Review: The Last Of Us, "Endure And Survive" | Season 1, Episode 5
Joel and Ellie meet Henry and Sam, as we get ready to cry again
When I like something, I tend to round up. The amount of rounding varies, but when a show, a movie, a video game, etc. hits me in a certain way, I’m willing to look past a lot of flaws I might not otherwise be inclined to ignore. I don’t say this to impugn my abilities as a reviewer, because I do my best to be clear about where the rounding is happening. I can still see the problems, they just don’t matter to me as much. All of which is to say: I wanted to round up on “Endure and Survive,” the conclusion to Joel and Ellie’s detour through Kansas City. There are some amazing scenes in this hour, emotionally devastating moments that make me want to believe in a more cohesive whole. And I can appreciate how the show is trying to make the source material clearer. But the heartbreak doesn’t quite make up for some sloppy world-building and at least one out-right goofy plot-twist. It’s still good—I just found myself squinting a lot, even if it was through rose-colored glasses.
Once …