Review: The Last Of Us, "When We Are In Need" | Season 1, Episode 8
Ellie makes new friends with bad habits, and Joel lets the monster out
There’s something about the morality of this show that jangles in my head. I can’t think of a better way to describe the feeling; it’s not inherently negative or exciting or anything I can put my finger on. It just jangles in this way I can’t completely ignore. Tonight’s episode, “When We Are In Need,” is mostly straightforward: there are bad guys, Ellie has to kill a very bad guy, and she and Joel go off together, their bond all the stronger than before. But even with that clarity, there are still moments that suggest some deeper intention. Part of this is coming from having experienced the first game (and some of the second), and having an idea of what Neil Druckmann is trying to accomplish. In the games, at least in part one, I could roll with it easier because I don’t usually put on my narrative critic hat when I’m playing something. As a show, though—well, I haven’t made up my mind yet.
Let’s get those weird bits out of the way first, because this is overall another stro…