Even though we should be accustomed to losing things at this point, “The Last of Us” Episode 5 finds fresh ways to offend us.
Every episode of HBO‘s The Last of Us is jam-packed with touching scenes, terrifying encounters, and a profound examination of how people behave when faced with impossible circumstances. Nevertheless, “Endure and Survive,” the fifth episode, may have been the busiest one yet. Episode 5, which examines the Kansas City revolution, it is demonstrated how common people who had grown weary of enduring FEDRA’s brutal rule turned into their own oppressors. It also tells how former FEDRA collaborator Henry (Lamar Johnson) and his brother Sam (Keivonn Woodard) managed to flee the revolutionaries while waiting for the proper moment to leave Kansas City. And the deadliest moment of the series so far occurs when Henry joins forces with Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey) during their escape.
If all of this wasn’t enough to make for an hour of wonderfully crafted television, Episode 5 further develops Ellie by allowing us to witness her first interactions with another post-apocalyptic youngster. And although we are all very wary of HBO by this point and constantly on the lookout for new ways to rip our hearts out, Episode 5’s ending is bloodier and more savage than anyone could have predicted. We will always be haunted by Sam and Henry’s deaths, and it will be difficult to get over the unsettling sensation we experienced while witnessing that terrible murder-suicide. Additionally, the statement Ellie leaves at Sam’s grave in the final moments of Episode 5 says a lot about how the girl perceives the brutal realities of a society that has been wrecked by the Cordyceps infection and the depths of human morality.
Ellie’s greatest dread is going extinct.
Ellie gets to spend a significant portion of Episode 5 getting to know Sam, as Henry and Joel join forces to flee Kansas City and avoid the violent justice of the revolutionaries. The two youngsters converse about their experiences growing up in a world of terror and violence while playing games and reading comic book stories together. Joel and Henry are cornered by the rebels before they can leave Kansas City. As a result of Henry’s defection and Joel’s attack, the head of the revolutionaries, Kathleen (Melanie Lynskey), threatens to kill Sam and Ellie. It seems like our heroes’ journey may be coming to an end because there is no way to argue with the vicious woman. Fortunately for them, the explosions from the attack of the revolutionaries summon a swarm of Infected from the underworld. Sam and Ellie are led to safety by Joel and Henry, who use the commotion and upheaval to flee and finally leave Kansas City behind.
Later that night, Henry and Joel debate the potential of continuing to travel together while putting Ellie and Sam to bed in a deserted motel. Sam always asks Ellie whether she ever feels scared when they are alone because the girl always appears fearless in the face of peril. Ellie initially makes light of the situation by joking that she is only frightened of scorpions. Ellie, however, admits that she is constantly terrified of being left alone after recognizing that Sam needs some psychological support. It seems sensible that Ellie’s greatest phobia is loneliness. In The Last of Us, everyone is battling for survival, but Ellie has a special advantage because she is resistant to the Cordyceps. That indicates the girl has the highest chance of surviving an Infected onslaught and having everyone she cares about perish in front of her. Ellie is afraid of being left alone because she is aware that her chances of retaining close friends are slim.
Sam admits he was bitten by an infected during the Kansas City swarm outbreak just as Ellie shares the truth about her deepest dread. Sam has an illness, but Ellie swears she won’t inform Joel and Henry. She even rubs her own blood into the boy’s wound in the hopes that her immunity could be partially contagious. Unfortunately, Sam changed the next day and is now one of the Infected, assaulting Ellie when she approaches him. Sam is shot by Henry during the chaos. He then puts the gun towards his own head and pulls the trigger after realizing what he’s done.
No one is safe in the dark post-apocalyptic world of The Last of Us, as evidenced by Henry and Sam’s most brutal deaths to date. But more than just shocking the audience, their passing has a big impact on Ellie. Ellie writes “I’m sorry” on the graves of Henry and Sam after burying their remains. Despite the fact that Ellie’s apology appears towards the conclusion of Episode 5, the two sentences reveal a lot about the girl’s emotions.
What is Ellie Apologizing For?
Sam was doomed as soon as he was bitten. The only option was to murder the youngster before he went insane and started attacking his friends and family because there was nothing anyone could do to save him. If Ellie had told Henry and Joel what was occurring with Sam, they could have all taken the time to grieve and plan, no matter how hard this choice may have been. Instead, she reacted irrationally by using her blood as a temporary fix out of fear of being left alone. Henry shot his own brother as a result of his amazement after witnessing Sam change without any prior notice. Overwhelmed by the loss of the only person he cares about, Henry takes his own life. As Henry and Joel discuss a few hours after the disastrous transformation of Sam, having someone to take care of them helps them stay sane in a sick world.
Sam would still be dead if Ellie had used reason rather than giving in to her terror. But Henry had a chance of surviving. Henry may have gained some closure from Sam before the Cordyceps seized control of the boy’s head if he had known what was about to happen in advance. Additionally, Joel might have carried the responsibility of killing the child, sparing Henry from the trauma of his acts. Of course, expecting a fourteen-year-old girl to behave calmly and sanely in a dire situation is unrealistic. Ellie is well aware that she is aggravating the situation, despite this. She apologizes to Sam at his grave for this reason, but with a closed heart and a hostile attitude.
Ellie has so far done her best to lighten up the difficult existence she shares with Joel. However, the tragic realization that hope may be a deadly thing to hold onto when everything around you is crumbling may cause Henry and Sam’s deaths to permanently alter the girl.
