The first season of The Last of Us is nearing its finish and it’s time to carry the ache. Episode eight, “When We Are in Want,” simply aired and it introduced the story again to Joel and Ellie after episode six’s stabbing and episode seven’s detour into flashback. Can Ellie save Joel? How would that occur? Neither reply is what you suppose.
Issues start within the desolate, chilly city of Silver Lake, Colorado. A preacher we’ll later be taught is called David (Scott Shepard) is giving a sermon to a bunch of individuals when one of many parishioners begins crying. It’s a younger girl who we be taught has misplaced her father and needs to bury him. Sadly, David says, the bottom is just too chilly.
On the floor, these appear to be good, regular individuals who latched onto faith on this terrible, terrible world. Which is smart. David is their chief and after the sermon, he and his second-in-command James (performed by Troy Baker, who voiced Joel in The Final of Us video video games) discuss how the city is quickly operating out of meals. David senses some doubt in James’ voice however James assures David that he’s with him it doesn’t matter what. The pair determine to go looking.
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Again with Joel and Ellie, we see that Joel’s wound is just a little higher after Ellie’s impromptu stitching however it’s nonetheless contaminated and gross. Out of meals and choices, she too decides to go looking. Carrying Joel’s gun, which is method too huge for her, she units off into the woods, faceplants chasing a rabbit, then miraculously shoots a giant deer.
The deer takes off and is discovered by none apart from David and James. They know they didn’t shoot it and assume whoever did is coming for it in order that they determine to take it anyway. Which is when Ellie reveals up and threatens them. They drop their weapons and are shocked to discover a younger woman is the one who shot the deer. Ellie is in full management of the state of affairs however David is sensible, resourceful, and charismatic. He is aware of Ellie can’t carry the deer alone so he will get her to barter. Ellie tells them she wants drugs in trade for the deer so James goes off to get some.
That leaves Ellie and David alone to talk, as Ellie factors a gun at him. We be taught that David was a math instructor earlier than the apocalypse however then he discovered God and began preaching. Ellie messes with him a bit however is genuinely inquisitive about what may make somebody discover God in a world the place so many had died and David says it’s as a result of he realized every little thing occurs for a motive. He begins to inform a narrative a few younger girl who misplaced her father… a father who went off searching for provides and was murdered by a person with a younger woman. As we, and Ellie, put all of the items collectively—the daddy who was killed is the person who stabbed Joel again on the school—James returns. He’s bought Ellie useless to rights, however David tells him to provide her the medication and he or she hurries off. James can’t imagine they let her go however you possibly can see that David has a plan.
Again in Silver Lake, meals is being prepped for the night meal. Venison, clearly, since we noticed them kill a deer, and everybody eats. However then, David and James return with the deer and it’s bizarre as a result of we assumed everybody was consuming the deer they simply killed. However, in truth, they really hadn’t returned but. A really curious, very purposeful enhancing selection. David reveals to his group that they discovered the woman who was with the person who killed their buddy, and that they may go after them within the morning. The daughter screams that they need to each be killed and David hits her for not displaying him respect.
At this level within the episode, it’s pretty apparent not every little thing is correct with David, James, and these folks. What began off trying pretty harmless is carrying this weight of concern with it, and it’s the second he hits a grieving baby that it sinks in. These folks might sound good, however they don’t seem to be. Particularly not David.
In a single day, the medication helped Joel and the wound is getting higher. Ellie is feeding their horse when she realizes David, James, and several other different males have tracked her to the home. She wakes up the nonetheless ailing Joel, arms him his knife, and explains that she’s going to attempt to lead the lads away however to kill anybody that comes searching for him. Earlier than he may even open a watch to register this, she’s off.
Ellie takes off on the horse and her plan appears to work. However James is just too good of a shot and pretty shortly, he kills the horse, knocking Ellie to the bottom. In opposition to David’s needs, James is about to kill Ellie however David stops him. He and half the group takes Ellie and the horse, and the remainder are left to seek for Joel. It’s not a giant neighborhood, although—so once more, pretty shortly, one of many males comes into the home, sees the mess, and begins to creep down towards the basement the place Joel is. Or was, as he has in some way disappeared. Joel then sneaks up behind the person and kills him. Joel makes quick work of the opposite males too, maintaining them each alive simply lengthy sufficient to seek out out the place, precisely, Ellie is. As soon as he is aware of, he kills them each. A change has turned. When Ellie is at risk, Joel is a unique particular person.
Again on the town, David has Ellie in a cage. He says he has to maintain her there as a result of he’s afraid of her and he or she’s a harmful particular person. Say what you need about David, however the man is perceptive. Both method, he likes that about her and explains that he desires to earn her belief so she will begin over with them. He leaves and Ellie notices one thing on the ground: a human ear.
Ohhhh, in order that’s what everybody was consuming. People! In all probability the daddy they’ll’t bury! Sure, the folks of Silver Lake are cannibals—although when Ellie confronts David about this, he explains that not everybody is aware of. He’s additionally not pleased with it however he says he needed to do what he may for his folks. They rely on him. This leads David to inform Ellie that he sees himself in her: a pure chief who is sensible, loyal, and violent. These are issues she’s heard earlier than from her FEDRA instructor, however in some way listening to them from this psycho makes them that rather more true.
David reveals that the true motive he turned to God after the apocalypse is that he noticed reality within the virus. All of the virus wished to do was unfold and shield its personal variety, with violence when it needed to. He noticed a pure magnificence in that. He sees one thing in Ellie too and explains that in her he sees an equal. Somebody who may be his buddy and collectively they’ll rule the galaxy like father and son. Wait, sorry, wrong franchise. However it’s form of the identical pitch Darth Vader makes to Luke Skywalker: be part of me and we’ll run this shit. The distinction being it turns into more and more clear that David sees greater than a friendship with Ellie. He sees companionship, which Ellie figures out as they contact arms so she subsequently breaks his fingers.
David has had it and tells Ellie he’s going to cut her up for meals—which is when, for the primary time, she reveals her title to him. “Ellie is the little woman who broke your fucking finger,” she screams, virtually like she’s leveling up her anger, concern, and trauma, if that’s even attainable. Shortly, David returns with James and grabs Ellie, who fights for her life, even biting David within the course of. They pin her on the desk, prepared to cut her up when Ellie performs her ace within the gap. “I’m contaminated” she screams. “And now so are you.” David sees the scar on her arm however it doesn’t make sense to him. She ought to be useless. However that second of hesitation is all Ellie wants. She grabs the cleaver they had been going to make use of on her, kills James, and escapes.
As that is occurring, Joel makes his option to the city. He follows the blood stains from the horse right into a cabin the place he finds Ellie’s issues, the horse, and a number of human our bodies which have been carved up for dinner. He has to seek out Ellie earlier than it’s too late.
In the meantime, Ellie escapes right into a retailer with David sizzling on her heels. She throws a charred log at him and misses, however it units the constructing on fireplace. The fireplace slowly builds over the course of the scene, elevating not simply the stakes and stress, however appearing as a visible illustration of Ellie’s concern and anger. David stalks her across the retailer. “Ellieeeeeee, Elllllieeeeee,” he calls out like he’s Freddy Krueger. However he’s pissed off too as a result of he really believes that he may have been good for Ellie, and will have given her good issues in life. It’s clear that he’s utterly unhinged so Ellie finds a gap and assaults him. He flips her over and pins her down as if he’s going to rape her whereas explaining that he likes the combating. Ellie then hurts him, turns the tables, and proceeds to stab him virtually two dozen occasions in speedy succession as Bella Ramsey screams, flames raging round her, all of which is captured in a single shot.
It’s a second as brutal, surprising, and terrifying as we’ve seen all season however it’s greater than well-earned. David was an terrible human who did terrible issues to not simply the folks he claimed to like, however Ellie too. Ellie herself has additionally suffered—and being on this not possible, terrible state of affairs was merely an excessive amount of. And since this episode offers us with all that info in such a digestible method, Ellie’s second of pure rage and violence is totally justified.
She stumbles exterior and Joel finds her. She’s on edge, shaking, a modified particular person. So he holds her and says “It’s okay, child woman, I bought you” and the 2 of them stroll away with the ashes of Silver Lake behind them.
“When We Are in Want” was the final word “possibly the contaminated aren’t the evilest factor on this world” episode. It confirmed the horrible depths humanity can sink to within the title of self-preservation and what these sorts of actions can imply to the folks round you. On this case, principally Ellie, who has had traumatic moments earlier than, however nothing like this vicious killing of a person who wished to do the identical to her. Ellie from Boston isn’t any extra. Now, it’s simply Ellie after Silver Lake.
The Final of Us has yet another episode in its first season and it debuts March 12. Click here to watch the rest.
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