It’s been weeks since Joel (Pedro Pascal) met a violent finish in HBO’s The Final of Us. Individuals who performed The Final of Us Half II knew this was coming, however newcomers have been in a state of mourning since season two’s second episode took away their TV peepaw. Like a whole lot of gamers did in 2020, they went into this anticipating one other story of Joel and Ellie (Bella Ramsey) doing post-apocalyptic household bonding, just for Joel to be taken off the board very early. After episode 5, nevertheless, all these new followers are celebrating as a result of Pascal is coming again to the present, no less than for a short while.
Episode 5, “Really feel Her Love,” ends on a horrifying be aware as Ellie tortures Nora (Tati Gabrielle) for data and at last will get a style of the revenge she crossed state traces for. However relatively than leaving viewers on such a dour second, the episode ends with a short flashback to higher days. Ellie wakes up in her mattress in Joel’s house again in Jackson, and the person himself enters the room with a “Hey, kiddo.” The episode ends with the pair smiling at one another because the solar shines into their house.
To be a little bit of a celebration pooper (only for a second, I swear), I’m not thrilled the present couldn’t simply go away us sitting with the ugliness of Ellie’s actions because the credit rolled. I’ve written a good bit in my episode recaps about how HBO appears lifeless set on ensuring our funky little lesbian stays the hero of her story, even to the detriment of supporting characters like Jesse, who takes on a extra antagonistic function in her stead. Placing this sunny flashback scene proper on the finish of what’s arguably one among Ellie’s darkest moments performs like an try and cushion the horror of what she’s simply performed to Nora, a girl who has already been performed a disservice by the best way the sport and present body her dying.
Pushing that apart with all its would possibly, the present instantly distracts us with Pedro Pascal’s smiling face. “Look, it’s Joel! He’s alive and effectively and good-looking.” (Congrats to him on that). Now we are able to faux all this revenge enterprise was only one large nightmare. Time to do cute shit. At the very least, that’s the vibe followers are hoping for in subsequent week’s episode. Will it truly be as healthful and cute as they’re hoping? To be decided. HBO’s preview of the episode has already gotten followers riled up, able to see Pascal in his ingredient as Ellie’s surrogate father.
Sport followers will acknowledge a handful of those scenes from The Final of Us Half II. The sport sprinkled flashbacks of Ellie’s historical past with Joel all through her days in Seattle, however the present appears to be condensing these moments into one Joel-centric episode. This episode (and the season finale) are notable in that sequence director Neil Druckmann and Half II narrative lead Halley Gross even have writing credit on them alongside showrunner Craig Mazin. Will their contributions be sufficient to get me off my perpetual hater prepare once I write up subsequent week’s recap? Discover out on the following episode of The Final of Us: Daddy-Daughter Dance.
