One of the most interesting things about the way that HBO Max has carried out The Last of Us television show is that it has done quite well sticking to the source material while also taking detours here and there. This approach allows viewers of the series who haven't played the game to be able to guess at what's coming next right along with those who are the most dedicated to the PS4 and now PS5 game.
The most recent episode of The Last of Us offers underlines this approach with characters and settings that are certainly familiar to the most devoted fans of the game while also changing things up enough that those same devoted fans might be wondering what is right around the corner. Just a little tweak here and a little tweak there and the show has allowed itself to go in a number of different directions while still being loyal to the material that has helped The Last of Us show be as popular has it has been so far.
Enter The Hunters
One of the zigs that the HBO show took while viewers might have expected it to zag was to change up the setting for Episode 4 while also still embracing a couple of rather big storylines from the game. Most of the action the audience saw in Sunday's latest took place in Kansas City, mainly because it makes a bit more sense since Joel and Ellie are heading West. In the game, this particular story took place in Pittsburgh, but there are still obvious similarities in the latest installment of The Last of Us.
While it wasn't entirely obvious from when Melanie Lynskey first appeared on screen, the group that she leads certainly appears to be The Hunters. In the game, this was a ruthless band of paramilitary citizens who earned their name by hunting down and killing anyone who came into their territory. While the group never actually refers to itself as The Hunters in the show, their backstory seems pretty similar since they've apparently thrown off the yoke of FEDRA and are running KC all on their own. It's also clear that they still aren't what one would ever call merciful as demonstrated by Lynskey executing the doctor at the beginning of the episode. As in the game, they are on the lookout for someone called Henry. The episode keeps just who this person is, under wraps from those who didn't play the game but the show slowly fills in the blanks, though not yet why The Hunters are so desperate to find him or why they are so sure that Joel and Ellie are on his side.
Who Is The Little Boy That Sneaks Up On Joel And Ellie?
It appears that like Bill and Frank in TLOU Episode 3, the HBO show is going to keep some important details about Sam and Henry while changing up other things about them just enough to keep even the game players guessing about what happens next. It is Sam who ends up making his way into the room that Joel and Ellie are camped out and hiding in though Henry is clearly close in tow. While viewers don't know just how much has been changed about Henry's story from the game just yet, there is a rather large change to Sam.
It was made very clear in Episode 4 of The Last of Us that this version of Sam is deaf. If this was the average television show, the change might be explainable as just a way to make a change for the sake of change. However, Craig Mazin has made it clear that every small change to this world is intentional and has a real purpose.
The fact that the HBO show has already changed up Joel's character a bit in that he's a little bit deaf in one ear, likely means that it will be tied in some way to Sam's inability to hear. It seems likely that the similarity the two characters have will at the very least allow Sam and Henry to trust Joel and Ellie as things ramp up in Episode 5. It's possible that Joel might know at least enough sign language to make Sam trust him. Where else this might play out is anyone's guess. What is clear is that like the game, Sam, Henry, Joel and Ellie are likely going to be grouping up in order to fight off The Hunters. Whether that's a good thing for the show's main protagonists is still very up in the air, after all, the audience doesn't yet know what Henry did that has the very large armed force hunting for him.
Brand New Baddie
Episode 4 of The Last of Us might have only teased one of the bigger reveals, but if the trailer for Episode 5 is anything to go off of, then things are about to get quite a bit crazier in the battle against the Cordyceps fungus. There is a scene where the leader of The Hunters is taken to a room in the basement where there is broken pavement and something rather big moving underneath it. While it appears that this isn't an immediate threat, it's certainly something the paramilitary fighters are worried about. The trailer for the next installment makes it clear it's worth worrying about.
The thing underneath that broken floor appears to be none other than a bloater. This is one heck of a boss in The Last of Us video game that has basically been incubating the entire 20 years since the Cordyceps infection first hit. This particular creature has hardened fungus all over its body much the same way that Clickers have on their head. That makes them very hard to kill even if they're facing off against a group of well-armed people. It's clear that when the next installment of the HBO show picks up there's going to be a veritable plethora of dangers waiting for Joel and Ellie to try and overcome.
The Last of Us airs new episodes on Sunday on HBO and HBO Max.