TV Show Review: The Last of Us (HBO) Episode 6 – Brothers Bond as Pace

Winter landscapes and brotherly debates are in store for the latest episode of HBO’s The Last of Us. With Joel and Ellie escaping Kansas City, they head into the cold country of Wyoming in search of Joel’s brother Tommy. Pascal’s Joel is front and center in this episode as he struggles with his growing relationship with his surrogate daughter, as the past continues to haunt him.

Sports fans will have a lot to love about “Kin,” as it manages to squeeze in plenty of visual entertainment and even Easter eggs into the game’s coveted sequel — no doubt planting the seeds for the show’s second season. However, regardless of whether you’re a fan of the game or the show, seeing the main characters coincides with the fact that they it can Really like each other is a joy.

Both Pascal and Ramsay are coming out of their shells, and you really get the sense that they’ve spent months together on the road as they grow apart. Whether it’s an angry look or a hidden smile, you can feel the unspoken love between the characters with each conversation. Six chapters into the show’s nine-episode run, it all feels earned and natural, and we found ourselves smiling regularly throughout the episode’s runtime.

Of course, this is the last of us, so it’s not all smiles and laughter. We finally get a peek behind Joel’s tough exterior, revealing that Sarah’s death has literally permeated his every fiber. We already knew it, but if there was any doubt, this is a broken man and Pascal expertly balances stoic masculinity with tender vulnerability.

Something that should be mentioned, however, is Tommy played by Gabriel Luna, who we last saw in the premiere prologue. Luna’s performance here is a wonderful counterpoint to Joel, because you feel that family bond, but also the tension and history between the two. While we’re given some references to their past through tidbits in conversation, it’s their strained relationship that tells more, and it’s thrilling to watch.

However after a great performance, we must say that you will feel the constraints of this episode’s television runtime. While for the most part it manages to give the dialogue and discussions their proper moments in the sun, the latter half of the episode can feel a bit rushed. It was as if the show had shifted gears, realizing that it only had three episodes left to wrap up its overarching storyline after this one. We’re not saying it suddenly gave off a breakneck pace, but the varsity portion — a fan-favorite level of the game — was done and dusted in about five minutes.

Ultimately, the sixth episode is the product of some excellent writing and performances. At times the character work feels earned and the play is interesting to watch. Whether it’s old relationships or new ones, the performances on the show elevate it all, resulting in our favorite episode since episode three. However, the rushed back ends the episode on a worrisome note as it enters the final stretch of season one. Hopefully, for a show that’s taken most of its time, it doesn’t lose that patient pacing when it matters most.

To find out when you can tune in for the next episode, click us Where to watch our TV show In addition to the guide, our Full cast list Provides more details about actors and characters. And of course, be sure to let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.