The following article contains spoilers for Episode 4 of The Last of Us.
Another week, another fantastic episode of The Last of Us is released. This week the focus shifted back to Joel and Ellie, and their journey to Wyoming to track down Tommy, Joel’s estranged brother. But, as they drive through the abandoned cities and are met with vast landscapes, the showrunners cleverly throw in some Easter eggs that could have been missed by many.
The focal point in this week’s episode of The Last of Us is the bond shared between Joel and Ellie. While at first Joel is suspicious of the teenager and evidently doesn’t trust her, he is slowly warming up to Ellie, and this progression is put on full display this week. But, it doesn’t hurt to offer some fan service during these crucial moments between the two main characters, and including some key elements from the game and previous episodes.
Episode 4 of The Last of Us brings Ellie’s sense of humor and the banter between both characters to the forefront. This is something that fans of the game still hold on to a decade after its release. Ellie’s bad jokes, Joel’s reaction to them, and the way they both poke fun at each other are the moments that fans cherished in the game, as it allowed for some normalcy in an otherwise unusual world. Apart from their bond, the episode did include some Easter eggs that keen-eyed fans will be quick to spot.
No Pun Intended: Volume Too
Towards the beginning of the episode, Joel is seen filling up a gas tank, and his instructions to Ellie are simply “no wandering.” To pass time, Ellie pulls out a book from her backpack titled “No Pun Intended: Volume Too.” This was a collectible item in The Last of Us and The Last of Us: Left Behind. Once found, the scene plays out similarly, as Ellie reads out jokes from the book to break the ice with Joel.
Arby’s
As the duo head off on their road trip, they pass by an Arby’s. This is a callback to Episode 3 of The Last of Us. When Bill finds Frank in one of his traps, he tells him that he cannot offer him free food as “this isn’t an Arby’s.” Frank points out that Arby’s is a restaurant and they don’t hand out free food. The restaurant jumped on board the joke and put it up on signs at their branches around the US.
The Fort Pitt Bridge in Pittsburgh
This is a landmark in The Last of Us game that lets players know that Joel and Ellie have arrived in Pittsburgh. Even though the bridge is featured in Episode 4 of the HBO series, the main characters drive past it, which means that they are skipping the Pittsburgh chapter from the game.
Ellie finds Bill’s adult magazine
As Joel and Ellie first being to drive along the abandoned highways, the latter is seen sitting in the backseat and finds Bill’s adult magazine titled “Bearskin.” She first looks through it, and then jokingly asks Joel, “Why are the pages stuck together?” As the shocked Joel tries to explain, Ellie reveals that she was joking and then tosses the magazine out of the window. The magazine looks exactly like the one in the game and the scene plays out word-for-word.
“Alone and Forsaken” by Hank Williams
For many, this might just seem like a great soundtrack for Joel and Ellie’s road trip. However, it is a lot more significant than that. “Alone and Forsaken” by Hank Williams is the same track that plays during Joel and Ellie’s journey in The Last of Us game and its dark lyrics seem appropriate for the game and series’ theme. Alone and Forsaken is also the name of the mission where Joel and Ellie have to fight hunters right after the ambush, which is also featured in Episode 4 of The Last of Us series. However, the series episode is titled “Please Hold My Hand,” a reference to the line “Oh Lord, if you hear me, please hold to my hand,” from Williams’ song.
Jeffrey Pierce returns
Actor Jeffrey Pierce’s character is introduced in episode 4, and he plays one of the hunters who is seen reporting to the leader, Melanie Lynskey’s Kathleen. In the games, The Last of Us and The Last of Us - Part II, Pierce voiced the role of Joel’s brother Tommy. He is one of the few actors to have played a role in both the game and HBO series, a list that includes Merle Dandridge playing Marlene. It is confirmed that lead voice actors Ashley Johnson, who portrays Ellie in the game, and Troy Baker, who plays Joel, will also make an appearance later on in the series.
“I can’t fit through”
There is a moment in the episode where Ellie is seen hiding inside a room. The door has been barricaded, and she enters the room through a small hole in the wall. Joel is heard saying, “Ellie, I gotta get in there. I can’t fit through.” This dialogue is a callback to the games, where Joel and Ellie work together to solve several puzzles.
Ellie gets a boost
Similar to the previous Easter egg, Joel is seen giving Ellie a boost in one scene and the camera stays on him while the latter is only heard moving things around. In the game, Joel is typically seen giving Ellie a boost into cracks in the wall that are big enough only for Ellie to go through. She then moves objects around to help Joel enter the area.
The iconic “Run” plow
Anyone who has played The Last of Us will immediately recognize the plow with the words “RUN” spray-painted on it attached to a military-style Humvee. It appears in the Pittsburgh chapter of the game, and chases Joel and Ellie around town. The characters have to hide and carefully move around in order to avoid being killed by it.
The Last of Us is streaming on HBO Max.