It’s Hell on earth in The Last of Us Season 1 Episode 5

The Last of Us Season 1 Episode 5 continues the tradition that the show has already come to be known for. Endearing moments are few and far between, and for every second of warmth, a tragedy follows.

Whether it's Sarah and her father Joel, or even Bill and Frank in episode 3, HBO Max’s new fan-favorite pulls no punches. Why then would alarm bells not ring when little Sam and Ellie develop a heart-warming bond?

Disclaimer: Major spoilers ahead.

In episode 5, we see the events of the previous episode from a different lens. Henry (Lamar Johnson) and Sam (Keivonn Montreal Woodard) witness Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsay) in battle with the residents of Kansas City.

They come upon the duo as they are sleeping and assure them that they mean no harm. No, in The Last of Us Season 1 Episode 5, a plan is hatched for the foursome to escape the city through the subterranean depths of Kansas City's maintenance tunnels.

What do Henry and Sam need Ellie and Joel for, asks the latter.

Well, FEDRA drove the infected underneath the surface and wiped them out. Only a few stragglers remain, maintains Henry. Pointing a gun is the closest that he has come to being violent, he assures our heroes. An uneasy truce is thus formed, punctuated by the immediate connection between the kids.

At some point, as The Last of Us Season 1 Episode 5 rolls on, Henry informs Joel why he’s the most wanted man in the city (with Joel running a close second). His brother has leukemia and hence, Henry turned in a great man, a revolutionary, for medicine. The new leader of the city, Kathleen (Melanie Lynskey), is baying for his blood because that man was her brother.

As the cast of The Last of Us Season 1 Episode 5 make it to the other side of the tunnel, a lone gunman shoots at them.

Joel manages to make his way to the man and gain access to his sniper rifle (begging him not to shoot before he is forced to kill this unfortunate sniper). But when Kathleen and her forces accost Henry, Sam, and Ellie, and she orders everyone killed, it does seem like there is no respite.

This is when a crack opens in the earth, and the infected emerge.

And all Hell breaks loose.

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The Last of Us Season 1 Episode 5: What is a bloater?

The huge shambling creature that emerges from the subterranean depths in The Last of Us Season 1 Episode 5 is called a bloater. It is a being in the advanced stages of infection - it has developed a protective armor and boasts a brute, unmatched strength.

But hundreds upon hundreds of the infected accompany it, trampling upon one another to spread the infection they bear.

It is truly a sight - one that reminds you how well HBO does everything they put their name on. In scenes reminiscent of World War Z and the hordes of The Walking Dead, the infected chance upon Kathleen’s soldiers, who stand no chance at all. Kathleen herself succumbs to one of the infected in The Last of Us Season 1 Episode 5, bringing her tyrannical rule to a premature halt.

There is also a particularly creepy sequence between an infected and Ellie inside a car, which is guaranteed to give you nightmares.

Nobody leaves a battle without scars. Even as Henry, Sam, Ellie, and Joel retire into the night and find shelter, the effects are evident.

In a gut-wrenching scene, Sam scribbles a message to Ellie. He wonders if it’s still you inside if you turn into a monster. Ellie cuts open her palm and assures her young friend that her blood is medicine. Stay up with me through the night, Sam implores.

But the events of The Last of Us Season 1 Episode 5 take their toll on Ellie, who dozes off. Awakening in the morning, she finds that Sam has turned. Henry, who has never shot another soul is forced to kill his baby brother. Guilt and shame follow, as he turns the gun unto himself.

Ellie pens ‘I’m sorry’ upon Sam’s grave as she and Joel leave for the next phase of their journey. Viewers may be heartwarmed and heartworn in equal measure as this emotionally rich and demanding story unfolds.

Yet another home run, for the fifth time in five weeks.