, trapped under a car. Joel joins the crew on the ground, but before they can escape fully, Kathleen makes one more attempt to avenge her brother’s death and kill Henry. But, blinded by vengeance, she’s unable to defend herself against that acrobatic clicker, and she’s killed.

With Kathleen dead and the rest of her crew left to deal with the hoard of infected, Henry, Sam, Joel, and Ellie are able to get away. Joel even extends an invitation to Henry and Sam to join him and Ellie on their voyage. Both are happy to see Sam and Ellie establish a friendship.

But, before bed, Sam shows Ellie that he’s been bitten. Ellie tries to use her blood to save him by cutting herself and rubbing her blood on his open wound. In the morning, Ellie finds that Sam has turned, and before Joel can grab the gun, Henry grabs it and kills Sam himself. Afterward, Henry is distraught and points the gun at Joel, repeating, “What did I do?” Then, in the next moment, he takes his own life.

This episode and episode 3 showed how the strength of a relationship could keep someone going in the most dire circumstances. While one relationship focused on romantic love and the other on familial love, they could not face the rest of the world without that one person in it. Henry and Sam relied on each other not just because of their bonded blood but also because of their language.

Sam, as a deaf person, relied on Henry. The series’ creators made a bold and enlightened choice by casting a deaf individual in the role of Sam, yet again straying from the source material to induce vigor to the story. In the aftermath of a global catastrophe, those with disabilities will still be a part of society and will have to navigate the changing world around them. They may even be more resilient and exhibit greater fortitude, having already learned to adapt to their own unique circumstances. Woodard was a delight to watch on screen. His portrayal of Sam was captivating, adding a layer of authenticity to the character. Casting a deaf person in such a viral hit show increases representation and opportunities for other deaf actors in future roles.

Once again, The Last of Us leaves us with an erasable mark left by the powerful performance of Johnson as Henry. His last moments felt so visceral. Johnson’s final scene was raw and emotional. Henry had gone to great lengths to protect his brother, Sam, including becoming a “rat” to safeguard him. In the end, it still wasn’t enough. You can see the exhaustion. He had given everything to Sam. Sam was his reason to live, fight, and “endure and survive.” Like Bill in episode 3, with Sam gone, there was nothing else to live for.

The tension between nurturing relationships and maintaining emotional distance remains a recurring theme in the series. No one desires to endure the trials of hurt, pain, or loss. However, certain hardships are inescapable even in a world overrun by infection. Despite these inherent dangers, the idea of having someone to rely on appears to outweigh the emptiness of being alone.

The episode ends with Joel and Ellie setting out again, just the two.

The Last of Us will resume streaming on Sundays on HBO and HBO Max, after Super Bowl Sunday.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars