The following article contains spoilers for Episode 5 of The Last of Us.
The fifth episode of The Last of Us has arrived, offering fans a look at the lives of some supporting characters. While last week’s episode introduced Kathleen, Perry, Henry, and Sam, their backstories and motives are explained in detail this week. In the hour-long episode, fans are bound to get attached to the new characters, only to see them being killed off before the hour is up.
While most of the plot in this week’s The Last of Us episode plays out similar to the game, especially Henry and Sam’s story, there are some new elements introduced. Kathleen’s story is an entirely new one, but the show runners cleverly connect it to the game. It is still relevant for fans as they continue to spot Easter eggs from the game being intertwined into the plot, which are the perfect form of fan service.
Any The Last of Us episode seems incomplete without Easter eggs subtly added into the scenes. Whether it is the characters’ outfits, dialogues, or objects they find in their surroundings, many elements are directly transported from the games into the live action adaptation. The showrunners have done a great job so far at bringing certain elements of the game to life.
The paintings in the underground hideout
When Joel, Ellie, Henry, and Sam are walking through the underground tunnels, they come across a hideout that has been abandoned. At the entrance and inside the bunker, there are several paintings and sketches on the walls. The main piece is the fortress painted on the doorway, which makes it seem like the characters are entering a castle. This is a direct reference to the hideout and door that the characters find in The Last of Us game.
Ish and Danny, the protectors
Joel spots a children’s drawing stuck to the wall that features two men named Ish and Danny who were apparently the residents’ “protectors.” There are a bunch of rules on the wall, and it is evident that people with younger children resided in the space at one point. “What happened to them?” asks Ellie, to which Joel responds that they perhaps “didn’t follow the rules,” and all got infected. In the game, the story plays out exactly like that. Players first find the children’s drawing, followed by letters from Ish and Danny that reveal the truth of how on one unfortunate day, the residents had to evacuate because somebody left the door open and the infected got in.
Ellie and Sam’s goalpost
When the team decides to take a break in the underground hideout, Sam and Ellie are seen playing a game of football with a goalpost drawn on the wall. The scene looks identical to the one in the game, with the goalpost in the HBO series looking almost like its game counterpart.
Hidden comic books
In HBO’s The Last of Us, Ellie has been spotted picking up books from the ground, similar to how she does in the game. But, in this episode, fans are introduced to Savage Starlight Comic Book, which Ellie and Sam bond over. In the game, Ellie collects the same comic, but it isn’t readable. The phrase “endure and survive” is also an important one for Ellie, which is mentioned in the HBO series.
Meet the Bloaters
The Bloaters are terrifying monsters in the game, which are difficult to defeat. Even though they are blinded by the infection, they are extremely powerful. Episode 5 of The Last of Us officially introduced the Bloater in the HBO series, and it is equally horrifying. The showrunners have lifted its appearance from the game. It is able to kill most of the humans it comes across in one blow, and even manages to behead Perry with an easy snap.
The sniping sequence
Even though Kathleen wasn’t a part of The Last of Us game, Joel and Ellie do come across rebels who they have to fight in order to progress. In the series, after Joel and the gang emerge from the tunnels, they face a sniper, who according to Joel has terrible aim. The protagonist sneaks into the house and takes him down with ease. This entire sequence plays out in the same way in the game, followed by the thrilling scene of Joel sniping enemies that approach Ellie.
Ellie and Sam’s final conversation
When the two youngsters talk for the last time, Sam asks Ellie “are you ever scared?” She jokes about being scared… of scorpions, the same way she does in the game. The conversation is mostly adapted word-for-word in this week's episode of The Last of Us. The only difference is that the game had spoken dialogue, whereas in the series, the two communicate using a write-and-erase toy.
The Last of Us is streaming on HBO Max.