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Sacred Symbols+, Episode 268 | The Last of Us (HBO) Review Discussion and Spoilercast (Season 1, Episode 5)

Episode 5 of The Last of Us' first season on HBO represents the midpoint of our adventure, and it's here that the danger continues to ratchet-up. Trapped in Kansas City and surrounded by an unfolding rebellion that saw the destruction of FEDRA in the area, Joel and Ellie must coordinate with a couple of fellow survivors in order to escape the area and continue their westward journey towards Wyoming. Join Dagan, Micah, Dustin, and Colin (that's me!) for a lengthy chat.


Meme referenced in show: https://ibb.co/SdBpX8s

Sacred Symbols+, Episode 268 | The Last of Us (HBO) Review Discussion and Spoilercast (Season 1, Episode 5)

Comments

Yes.

Colin Moriarty

It's gonna be fucking brutal.

Colin Moriarty

Nice idea.

Colin Moriarty

For sure.

Colin Moriarty

Gonna be a lot of that, unfortunately.

Colin Moriarty

Indeed. I don't know how much they'll get into all of that in the show.

Colin Moriarty

Totally.

Colin Moriarty

Thank you, I appreciate that.

Colin Moriarty

Great acting all around.

Colin Moriarty

Well, we learn that she was never really a leader at all. It was a week.

Colin Moriarty

Yes indeed.

Colin Moriarty

The show doesn't spend time with much of anyone, so why would she be an exception?

Colin Moriarty

Thank you.

Colin Moriarty

Thank you. She'll be making many more appearances.

Colin Moriarty

It was a neat sequence.

Colin Moriarty

Cool.

Colin Moriarty

Thanks for listening.

Colin Moriarty

I don't care about that at all.

Colin Moriarty

=\

Colin Moriarty

Their ratings were down.

Colin Moriarty

=D

Colin Moriarty

It's very cool.

Colin Moriarty

Sure thing.

Colin Moriarty

I know, there's so much happening right now that's getting no attention, like.... and....

Colin Moriarty

Glad to finally talk about it!

Colin Moriarty

Glad you dug it.

Colin Moriarty

Henry isn’t talking to Joel during Sam’s death. Henry is thinking out loud, and is actually blaming himself, not Joel.

Corwin Boldt

Melanie Lynskey is a terrific actress but does often play soft-spoken, unseemly psychopath roles going all the way back to her first role in Peter Jackson's "Heavenly Creatures(amazing film). While she's an exceptional actress this is not unfamiliar territory for her. As in the games it is a joy to watch Joel and Ellie's burgeoning surrogate father/daughter with each episode. I expect to cry during the Winter episode/s. I have to admit I was very skeptical about Bella Ramsey's casting as Ellie but she owns this role now as far as I'm concerned.

Nikitas Gagas

Totally agree with Colin about how spending hours with a character in a video game is a much different than watching them develop in television episodic form. A fun exercise I'm doing with my girlfriend, who has no familiarity with The Last of Us at all, is watching the episode and then playing Last of Us Part 1 until the point we are at in the show. It's a fun play along to see the differences, specifically how the gut punches differ when you are playing rather than watching.

James Pies

One of the interesting things about the changes to Sam and Henry’s story is that it really foreshadows the decision Joel makes later on and the gravity of it.

Kenneth Oms

https://www.inverse.com/entertainment/the-last-of-us-episode-5-bloaters-flaws This article talks about how "one dumb flaw ruined the most exciting scene." Clearly they've never played the game since that's how bloaters kill you in the game if they get close to you. People who don't know the source material shouldn't be allowed to write about this show

thefury4815

I have an inquiry for you guys that maybe you could touch upon on the next episode review. What's your take on the evolution of the infected? The purpose of the cordiceps is to take over a host to spread itself to other people. But as it mutates over time it becomes more ferocious in a way that it no longer seems like it cares for spreading. Seeing as clickers will rip you to shreds and bloaters will ultimately end your existence with a Mortal Kombat fatality. Just wanted to hear all of your opinions on this if possible! Thank you and good day!

JChimichanga

I quickly forgave the whole blood medicine thing because of how much better they did their deaths vs the game. All the actors brought their best in that moment.

NeO JD

That was the only part from this ep where I felt it surpassed the game. The rest felt slightly off to me.

Ryan Zimm

Really enjoying these. They are actually increasing my enjoyment of the show itself. Is anyone else concerned at the pace though? With only 4 eps left....I feel like they are going to have to rush or skip a lot from the game. As Colin pointed out, there hasn't really been enough Joel/Ellie....hopefully they still stick the landing

Ryan Zimm

My dearests, the one thing that really struck me this episode was the way Ellie audibly gasps with horrifying terror when Henry shot himself, and then the tears streak down her eyes. It was like just a second or two, but it felt so authentic. This series has amazing acting and this one moment to me totally quells any doubts about Bella Ramsey’s acting skills. After full 4 episodes before and all the emotions and roller coasters of this one, right at the end such a high impact performance moment for me. Cheers and thanks for all your work.

Manuel Nascimento

The first rule of film/tv is show don’t tell. My issue with Kathleen is you never actually see her being a competent leader. We only see her being a terrible leader and single mindedly chasing Henry until it ruins the entire city. That combined with her unconventional look and voice for a leader overall doesn’t draw me into the character.

DeucesBruh

On, and Neil also talked about the blood being a question some viewers might have, and how easily a cure could work. It was just a way of answering that question as well.

Cai

I think the idea between Sam sitting by the window is that he knows the blood didn’t work. He’s turned around looking outside so he can see a last sunrise as sight is something he values, and because he knows his infected self won’t hear Ellie. And when it comes to Ellie’s naivety with the blood, it’s planting the seeds about how much she wants to be a cure and help (and will justify her anger towards Joel a little more in Part 2).

Cai

I really don’t understand the love for Kathleen as a character. There is a difference between the idea of a PTA mom becoming a revolutionary and the execution of it. Nothing hints or shows HOW she did this. She doesn’t come off as intelligent enough to plan it out, she doesn’t come off as overly tough to do this either and shows much more of a soft side about her brother, while at the same time showing how her brothers death clouds her judgment. You mean to tell me that no one is pushing back against her using ALL of their resources to find one guy. Her right hand man even says this and she ignores it. This leads to their entire resistances downfall and that was the person everyone was following? With how some of these people are very military like, I highly doubt they would have went along with it. Henry and Sam are done well and so is the scene with the sniper and the ensuing chaos with the infected. The show is overall very mixed for me in some of these episodes. A lot of the praise it’s getting are things the walking dead has done in more brutal, visceral, and intense fashion years and years ago.

PairOfShuse

Probably my favorite episode so far…thanks as always for the thoughtful discussion

Napoleon in Rags

Love it when you have Micah on, wish she was a regular on one of the shows.

George

You are describing all Minnesota sports! All of them, cursed, and it's all The Vikings fault. 😭

Bambi_Cobblestone

Dude I fucking HOLLERED when that happened. I feel like things like that (and the way the Clickers have been featured) can be directly attributed to Neil being involved as heavily as he is.

Josh Gamez

I geeked out so hard when they started the set piece with Joel in the snipers nest. It felt like damn near a shot for shot (no pun intended lol) recreation of the game and it wasn't until then that I realized it might be my single favorite gameplay sequence in the game.

Josh Gamez

Niel Druckman and the actor who plays Henry in the game have both confirmed that Henry is not blaming Joel when he says “it’s all your fault” he is talking to himself.

Dustin

Shoutout the Minnesota Timberwolves. A sad, sad franchise lol

king_ryan_james

This right here! Exactly why I don’t use my console for streaming and use an Apple TV

Dustin

Kathleen was a bad character, I didn’t care for her motivation or execution. Some of her dialogue was pretty cringe and poorly acted out.

Mateusz Kuklinski

I’m sure this has been pointed out by now but in the small chance it hasn’t; how cool is it that they gave us The Bloater’s game execution (grabbing you from behind and ripping your head off/in half) but they did it to the one actor on the show who is in the video game in Tommy’s VA. Just an exceptional level of detail/reward to those of us who have played this game 100 times

A Hind D

It is the Minnesota Timberwolves, they play in Minneapolis. This Minnesotan is currently walking in the snowy rain listening to your episode, thanks for keeping me company!

Tonys_Always_Write

Colin you probably should be watching shit on TV apps anyway. Your TV is probably on the Game setting on your PS5 input as it lowers latency, if it’s not it should be. But that makes for not so great viewing experience for shows. If it doesn’t look as good make sure to change tv settings to where you want it on the TV app and you won’t have to touch it again. It’ll remember.

Bogey

They need to up the gore. Getting tired of this being a show for little tiny babies

Dog Soup

Can't believe Dustin didn't know anyone who was having a superb owl party.

Curse These Metal Hands

They get way better ratings by avoiding the Super Bowl, so people aren't given a choice. Those first 24 hours an episode airs is ultimately the most important; get as many people in as possible. Also so people have time to talk about the show, since most will be talking about the game now (which I thought was great).

Hidari Shotaro

Nothing says love more than TLOU show in review on Valentine's Day

Card Captor Corey

Best episode yet. TLOU invokes strong emotions, and the Henry and Sam moment is always heartbreaking, but while watching the post credits Behind-the-Episode section, and seeing that the actor portraying Sam was actually deaf, and watching him interact with the cast and crew- idk if I’ve ever cried harder watching a TV show

John

Here for the meat tray appetizers. Just while I’m waiting for the meat buffet on Friday.

Nicholas Hardacre

I’ll be glad when TLOU quits sucking all the air out of the room. Fuck me to tears.

Michael

Finally. Episode came out 2 days early and ive been waiting for too long because of that. Very curious to what yall thought of the horde at the end lol.

Jordan Bailey

By far the best episode of the season so far. My wife was devastated for Sam and Henry.

Michael Mashpotato

First!

Mateusz Kuklinski


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