IR TV Review: THE LAST OF US - EPISODE 5 (“Endure And Survive”) [HBO]
The path of survival sometimes goes by instinct. Other times it is determined by fate. With Episode 5 of "The Last Of Us" entitled "Endure And Survive", the humor of the previous episode nicely dovetails into the idea of what connection means and the reasoning for certain choices. A bulk of this episode follows Henry and Sam, a would-be father and his son, who are trying (like Ellie and Joel) to survive Kansas City and escape at this juncture in the story. But everyone has their own path. These two duos intersect and the beauty of the storyline here is that it allows every single one of the four characters, even as the plot moves them towards the strategy of a narrowing space, the character beats shows why they are feeling the way that they do, from innocence to tragedy. Ellie's interaction with Sam is tender and playful like a sister. Joel judges Sam but then starts to see that his reasoning, though not all together right, has a certain soundness to it.
Kathryn (Melanie Lynsky) is searching for Henry but she has good reason too with a key quiet moment inside a certain room illustrates. Like Episode 3, "The Last Of Us" in Episode 5 knows the importance of character archs, no matter how long they last. The final third of the episode does work like a one/two punch both delivering on a spectacle scale without overdoing it while also showing the aftermath which is even more heartbreaking, simply because of the puzzle pieces falling where they do. There is a little foreshadowing in a way but that doesn't take away its power. And the way it is handled, in a way, like Episode 3, is gut punching without every really having to say why. But the storytelling in "The Last Of Us" as it goes on (and as the title suggests), shows a maturity that transcends certain video game adaptations because it is showing the trials and tribulations of the human spirit in as much reality that can be mustered. A-
By Tim Wassberg
