episode 5 of The Last of Us it’s already aired and that means Ellie and Joel are halfway through their journey. In previous chapters we could see many freedoms that some wanted to see as forced inclusion. The most recent episode, focused on Henry and Sam, has inclusion, but nothing is forced, rather it benefits the plot; once again, the production gave a master class in how an adaptation should be done.
Endure and Survive resumed the adventure of Ellie and Joel as they fled from Kansas after being ambushed and losing the truck with which they would go to Wyoming to look for Tommy. Here, the series introduced Henry (Lamar Johnson) and Sam (Keivonn Woodard), who confront Ellie and Joel after stealthily following them; in the game, they find them by chance.
Henry, the oldest, seems to be around 30 years old, like in the game; Sam, for his part, is much younger, since in the series he is 8 years old and not 13. This allows Henry’s role to be more paternal and not that of a rude older brother, as in the game. For example, while in the game Henry forbids Sam to take a toy with him, in the series he consents and even gets him crayons and paint to draw, which gives us one of the most tender moments of the series with the representation of SuperSam. At the same time, we know that Henry is the resistance’s most wanted man.
Check out the reviews of past episodes of The Last of Us:
Inclusion of deaf Sam in The Last of Us from HBO was a success
The Sam in the series is more dependent on Henry not only because he is 5 years younger than the Sam in the game, but also because he is deaf.
As we told you, the producers chose actors who had real conditions similar to those of the characters, as we saw in the sentimental relationship of the Bill and Frank episode (with the exception of actor Bill Offerman), to promote representation and visibility. The practice is beginning to be common in the industry, although it is not exempt from criticism.
Thus, the actor of Sam was played by Keivonn, a deaf boy. Although it is the most important change of the character, the inclusion was not forced, since this characteristic gave more sense to Henry’s paternal role and allowed to deepen that relationship through the dependence on Sam. In a situation like the one that occurs in the story, few people would care for Sam if he can only communicate with sign language or a magic slate.
As with the idea of the tendrils and the underground fungal web, Neil Druckmann, creator of the franchise and co-executive producer of the HBO show, praised Mazin’s work when he suggested that Sam be deaf in the adaptation. Druckmann even commented that he would have used that resource in the game: “That’s so good that it makes me angry that I didn’t think of it sooner.”
Kathleen and Henry: more than black and white
Endure and Survive it also showed the outcome of episode 4 and delved into the arc of Kathleen, Perry (colleague, henchman and man with a beautiful beard) and the resistance. Original characters were introduced, but the objective was to give depth to the story of Henry and Sam since the older brother is the most wanted man in Kansas for having collaborated with the opposition group by providing him with confidential information, and for this reason he is known as a rat ( snitch, in the official translation).
“Do you think it’s worth all this just for him?”
What happened is that Henry betrayed and betrayed Michael, Kathleen’s brother, and at that time, leader of the resistance. Henry handed him over to Phaedra in exchange for medicine that only the army had and that he required to cure Sam’s leukemia.
Thus, the series took up the premise that in the post-apocalyptic world everyone is fighting for something and that behind the atrocious actions and with devastating consequences, there are reasons beyond rationality, such as love.
The Last of Us had infected to pull up
In the series, Joel doesn’t teach Ellie to shoot a rifle or Henry let them down during their escape from town or Ellie and Joel nearly drown, but there are the sections of tunnels, sewers and suburbs that include small and endearing references, like the comics or the illustrations of Danny and Ish in the dugout. All this demonstrates the fabulous work of the production that teaches how to make a satisfactory adaptation.
Before this episode, many complained about the lack of action and infected, but without a doubt they should have been satisfied with this chapter. There were both, and they came to a climax with the incredible sequence of the horde of infected and the sniper.
Obviously, the scene doesn’t respond to the same causes or occur in the same circumstances as in the game, but it takes the cake because the execution and production levels exceed all expectations.
In fact, to recreate this scene they hired specialist Terry Notary (Planet of the Apes) and dozens of professional stuntmen and stuntmen to rely less on CGI and special effects. The clicker girl who gets into the truck and pounces on Kathleen was a professional contortionist, which she added to an unsettling feeling, especially when she chases after Ellie in the truck.
SuperSam and SuperEllie
Many saw a tragic end coming for Henry and Sam in the game, but the truth is that it was one of the moments that affected me the most. I still have a very vivid memory of playing it in 2013, perhaps because of the way it happens: action-packed gameplay that cuts off abruptly to transport us to a gray fall afternoon in Wyoming. I was very excited to see how it would be adapted into the series. Despite the changes, I really liked it… as much as the game.
It is true that it would make more sense for an 8-year-old boy to want an action figure that an adult would deny him, but the decision to project a younger Sam and dependent on Henry and discard the moment of the toy was more beneficial to strengthen the ties between the Ellie and the Sam of the series. The chemistry that is generated is different and the endearing moments are very well built, including the most tender one that does not appear in the game.
When Ellie finds out that Sam was bitten, she keeps the secret and cuts herself so that her blood comes into contact with Sam’s wound. This doesn’t happen in the game, but it wouldn’t bother me if it were there, since it shows Ellie’s empathy with Sam, not only avoiding giving him away, but also trying to immunize and reassure him. Ellie’s action of genuine hope to save him stems from her goodwill and innocence, equivalent to SuperSam’s. Unfortunately, everything is more complex, but that set of scenes and story development are excellent.
The episode showed Ellie more affected by the death of the brothers, but also projected her dehumanization and insensitivity, while Joel began to feel again the fear that Bill talked about in episode 3. Another detail that allowed us to see that Joel is a bit most sensitive in the series is when he showed empathy towards Henry and apologized for calling him a snitch and criticizing him for being an informant; he even tried to put himself in his place, when he thought of his sick brother.
Henry had to betray the resistance to save Sam and with this, the series once again tries to justify what happens in the sequel, making it clear, event after event, that actions have consequences and that many will want to remember this when they see the film. Season 2.
In the game, there is little to no reference to repercussions, which is why what happens in the sequel has such an impact. Nobody thought about what would be unleashed as a result of that ending. The series, on the other hand, set out to make it clear from the beginning and we have already seen causes and consequences on several occasions, especially with the narrative arc of Henry and Sam. It is as if we imagine where it is going, while others would prefer it to be something more discreet because they may consider that it would take away from the desired impact.
Differences between the video game and the TV series The Last of Us — Episode 5: Endure and Survive
The changes in the relationship between Henry and Sam, and what happens with Kathleen and the resistance in general, lead us to say that the fidelity of this episode with respect to the game gives it an 8, but the adaptation deserves a 9.5, which is what which tells and leaves us eager to see how they will adapt the remaining story in the last 4 episodes.
