Please Hold to My Hand

After the great previous episode which was more focused on the side characters and less progression of the main present plot, this episode moves the plot a lot further and we get more familiar with these two main characters and they become more likable as we go on.

So first of all, I gotta say the production and the visual effects are still great and they do a great job of showcasing the rundown post-apocalyptic cities and everything looks great. A lower-budgeted show would've probably just sufficed to show a couple of low-resolution city landscapes with mediocre CGI and would've been mostly just characters in buildings, which most of this episode is, but the balance between them is decent and the world-building is great. All the visual effects so far looked real and authentic and they add so much to the world of this show.

We also finally start to see these two characters bond and the chemistry between these two characters and actors is just great, and I thought they did a great job of showing them slowly warming up to each other throughout the episode.

The new characters introduced in this episode are interesting enough and the plot thickens when Joel and Ellie are now entangled with these people who have their own little sub-plot we still don't fully know of and it's getting more interesting. Though I think the leader of this group is kinda goofy and it's exactly for the reason you think I mean.

Anyway, this episode was really good but I wish it was longer since we're already almost halfway through the show, and the plot is just starting to pick up again after episode two, though I don't remember how much story was in the game, I at least expected all episodes to be at least 1 hour. Nonetheless, a great episode focused on Joel and Ellie and them bonding and getting more likable and some new characters and plots introduced.

HBOs The Last of Us continues to present itself in an organic nature. A lot of what happens in this episode doesn't happen in the game- and that is great. In the video game there's just not enough wiggle room for sidecontent, as it's more streamlined and would otherwise take away from the gameplay.

I'm the game, Joel just goes on a killing spree by murdering tons and tons of people that stand in his way. Here, each kill feels more impactful because they're reduced. That way Joel definitely gets more room to reflect on his actions.

Also I like the chemistry between Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey. They really sold it for me.

How do they make it look so real? Did they actually bomb a planet to make this series? The production design is outstanding; this footage must be from an alternate reality. I am so immersed in this world and my heart rate was constantly a little too high for comfort.

This show is a masterclass in making tense television. It doesn't matter what situation Ellie and Joel are in because anything could still happen at any moment. Not only is the production design a big help, but so are the performances. Pedro Pascal is simply outstanding as Joel. You can read his body language and facial expressions like a book. Every episode is so detailed and well-made; you can rewatch this episode five times and still discover new things.

Please Hold to My Hand spends the majority of its shorter run time setting up things for later episodes and there's nothing wrong with that, delivering an episode that continues the show's impeccable balance between line for line fidelity and creating completely new characters and scenes that brings so much more depth to the world.

Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey really shine here once again, their chemistry is really starting to come to the surface and it comes to a really emotionally satisfying conclusion within the episode. Melanie Lynskey is great as a completely new character with a soft spoken nature that contrasts her burning anger.

Jeremy Webb's direction is excellent, it maintains the reliance on handheld camera whilst also showing suitable skill with the most action since the pilot. The music by Gustavo Santaolalla has been a constant standout and it remains the same here, beautiful, bleak and haunting.

After catching up on some movies and other shows I have fell a little behind on The Last of Us, so I'm taking today to catch up on the two episodes I missed.

Now Episode 104 "Please Hold to My Hand" starts out fantastically with Joel and Ellie being the center point of the episode. Some great cinematography, really making this apocalyptic world so eerily beautiful. There's always been something beautiful to me about nature retaking man made environments.

Unfortunately though the episode took a bit of a down turn for me when they introduced this group that attacked Joel and Ellie. While I love antagonists who are developed and fleshed out, the biggest problem is this groups leader Kathleen. She's not threatening in anyway, and she has no real presence. Her right handman is more threatening than she is. But Kathleen I just can't take her seriously and every scene with her in it just bored me.

Other than Kathleen the episode didn't do much to progress anything. The introduction of Henry and Sam is great so it'll be exciting to see how they play out in the next episode.

One last thing and this is just a nitpick as a gamer, I wish they kept that execution during the shootout in the drugstore. Joel kills one of the attackers by cutting his throat open on a broken fridge door. Irregardless of my nitpick that scene was great and it added a new level of tension that the game I must say didn't.

Overall it was a good episode but not as good as recent episodes in the season.

IMDb: 7/10 Letterboxd: 3/5

Watched on HBO Max in 4k Dolby Vision.