The Last of Us episode 8

'The Last of Us' episode 8 finds Ellie facing her greatest challenge yet, pit against a terrifying foe. Here, Bella Ramsey breaks down the episode for GQ.

[[Co-showrunner] Craig [Mazin]](https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/culture/article/the-making-of-scary-movie-3) was there every day, and the crew were there every day. And the shift in her as a result of that — I just found that really interesting, and heartbreaking. There was pressure, but I didn't feel it as much — I think when you're supported and surrounded by such a phenomenal crew, and I'd been there for several months already, I felt grounded in the process. While out looking for dinner, she stumbles across two male survivors from a struggling nearby settlement, David (Scott Shepherd) and James ( [Troy Baker](https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/culture/article/the-last-of-us-part-ii-neil-druckmann-interview)); seemingly friendly, they offer much-needed medicine in exchange for half the deer that Ellie has managed to hunt. And I mean, it's a real shifting point for Ellie as a character. “I think she's always felt violence and rage in her, but she's never expressed it quite in the way she does in this moment,” Ramsey tells GQ.

Phew. What an episode. In perhaps one of the most dramatic – and anxiety inducing – entries into the first season of The Last Of Us, we saw Joel and Ellie ...

He literally referred to her as “cargo”, dehumanising her and making explicit that he had no interest in her wellbeing, or offering her compassionate care, despite her being a child with no family, who had barely made it through the apocalypse. Thankfully, Ellie had picked up enough murdering skills from Joel and saw him off with her trusty knife, cheered on by all the audience at home. In perhaps one of the most dramatic – and anxiety inducing – entries into the first season of The Last Of Us, we saw Joel and Ellie very narrowly escape David, a weird cult leader, who was not only revealed to be a paedophile, but who also commanded that his lackeys serve up dead members of his community as “venison” and tried to rape and kill Ellie.

Episode 8 of The Last Of Us begins with us introduced to a religious cult gathering together in a frozen, abandoned town.

For example, the Joel and Ellie reunion is so effective in the game because it comes inside the kitchen and Joel arrives right as Ellie is plunging her knife into David, pulling her off as she’s enraged and unable to control her anger. This really sucks the tension and suspense out of traversing the world as it feels much more akin to The Stand, where 98% of the world is wiped out and there’s only reason to fear other people. A fire breaks out in the kitchen as Ellie grabs a kitchen knife and hides under the bar. Knocked out, David scoops Ellie up and takes off while the other men decide to go door to door. Ellie refuses and she rushes back to see Joel as quickly as possible. While James heads off to get the medicine, David and Ellie are left alone.

Fans of HBO's The Last of Us have taken to social media to celebrate Joel (Pedro Pascal) becoming Ellie's (Bella Ramsey) dad in episode 8.

He and Ellie were initially at odds when they first met in The Last of Us premiere, wanting absolutely nothing to do with each other. [The Last of Us](https://screenrant.com/tag/the-last-of-us/) celebrate Joel (Pedro Pascal) becoming Ellie's (Bella Ramsey) dad in episode 8, "When We Are in Need." After Ellie is captured, Joel races through the resort town to find Ellie bloodied and in shock after butchering David to death with a meat cleaver.

A brilliant jigsaw puzzle with a few pieces missing - https://youtu.be/js8EC1UOStE In the penultimate episode of The Last ...

But as fans of the game, episode eight felt like a fantastic jigsaw puzzle with just a few pieces missing. Like a house of cards, without one the whole structure begins to fall. Additionally, our [Full Cast List](https://www.pushsquare.com/guides/the-last-of-us-tv-show-full-cast-list) provides more details about the actors and characters. We suspect that, for those that have been let down by the lack of violence on display in HBO's adaptation, this latest episode will appease that appetite for blood somewhat. Without Ellie's brutal guardian, there's a level of anxiety building throughout the episode. [The Last of Us](games/ps3/last_of_us) TV show, we're beginning to see whether HBO's ambitious adaptation can hold a light to the PlayStation classic.

HBO's The Last of Us episode 8 has arrived and this time we see Ellie tangling with David and Joel stepping up his torturing game. But how close does the show ...

Check out the slideshow, or watch the video above to see the scenes from both the show and the game in action. HBO's The Last of Us episode 8 has arrived and this time we see Ellie tangling with David and Joel stepping up his torturing game. A chapter that explores the depraved depths humanity will plummet to in order to survive, it’s endlessly engaging and hard to turn your eyes away from, even when you want to.

There's always a tendency in post-apocalyptic media — especially zombie apocalypse media — to show that the true villains aren't the undead monsters coming ...

We’ve seen how heartless the post-apocalypse can be, but this is a new level of the kind of evil that is not only prevalent in this environment but respected as a leader. Of course he has to kill Joel, he killed one of his men and it doesn’t matter that it was self-defense. Somehow, the show finds a way to make David something worse than a cannibal — he’s also a child predator. The raiders Joel and Ellie have encountered over their entire journey were just looking to make ends meet and survive, as Joel can attest from his shady past. Episode 8 follows Ellie as she encounters David, a teacher-turned-preacher who’s now the leader of an extremely religious community. But even in a crowded genre,

Wiktor Reinfuss reviews The Last of Us episode 8, "When We Are in Need", starring Bella Ramsey and Pedro Pascal. On HBO and HBO Max.

The Last of Us series is one of the best series made by HBO. Ellie confuses them and uses that to her advantage to kill James. We saw her struggle with trying to keep Joel safe and what she had to do to make it happen. The bright side in all this is that Joel is now better and killing other people in that group. When David and James put her on the table to chop her into pieces, she says she bit David and that she is infected. They announce that they will set out in the morning to find the man responsible for their friend’s death. When James leaves, David decides he and Ellie should wait in a nearby shack, so he can light a fire to keep them warm. This scene has excellent dialogue and acting, and as David starts small talk with Ellie she begins to trust him. If you have played the game, you know that this moment is crucial, due to a zombie attack. Ellie finds him dead, with David and James already there ready to take him away. In “When We Are in Need,” the screen time of the main characters is evenly shared. It’s certainly a great way to enrich the story by including more of what is known from the game.

We find the stark opposite of Jackson's communist society in David's totalitarian one. The Last of Us Scott Shepherd David Image via HBO.

Sure, he will couch it in some sort of vague philosophizing about the good of all, though that feels more and more like a flimsy front the more he speaks. The cruelty and callousness is not a bug in the system. There is almost a relish in his voice as he discusses how everything went to pieces and how he found his place in the rubble of the old world. As its leader delusionally shouts about how good he is, continuing to think only about himself to the very end, what little they have left is being destroyed all around him. When Ellie starts a fire by throwing a still burning log at David, he looks back to see it starting to consume the entire building. This predatory behavior encapsulates all the ways that this town is the antithesis of Jackson. The story he tells of how they traveled far to get to this place feels more like it was driven by his own desire for how he could control them better here than it was for the good of all. This is not something he does out of kindness, quite the opposite, and we soon realize just how despicable he truly is. At the forefront of this is the terrifyingly creepy David ( [Scott Shepherd](https://collider.com/the-last-of-us-david-image-scott-shepherd/)) who spends the episode terrorizing not just Ellie ( [Bella Ramsey](https://collider.com/last-of-us-series-bts-images-bella-ramsey/)) but the entire group he oversees while proclaiming that he is actually a good person who just knows better than everyone else. When Ellie is subsequently captured and held by the group, he is the one that spares her. He uses both this fear and faith to rule, caring little about what it is that anyone has to say as believes he is the one anointed to lead them. By showing how far one has fallen into disarray while the other is thriving highlights how any hope at a future depends upon coming together.

The Last of Us episode 8 review: We recap the latest events in the HBO series as Ellie meets chilling new villain David.

His fear of getting hurt again has been slowly stripped away and the hug between the pair in the closing sequence shows how Joel is now prepared to protect Ellie emotionally, as well as physically. After David was stalled by Ellie revealing that she is infected, she took the opportunity to wield the meat cleaver meant for her into the throat of James. HBO® and all related programs are the property of Home Box Office, Inc. Firstly, they removed David winning Ellie’s trust through a shoot-out with the infected. Led by a cannibal preacher and sexual predator, it showed how the wrong kind of faith can take a group down the darkest of paths. But in both cases you could at least grasp their motivation – whether it be the death of a sibling or a brain-melting fungal takeover.

This week's episode of The Last of Us is perhaps the most terrifying one so far, as it changes pace and accelerates the amount of violence and gore.

The way the entire momentum is captured is a reminder of the On its own, this episode is both terrifying and a delight to watch. David refers to Joel as Ellie’s father multiple times in the episode, and towards the end, when the two reunite, Joel is heard saying, “I got you baby girl.” Their father-daughter bond has already been formed over the past few episodes, and whether this season ends with them finding their purpose or simply wandering around, the duo will be sticking together for a long, long time. She isn’t the same person she was just a few weeks ago, and her journey with Joel has changed her to become stronger over time. [Bella Ramsey’s performance as Ellie](https://gamerant.com/the-last-of-us-hbo-series-bella-ramsey-ellie-cast/) in this episode is phenomenal, as she reveals the different layers of the protagonist over the hour-long episode. It is a reminder of how death plays an important role in the series so far. However, considering the situation, and in order to provide a meal for herself and a possibly dying Joel, she will go to any extent. The final action, however, isn’t shown, but the sound of the sharp knife meeting human flesh is enough to garner a physical reaction from viewers. [The Last of Us](https://gamerant.com/tag/the-last-of-us/) is a character-driven story, and this week’s entire episode focuses on Ellie’s development. Viewers will remember that this is the same young girl who couldn’t even manage to Seeing Ellie single-handedly manage the dire situation in this week’s episode is a reflection of the great writing behind the HBO series. After last week’s episode, it was already known that this episode would see Ellie trying to help an injured Joel, and the challenges she faces across the way are unexpected.

The Last of Us episode 8 is intense as it focuses on Ellie (Bella Ramsey) trying to survive on her own while Joel (Pedro Pascal) recovers from his injury. But ...

David may be the creepiest member of this community in both the series and the game, but thanks to his posthumous contributions, Alec is now arguably one of the most important. Regardless, Alec has become a crucial member of this community’s story and his role in the series is far greater than one of the many nameless NPCs that gamers have to fight against, even in death. A man brings a tray of meat to add to a stew being made by Alec’s wife and another community member. David tells her that they won’t be able to bury him until the spring because the ground is too frozen to dig a hole, but unfortunately David actually has other plans for Alec’s body. David and his right-hand man James (played in the series by original Joel actor Troy Baker) are key characters in both the show and the first game as they serve as Ellie’s primary interactions with this community. [The Last of Us episode 8](https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/the-last-of-us-episode-8-review/) is intense as it focuses on Ellie (Bella Ramsey) trying to survive on her own while Joel (Pedro Pascal) recovers from his injury.

The 8.1 million viewers who tuned into Episode 8, titled “When We Are In Need,” contributed to a 74% increase from the viewership of the series premiere, which ...

And alongside reaching another then-series high of 6.4, Episode 3 received major acclaim from critics and fans alike for the [guest performances of Nick Offerman and Murray Bartlett](https://variety.com/2023/tv/news/the-last-of-us-episode-3-bill-frank-nick-offerman-murray-bartlett-1235505272/), jumpstarting conversations about awards potential for the actors and the show as a whole. It should be noted that when Episode 4 racked up its solid 7.4 million viewers, it premiered in competition with the Grammys. Those 4.7 million initial viewers scored the network its [second-most watched debut](https://variety.com/2023/tv/news/the-last-of-us-premiere-ratings-hbo-1235491303/) in over a decade — only behind “Game of Thrones” prequel series “House of the Dragon.” The series then built on that launch with 5.7 million viewers of its next installment, [HBO’s largest ever increase](https://variety.com/2023/tv/news/the-last-of-us-episode-2-ratings-viewers-1235499252/) between a launch and a second episode, leading to an [early Season 2 renewal](https://variety.com/2023/tv/news/the-last-of-us-renewed-season-2-hbo-1235504485/). According to Warner Bros. [The Last of Us](https://variety.com/t/the-last-of-us/)” Season 1 reached an impressive 8.1 million viewers on Sunday night.

Viewers meet the terrifying David in the HBO series, who seems even more horrific than his game counterpart. But, as Ellie tackles the situation and Joel goes ...

[David and Ellie fight in the burning diner](https://gamerant.com/the-last-of-us-part-1-beat-david/) similar to the game, but the ending that the cannibalistic leader meets is where the game references come flooding in. Ellie bites David and tries to convince him that she is infected, similar to the game, and the sequence is even captured in the same way. In The Last of Us game’s ninth chapter, Ellie is seen going out in the brutal winter to hunt a deer. Additionally, it is also a reference to the game where the scene plays out in the exact same way, with Joel killing off both cult members after getting the information he needed. He plays the cult leader David’s right-hand man James, and his cameo is bound to get a positive reaction from fans of the franchise. The only difference is that the game never shows the rest of the community dining in this space.

Joel and Ellie try to survive the bleak midwinter – then encounter David and his strange meat-eating club. What unbelievably horrifying viewing.

That verse David was reading from the Bible was from Revelation 21:1, concerning the New Jerusalem and the foundation of “a new heaven and a new Earth”. Where exactly they were heading to at the end of the episode was uncertain, but let’s assume Joel and Ellie were going to get as far from that town as they could and see out the winter with the rest of that penicillin for company. The most obvious change came at the end, when Ellie killed David: in the game, Joel arrives as she’s hacking away and he drags her off, whereas here she stopped of her own accord. So often used in fiction as a symbol of innocence, the rabbit vanished once it was startled, just as any scrap of innocence Ellie was clinging on to has now disappeared. And just as she has softened Joel and reawakened parts he thought were dead, she has absorbed some of his ruthlessness, and will learn that there are parts of her personality she has to close off if she wants to survive. It was a frenzied attack that matched the level of violence about to be inflicted on her, but there was more to this, too – all of Ellie’s angst and rage was coming out in each wave of the cleaver. Ellie escaped, after lying about being infected and killing James, and took on David in the burning saloon, inflicting a stab wound before being overpowered. David either knew who Ellie was all along or worked it out as they were talking, and realised that if he let her go, she would lead him and his men to Joel so they could get their justice. He broke off from his reading to console a sobbing girl and her mother – we later learned they are the family of the attacker Joel killed at the university. In the basement, we got out first glimpse of Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey). Back in the basement, Ellie administered antibiotics, and if you listened closely, you might have heard Alexander Fleming rolling in his grave. The way David spoke to Ellie later, expressing his admiration for cordyceps and mocking his followers for believing in the good lord, made me think the He refers to him, David, rather than Him, God.

The Last Of Us was also the top title overall on HBO Max for the 8th consecutive week, with all episodes ranking among the week's top 10 individual assets. The ...

According to Nielsen’s streaming charts, The Last of Us hit a milestone the week that Episode 5 debuted. The series was streamed for more than 1B minutes during the week of January 30 to February 5, which included just a few hours of availability for Episode 5. The Last of Us is written and executive produced by Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann. This is the first time in about a month that HBO has released updated viewership metrics for The Last of Us. The average audience for the series’ first five episodes is now approaching 30 million viewers across all platforms, according to HBO. That’s up 74% from the series debut night in January and sets a new series high ahead of next Sunday’s season finale, per Nielsen and HBO.

HBO also says the first five episodes are “approaching” an average of 30 million viewers, which if that holds through the remainder of the season would put The ...

The season finale is set to air on March 12. A breakdown of linear and streaming ratings will be available early Tuesday. [renewed The Last of Us](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/last-of-us-season-2-hbo-1235308683/), based on the video game franchise and co-created by game developer Neil Druckmann, for a second season following its strong start to the season. [FX](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/t/fx/) [‘Sin Eater: The Crimes of Anthony Pellicano’ Trailer Gives Look at Never-Before-Heard Recordings Used in the Former Hollywood Fixer’s Case](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/sin-eater-the-crimes-of-anthony-pellicano-trailer-former-pi-recordings-case-1235342312/) [Succession](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/t/succession/) [‘Succession’ Star Nicholas Braun Addresses Series Coming to an End: “We’re All Pretty Bummed”](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/succession-nicholas-braun-ending-season-4-hbo-1235342264/) [Will Smith](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/t/will-smith/) [‘The View’ Weighs in on Chris Rock’s Netflix Special, Addressing Will Smith Slap: “He Kept Her Name Out of His Mouth”](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/the-view-chris-rock-netflix-special-will-smith-slap-1235342223/) [streamed two days early](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/the-last-of-us-episode-5-premiere-date-time-1235317263/) on HBO Max), they ramped back up again and topped 1 million for the first time on Feb. [Subscribe Sign Up](https://cloud.email.hollywoodreporter.com/signup/) [4.7 million](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/tv-ratings-sunday-jan-15-2023-1235300975/) who watched the series premiere on Jan. [The Last of Us](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/t/the-last-of-us/) drew the show’s largest first-night audience so far — and the season as a whole is nearing House of the Dragon territory in the ratings. [Share this article on Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/last-of-us-episode-8-tv-ratings-1235342260/&title=TV%20Ratings:%20‘The%20Last%20of%20Us’%20Hits%20Same-Day%20High%20Ahead%20of%20Season%20Finale&sdk=joey&display=popup&ref=plugin&src=share_button&app_id=1153511048447777) [Share this article on Twitter](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/last-of-us-episode-8-tv-ratings-1235342260/&text=TV%20Ratings%3A%20%E2%80%98The%20Last%20of%20Us%E2%80%99%20Hits%20Same-Day%20High%20Ahead%20of%20Season%20Finale&via=thr) [Share this article on Email](mailto:?subject=thr%20:%20TV%20Ratings:%20‘The%20Last%20of%20Us’%20Hits%20Same-Day%20High%20Ahead%20of%20Season%20Finale&body=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/last-of-us-episode-8-tv-ratings-1235342260/%20-%20TV%20Ratings:%20‘The%20Last%20of%20Us’%20Hits%20Same-Day%20High%20Ahead%20of%20Season%20Finale) [Show additional share options](#) [Share this article on Print]() [Share this article on Comment](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/last-of-us-episode-8-tv-ratings-1235342260/#respond) [Share this article on Whatsapp](whatsapp://send?text=TV%20Ratings:%20‘The%20Last%20of%20Us’%20Hits%20Same-Day%20High%20Ahead%20of%20Season%20Finale%20-%20https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/last-of-us-episode-8-tv-ratings-1235342260/) [Share this article on Linkedin](https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=1&url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/last-of-us-episode-8-tv-ratings-1235342260/&title=TV%20Ratings:%20‘The%20Last%20of%20Us’%20Hits%20Same-Day%20High%20Ahead%20of%20Season%20Finale&summary&source=thr) [Share this article on Reddit](https://www.reddit.com/submit?url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/last-of-us-episode-8-tv-ratings-1235342260/&title=TV%20Ratings:%20‘The%20Last%20of%20Us’%20Hits%20Same-Day%20High%20Ahead%20of%20Season%20Finale) [Share this article on Pinit](https://pinterest.com/pin/create/link/?url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/last-of-us-episode-8-tv-ratings-1235342260/&description=TV%20Ratings:%20‘The%20Last%20of%20Us’%20Hits%20Same-Day%20High%20Ahead%20of%20Season%20Finale) [Share this article on Tumblr](https://www.tumblr.com/widgets/share/tool/preview?shareSource=legacy&canonicalUrl&url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/last-of-us-episode-8-tv-ratings-1235342260/&posttype=link&title=TV%20Ratings:%20‘The%20Last%20of%20Us’%20Hits%20Same-Day%20High%20Ahead%20of%20Season%20Finale) On-air ratings climbed steadily over the show’s first four weeks, and after a dip for episode five opposite the Super Bowl (which HBO also says the first five episodes are “approaching” an average of 30 million viewers, which if that holds through the remainder of the season would put The Last of Us ahead of the 29 million who watched the first season of Game of Thrones prequel House of the Dragon during its run. That’s a high for The Last of Us so far and a 74 percent improvement over the

Ahead of the season finale next week, Episode 8 has now delivered a 74% increase from the show's premiere in mid-January which drew an audience of 4.7 million ...

With the [season finale](https://collider.com/last-of-us-episode-9-trailer-season-finale/) airing this Sunday, we get to see how this journey ends. For the early episodes of its run-on air, The Last of Us consistently pulled off improving viewership numbers. It is no surprise that the show’s eighth episode has now delivered the series’ highest viewership so far this season with 8.1 million viewers on Sunday night.

The Last of Us' penultimate episode forces Ellie to face off against a new level of evil. Here are all the Easter eggs and nods to the video games.

David is just a group leader in The Last of Us Part I. [the men that attacked Joel and Ellie in Episode 6](https://collider.com/last-of-us-episode-6-recap-kin/). [the presence of Troy Baker](https://collider.com/last-of-us-episode-8-troy-baker-james/), the original actor who portrayed Joel in The Last of Us Part I and The Last of Us Part II. It's another reminder of Joel's loss before meeting Ellie and the place he fills in her heart now as a daughter figure. David continues to talk about his history, noting [the invasion of FEDRA](https://collider.com/last-of-us-hbo-fedra-necessary-evil/) and the hunters that fought back. Ellie kills David in the same brutal fashion we see in The Last of Us Part I. His selfishness is apparent when we see that his portions of food are always bigger than the other members of the community. [The Last of Us](https://collider.com/tag/the-last-of-us-hbo/) takes us back to the present day. [In Episode 5](https://collider.com/last-of-us-episode-5-recap-endure-and-survive/), we noted that the series changed Henry and Sam’s story from taking place in Pittsburgh to Kansas City. The character of David was always evil, but the show makes it blatantly clear. In the game, the poor bunny gets an arrow in the head, but luckily for him, he gets away. As always, we’ll be discussing some of the standout Easter eggs and references in [Episode 8](https://collider.com/last-of-us-episode-8-recap-when-we-are-in-need/) "When We Are in Need".

What time does episode 8 of The Last of Us air? Is Joel still hurt? And who does Troy Baker play? Digital Trends has all the information about the hit HBO ...

The Last of Us is one of the best shows of 2023. [Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/the_last_of_us), The Last of Us sits at 96% on the Tomatometer, with an audience score of 90%. Is The Last of Us worth watching? [IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt15747176/?ref_=ttep_ep8), the episode stars Pedro Pascal as Joel Miller, Bella Ramsey as Ellie Williams, Troy Baker (who voiced Joel in the two The Last of Us video games) as James, Scott Shepherd as David, and Nelson Leis as Josiah. When does episode 8 of The Last of Us release? The Last of Us is quickly becoming a huge hit for HBO, joining the recent success of series like House of the Dragon, Succession, and Winning Time. [Game of Thrones](https://www.digitaltrends.com/movies/game-of-thrones-jon-snow-best-episodes-hbo/), The Wire, and The Sopranos are also available to watch on the service. You can also get lost in the movie library with a great selection of films, ranging from blockbusters like [The Batman](https://www.digitaltrends.com/movies/the-batman-review/) to classic standout dramas like The Verdict. (Fans of the video game already know who they turn out to be, but I won’t spoil it for you here.) [The Last of Us](https://www.digitaltrends.com/movies/the-last-of-us-hbo-review/) has been one of the biggest hits of 2023 so far. [The Last of Us honors its original video game](https://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/last-of-us-part-i-review-ps5/) source material and is about more than just bacteria-infested zombies. With [viewership increasing by the millions](https://www.ign.com/articles/the-last-of-us-on-hbo-is-so-far-outpacing-house-of-the-dragons-viewership) with each episode, the show has already achieved something truly rare in entertainment: it’s a video game adaptation that doesn’t suck.

Scott Shepherd's David is a suitably chilling adversary for Bella Ramsey, who finds yet more layers within Ellie in an hour of television that's hard to take ...

Despite the episode ending in a flurry of violence as David is dispatched and Baker is butchered (leaving us only a candlestick maker short of the set) much of this chapter is dedicated to the ever-winding tension that plays out between David and Ellie. The way the group silently eats in the cold, lifeless surroundings of the restaurant is in sharp contrast to the welcoming warmth that Joel and Ellie experienced in Jackson two episodes ago. We've heard whispers of Joel's questionable past throughout the series, but the way he dispatches his two hostages is the first time we see him fully step over that moral line and a crucial moment in us realising that he will do anything to keep Ellie safe. It’s a flash of brutal fury that we needed to see from Pascal’s Joel too, who on the whole has felt like a softer interpretation compared to Troy Baker’s rendition in the game. This is shown in the highly impactful final moments of the chapter when Joel holds her in a display that proves neither is ready to forfeit the love they’ve discovered for each other. They're Ellie's first human kills and a flurry of ferocity that comes when she thinks all is lost.