episode 6 of The Last of Us just landed on HBO and HBO Max, continuing Joel and Ellie’s journey across the United States in search of Tommy and the fireflies.
A flash of the previous episode’s most shocking scene opens the episode, shortly after the opening, with a cut that takes us to an unfamiliar frozen landscape, where we see the indication that three months have passed.
After a moment of confusion in trying to locate each other, Joel followed by Ellie appear for the first time in the episode, with a couple of strangers giving them instructions. They comment on a river, that all who crossed it died or were never seen again.
A sequence of attention-grabbing scenes include the moment Joel begins to feel unwell and a lengthy conversation between the two at night around a campfire. There they talk about the future and what they would like to do. While Joel says he wants to tend sheep, he doesn’t include Ellie in his plans for him. On the other hand, Ellie reveals her dream of becoming an astronaut.
The relationship between the two seems to have evolved a lot in these three months that we haven’t accompanied them, and Ellie covers Joel’s vigil when he accidentally falls asleep, and asks him to teach her to hunt. However, everything stops when they realize they have crossed a river, which could be the river of death the unknown couple are talking about.
At the same time, they end up surrounded by people who look like cowboys with guns, and a tense moment ensues, with Joel fearing for Ellie’s life. Except that a woman, who we later know as Maria, seems to recognize Joel’s name after she mentions that she’s looking for her brother. So they are taken to a village isolated from the rest of the world.
That’s where Joel and Tommy meet and we see an Ellie who doesn’t seem too happy with the situation. Is it jealousy that Joel now has someone he cares about besides her? Or fear of the unknown, realizing their mission is over? After all, the point was to get Ellie to Tommy.
The isolated place is a camouflaged commune of a dangerous place, as they scatter bodies so as not to attract hunters or interested parties to the place. Although the brothers appear to be on good terms, Joel initially lies to Tommy about Tess’s fate, as well as Ellie’s fate.
Despite finding Tommy, the fireflies aren’t there and he reveals that the group would be in Colorado. Joel tries to get Tommy to take on the mission, but he refuses and reveals Maria is pregnant. Soon after, we see Joel have another episode where he sees a young woman from behind who looks like his daughter, Sarah.
Speaking of Sarah, another important moment happens there: Ellie discovers the story of Joel’s daughter, of which he was unaware. Unbeknownst to Ellie, Joel tells her story and reveals her panic attacks, making him more vulnerable than ever as he begs Tommy to embark on his mission to get Ellie to the fireflies.
Who is not happy about this is Ellie, who argues with Joel and reveals the fear that he had told Sam in the previous episode: being alone. She relates how Joel was the only person she cared about who didn’t abandon her or die.
Though it appears the two will part ways, Joel shows up at the last minute as Ellie is about to leave with Tommy and tells her she has the choice between going with him or her brother. Without hesitation, Ellie chooses to go with Joel. Despite the quarrel, what has been said seems to have brought the two even closer together, with the couple continuing their journey, now headed for Colorado.
Along the way, Joel seems to have come to terms with his role as not only a protector to her, but a father as well. Amidst beautiful landscapes, he teaches her how to hunt, he talks to her about her profession, teaches her things like the rules of American football and reveals that as a child he wanted to be a singer.
Upon reaching their destination, they find that the fireflies are apparently gone, and while the risk of infection is scary, it’s the humans who show up to screw things up. Joel and Ellie are attacked by a member of the group, and although Joel kills him, he is wounded in the process. Though he managed to escape, things don’t look all good when Joel passes out and falls off his horse, leaving Ellie desperate for the future. After all, all she doesn’t want is to be alone.
Episode 6, despite the presence of Tommy, is much more about Joel and Ellie, and how their relationship evolves from a smuggler and his cargo, to Joel realizing that she is important to him and he is too. important to her.
Despite the tense ending and other scenes where we fear for the duo’s life, the episode focuses heavily on the characters and their developing relationships. On the one hand, we see that Ellie is annoyed that Joel doesn’t want her around her and pretends to only treat her like a package, on the other hand, Joel proves that he is very afraid of her, in another brilliant performance by Pedro Pascal .
Another big highlight of the episode is the cinematography and scenarios, as well as the script, as the dialogues are a strong point.
episode 7 of The Last of Us arrives on HBO and HBO Max next Sunday (26th) at 11pm. All episodes already released are on HBO Max.
The post The Last of Us: Episode 6 Takes Us Beyond the River of Death first appeared on Olhar Digital.
Source: Olhar Digital
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
