The Last of Us: Episode 8 Review

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When a Colorado resort demonstrates that Hell may ice over, The Last of Us, an HBO series, takes us to new lows in depravity in episode 8. Bella Ramsey finds more dimensions in Ellie in a compelling hour of television, and Scott Shepherd’s David is an appropriately ominous foe for her. Despite the absence of any infected, it’s the most unsettling chapter of the series to yet and the closest thing we’ve seen to pure horror.

The Last of Us has given us hints throughout the series, but Episode 8 is where it completely commits to demonstrating how far humanity may fall. This is led by the appearance of David, a cannibal pedophile who truly checks off every item on a list created in Hell. His qualities are all the more unpleasant by the revelation of his past life as a teacher. We don’t know when he became this monster. Still, despite his assertions that he feels sympathy for the cordyceps because of their capacity for emotional connection, it is evident that he has decided to embrace evil and reject the humanity that still resides within him.

Last of Us Character Reference for HBO Series

The episode’s gory conclusion, in which Ellie unleashes a cleaver on David more than 20 times, is a concept echoed by this act. The fire is burning as Ellie pours out all of her pent-up resentment and anguish over everything she’s lost on David’s face, which is becoming increasingly battered and bloody. It’s a startling moment of violence captured in a breathtaking photo. It’s Ellie’s first human killing, and it happens just as she begins to lose hope. It is all too obvious that whatever sliver of innocence she may have had remains dead with him.

Ellie hasn’t completely cut herself off from the humanity that David has left behind, despite his claims that he sees a piece of himself in her. This is demonstrated in the chapter’s powerfully moving final moments when Joel demonstrates that neither of them is prepared to give up the love they have found for one another by holding her. Joel’s frantic murmurs of “baby girl” serve as a sharp reminder of what he lost 20 years ago, as Bella Ramsey and Pedro Pascal once more stun in a dramatic outpouring of fury, relief, and tenderness.

Bella Ramsey and Pedro Pascal once again stun the audience with a moving display of rage, relief, and affection.

Although they are on opposite extremes of the moral spectrum, Joel and David are somewhat like two sides of the same coin. They are both proxy fathers who are committed to taking care of the people who have been placed in their care and will use violence to do it. The way Joel kills his two hostages is the first time we see him totally cross that moral line, and it is a pivotal moment in our realization that he will do anything to protect Ellie. We had heard rumblings about Joel’s dubious history throughout the series. We needed to see a brief burst of savage rage from Pascal’s portrayal of Joel as well; Troy Baker’s portrayal in the game felt like a milder version overall. Both are equally interesting and fascinating in their own ways, but it seems like seeing a darker side of Joel is important for this story’s payoff.

That is not to claim that Joel is even close to the tragedy of David. The terrifying, cult-like aspect of the group he leads is reflected in Scott Shepherd’s outstanding performance as this episode’s adversary. The addition of the preacher angle gives him another evil tool in his arsenal for the program and causes him to cut shapes resembling The Prophet from HBO’s post-apocalyptic drama Station Eleven, another intriguingly complex menace.

Even if we are aware that life is difficult, serving a young girl who is unaware of her own father in a stew hardly seems like a good deed, does it? Joel and Ellie’s welcoming warmth in Jackson two episodes earlier is in stark contrast to the way the gang eats in silence amid the restaurant’s chilly, lifeless surroundings. Members of David’s inner circle are cautiously nibbling at what they know isn’t venison during this dinner scene, which offers an intriguing glimpse into the dynamics of the neighborhood. James, David’s right-hand guy (played by Troy Baker, Joel from the original game), has a guilty look in his eyes that says he isn’t entirely in favor of these tactics. In contrast, David happily tucks into a serving that is far larger than anybody else’s, demonstrating to us that he has long since passed the point at which this savagery even remotely affects his conscience.

Even though some of the pictures is clearly nasty, it was beautifully captured.

Even though some of the imagery is clearly terrible, it is nonetheless beautifully filmed, bringing to mind both more recent horrific horror movies and magnificent westerns. You can really feel how terrible the conditions are as the camerawork and set design do a superb job of evoking a sense of place, as the wind causes snow to skitter across the lake and dingy back chambers ooze with death. The breathtaking soundtrack, in especially the throbbing electronic beats that accompany Ellie’s brief horseback escape, which are reminiscent of the sci-fi surges of Blade Runner 2049’s score by Hans Zimmer and Benjamin Wallfisch, supports the film’s striking visuals.

Despite the fact that the episode ends in a frenzy of violence with David being killed and Baker being butchered (leaving us needing just a candlestick maker to complete the set), a large portion of this chapter is devoted to the perpetual tension between David and Ellie. At gunpoint or when being imprisoned, both performers are excellent at conveying the mistrust between their characters. Ellie may have remembered Joel’s advice on how to deal with strangers, but she failed to remember Maria’s critical statement that those we put our trust in are often the ones to injure us.

Ellie and David develop their friendship slowly over the course of the game as they repel hordes of infected in a Resident Evil 4 shelter-defense parody. It is unfortunate that this exciting combat scenario was removed, but in its place, a fascinating dialogue occurs in which we discover more about David’s life than we ever did in the game. While the show frequently takes away, it continually adds these crucial added background moments, further demonstrating why it is such an excellent adaption.

Verdict
In a standout episode of HBO’s The Last of Us, darkness approaches as Ellie approaches her lowest point. This chapter, which examines the heinous lengths people will go to in order to exist, is endlessly captivating and difficult to take your eyes off of, even when you try. Even when the infected stay securely below it, it’s as horrifying as this world can get, packed full of pivotal character moments and bursts of fierce combat.

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