The Last of Us Episode 6

The Last of Us Episode 6 is one of the show's most intimate episodes yet, as Ellie (Bella Ramsey) and Joel (Pedro Pascal) confront their fears and insecurities together.

It's an incredibly poignant scene, featuring some of Pedro Pascal's best acting yet this season. It also speaks to Joel's grief over his daughter's passing.

Last week's episode was titled "Kin"

The Last of Us is more than a video game adapted into an HBO TV show; it's an entire universe with story and world building. When The Last of Us made its 2013 debut on PlayStation 3, fans were delighted by both its gameplay and complex storytelling that felt closer to what you might expect from a prestige television series than most games. Now, The Last of Us returns for another season and fans eagerly await how it all plays out.

In the premiere episode, we met ruthless smuggler Joel Miller (Pedro Pascal) and 14-year-old orphan Ellie Williams (Bella Ramsey). Their mission: sneak her out of Boston quarantine zone where she'd been exposed to a lethal brain infection. It proved difficult but their bond grew stronger over time.

After several episodes into the series, their bond was tested. When Sam and Henry, two of Ellie's closest friends, died in an attack, they were left without enough funds to care for Ellie. As Joel promised that he would find a way to keep Ellie alive.

On a journey that leads them to Jackson, Wyoming, Joel and Ellie finally meet Tommy (Gabriel Luna), the brother who saved her life. It has been something they have been looking forward to for a long time but one made even more poignant by their no longer being blood brothers.

Joel and Ellie traverse the town, passing a hydroelectric dam that plays an integral role in the video game's narrative. On the show it has been relocated to another part of town but remains for Ellie and Joel to encounter.

In "Kin," there are several elements from the game that come to life. Most notably, Joel and Ellie take a stroll through a medical lab and encounter some escaped monkeys - an allusion to Firefly scientists inflicting them with Cordyceps disease through direct contact. Thus, this lab could potentially serve as one place where Joel or Ellie might come into contact with infected animals.

This week's episode is titled "Succession"

One year after being first announced, HBO's The Last of Us finally hits television screens. Based on the 2013 video game of the same name, this post-apocalyptic drama takes place 20 years after a global pandemic has destroyed modern civilization and follows Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey) as they attempt to flee across America to escape this devastating outbreak.

Episode 5's opening sequence pays homage to the original video game, as Joel and Ellie finally reach Jackson, Wyoming - their wintery settlement from which they've been fleeing for most of this story thus far. Though they won't have to battle zombies there yet, they must still navigate cannibals and other potential hazards along the way.

Once they arrive in Jackson, Joel and Tommy run into Joel's brother Tommy who has made a home and community in what used to be an Wild West tourist trap. This reunion has been something Joel had been looking forward to for years and it's wonderful seeing him finally feeling contented again.

On this episode of The Last of Us, Joel and Ellie encounter Bill's (Murray Bartlett) brother Sam who has been lost in the wilderness for months due to his exposure to pandemic. As we've come to understand, Sam has become a symbol for what's going on in The Last of Us' world.

Joel and Ellie eventually manage to reconnect with their brother, though he seems uncertain of how to feel about this new situation. After spending some time talking, it becomes evident that he's feeling somewhat bewildered by everything.

The episode also takes some interesting detours from the video game's narrative, as Joel and Ellie get involved in a gunfight with three infected. It's one of the more satisfying deviations from the game, offering some much needed levity to the show.

Another major deviation in the game's narrative occurs when Ellie is asked to shoot an infected with the gun she received from a FEDRA guard in Episode 1. She expresses her distaste for this decision, even though this wasn't her first time shooting someone.

The next episode is titled "Survival"

After a harrowing episode, The Last of Us' sixth installment offers Ellie (Bella Ramsey) and Joel (Pedro Pascal) some much needed time to reflect and reconnect with one another. As such, this slow-paced episode ensures that viewers remain grounded in reality while also acknowledging the horrors that threaten our world in post apocalypse times.

In this episode, Joel achieves his primary goal of leaving Boston and reconnecting with his brother Tommy (Gabriel Luna), who lives in Jackson, Wyoming. Their reunion is a heartwarming reminder of Jon and Sansa's season 6 reunion on Game of Thrones.

This reunion marks the start of an intriguing plot thread that'll be explored in future episodes. While it may take a backseat to the main plotline, viewers will gain an insight into how and why Joel feels so close to Ellie.

Another significant aspect of this storyline is how two people's relationships can endure even after a devastating outbreak. This theme is common in post-apocalyptic movies and rarely explored on television before.

The show will center around Joel and Ellie's relationship, but it also delves into other duos to build character depth. While becoming closer, they also take time apart for personal growth and new perspectives on situations.

This episode offers many wonderful moments, but none quite compare to those centered on family. Joel's reunion with his brother is especially touching and serves as a reminder of just how crucial family is in today's world where relationships seem scarce.

Ellie makes a point to find a copy of "Long and Winding Road," a beloved Beatles song credited to Paul McCartney. It's an understated nod both to the Beatles and to their franchise, yet one that could have easily been missed.

The next episode is titled "Reunion"

The latest episode of HBO's post-apocalyptic series "The Last of Us" is entitled "Reunion." It brings together hardened smuggler Joel Miller (Pedro Pascal) and 14-year-old orphan Ellie Williams, who have been hiding out together ever since they first met.

Jasmila Zbanic, a Bosnian-born woman who made her TV directorial debut with this week's episode, directed the episode. Drawing inspiration for the scene from her personal experience of surviving Srebrenica massacre during Bosnian War 1995, Zbanic used scenes to explore themes related to survivorship.

In "Reunion," Joel and Ellie finally encounter Tommy (Gabriel Luna), their brother who vanished in the game's premiere episode. He is now living in Jackson, Wyoming with his wife Maria (Rutina Wesley) and unborn child.

This moment in the game's narrative is monumental - not only because it allows Joel and Ellie to achieve one of their most important objectives, but also because it marks a major advancement in their relationship. After months apart and years of emotional distance, it feels like a miracle that they've finally found each other again.

It is an especially touching scene because it shows how deeply Joel and Ellie care about one another, even when they are miles apart. Both realize they cannot be contented without one another.

Meanwhile, Pascal and Ramsey must confront their differences when they try to part ways in this unpredictable world. It's a stark contrast from how well they got along during their time in Boston, and an example of how Pascal and Ramsey work together to capture the emotions and struggles of their characters' journeys.

The scene concludes with Joel still unconscious on the ground while Ellie stands beside him. She looks down at him and pleads with him to wake up and return to her.

It's an awe-inspiring moment, showcasing Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey's ability to convey so much emotion through their faces. As such, it may be the best-looking scene thus far in The Last of Us.