‘The Last of Us’ Recap: ‘Please Hold to My Hand’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode Four of ‘The Last of Us’. To revisit the previous episode, click here.
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It is definitely safe to say, that the HBO series, The Last of Us, has offered up a masterclass in set up storytelling. Simply because, the first three episodes have done everything one could want and more when it comes to creating a new series and immersing us within its world. Courtesy of a series premiere that offered perfect setup and introduction to the Cordyceps infection and how it grabbed hold of the world in an alternate 2003. Plus, those episodes have established what Joel Miller and the last vestiges of humanity are indeed fighting for in this dark time… and we’ve even been treated to character growth in a subtle manner… and of course… powerful commentary on the human condition, courtesy of last week’s powerful tale about love and what it means for us and does for us. 
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But what the series has yet to really do in a heavy manner… is offer commentary on our modern world, specific to the pandemic that we recently experienced. Sure, it’s offered up echoes of those dark and scary days courtesy of an infection that leaves people normal in appearance early on, reminding us of how we worried about who was sick and who was not, and sure… the speed with which the world collapsed and changed in Joel’s universe, featured echoes of how quickly our world changed when the virus hit our shores. But beyond that… it’s had little else to say about humanity and that era. Which one could attribute to perhaps it being a little too soon, regarding discussions of that era and its meaning to all of us. But as it turns out, the show was simply… biding its time.

Waiting for the right moment to bring forth deeper commentary about a life changing event and it just so happens that last night’s episode was the right time for that. For ‘Please Hold to My Hand’ is a story that offered some powerful observations about the pandemic we’ve lived through, after more of that trademark character development the series is quickly becoming known for. Because the early part of this tale saw Joel and Ellie on the road, and while they were on the road… they were finally able to let their guard down and get to know each other and well… experience the good that people do in trying times. By way of finding laughter and through making memories despite the horrors of the world, and that was wonderful to see here, as was Joel slowly lowering his guard toward Ellie and well… once we started to see these two bond, the story shifted gears toward the commentary in question.
 
A feat this story accomplished by way of a cross country voyage, that offered echoes of the darkest days the humanity had ever known, complete with something to say about our own collective experiences. For America’s vaunted interstate system, served as nothing more than a graveyard of one of our greatest accomplishments, the automobile. For so many rusted out cars were on the sides of the road, and some served as tombs, and even our supposed military might was on display in a similar manner. Alongside ugly visuals of once proud cities and landmarks being overtaken by the planet that mankind believes it is the true master of. All of which served as a powerful reminder that humanity is a tenant on Planet Earth, and when Mother Nature decides the rent is due… she’ll come collecting in the most brutal ways imaginable. 

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All of which helped to remind us of how helpless we were during that dark time, and it was Joel and Ellie’s arrival in Kansas City that truly allowed for this episode to shine from a commentary standpoint. Because this duo was forced to enter the city itself to try and get around an ugly roadblock and what they encountered was terrifying to say the least. For they came in contact with unsavory human beings, who had their own agenda and had clearly taken over the city and after a hideous firefight that forced Ellie to grow up quickly and forced Joel to be a dad whether he liked it or not… they found themselves exposed inside the city. Without much firepower and unsure of what to do other than figure out a way to get back to the highway.
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Which allowed for us… to meet the people that bothered to open fire upon Joel and Ellie, who appeared to be rebels that overtook FEDRA in the QZ and moved to control the city on their own terms, with the help of two key leaders: Kathleen and Perry. Who were trying desperately to find a man named Henry, whom they believed to be a grand threat to their little fiefdom. And the arrival of Ellie and Joel, and the firefight that ensued, prompted Kathleen to have everyone in her army tear into the city to find Henry, since she deemed him responsible for the attack. A move that revealed some forthcoming trouble nearby and of course… eventually introduced our heroes to Henry in a harrowing manner. But what matters more here, is the hunt for Henry and the current state of Kansas City.

Because that is what brings forth the commentary in question. Because in essence, this episode is designed to be a grand examination… of the infighting and lack of unity that humanity displayed during our own viral crisis, and how that helped the end come into play in this story, how it let the virus thrive in our world, and how our behavior puts us at risk for further problems down the line. Because we, like Kathleen, put ideology and other beliefs ahead of what mattered most… fighting the real enemy… the virus. For that was the only villain that existed, not masks, not our neighbors or political affiliations. And had we recognized that, perhaps things would have gone differently over the past three years. But instead, we know how that story ends, and seeing Kathleen worry about Henry over the looming threat in question, truly hammered that home and gives one pause.

For that is biting commentary on our current world and it refreshes commentary that George A. Romero injected often into his Dead saga, offering tribute while offering plenty for us to ponder upon and well… in the end, this was just… another magnificent episode from this magnificent series. For it was in many ways… its own little movie. One that took us on a sprawling and sweeping adventure across a broken and infected America, complete with roads as empty as they were in lockdown, and it also featured action and adventure and some fine acting. Since Melanie Lynskey made quite the impact as Kathleen here, and it was also quite amazing to see another voice actor from the game find a home in the show. Since Jeffrey Pierce played Perry and fans of the game know him as the voice of Tommy, and their powerhouse performances truly sold the commentary and gave us plenty to chew upon, while we wait to see how this leg of the journey will be resolved in next week’s episode. Until then. 

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