The Last Of Us Season 2 Episode 4 Live Blog Watchalong: I'm Reacting To Isaac's Brutal Introduction, Ellie And Dina's Revealing Seattle Trip And More
Don't eff around with Isaac.
"Day One" Rating: 4 Out Of 5 Positive Pregnancy Tests
The worst thing about watching each episode of The Last of Us is knowing the finale is getting that much closer. But when episodes are so packed with big moments like this first half-plus of Season 2 has been, no regrets. It was almost weird to not have any Jackson-set sequences in focus, though it was a natural move to skip those.
"Day One" definitively made Ellie and Dina as formidable a duo as Joel and Ellie were, albeit with completely different dynamics involved. I thought this live blog might be overrun with talking about Wright's arrival as Isaac, and while that was as effective as I'd hoped, my heart is choosing love over callousness this week. And if I can't get the face of that lumpy bruise shaped like Joel's face out of my head, I may never go back.
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Thanks everyone for reading along either while watching live or while catching up after the fact. Until next week, formulate your grossest predictions about what Ben Ahlers' character has been up to since becoming Isaac's lapdog.
Ellie And Dina Are Now Truly Ride Or Die
What a change a day can make for two characters, amirite?
One day prior, neither Ellie nor Dina were aware that the latter was pregnant, and Dina was clueless about Ellie's freedom from worry about becoming infected. Sharing either of those truths with another person requires a vast amount of trust, and while there's no doubt in my mind that they would have ended up romantically together down the line anyway, that first day in Seattle was the gunpowder, the fuse, and the igniting flame.
As such, the context for their mission hits on a completely different level by the time the episode's final scene arrives. Dina now understands why Ellie is so eager to impulsively go after Abby, knowing that being bit won't equal instant doom. And they're both going forward on this mission with the awareness that Dina's pregnancy and overall survival will be at risk. That's heavy shit.
Sure, I'm excited to see how the hunt for live-action Nora goes down, and seeing that part of the storyline move forward. But during the week between episodes, I would much rather live inside the exponentially loving bubble shared by Ellie and Dina. It's just better in there.
Dina Pregancy News Naturally Leads To Sex And Morning Cuddling
After learning that Ellie isn't actually destined to become a carnivorous monster, Dina's emotional dam fully burst, and her first move was to drop the admission that she's pregnant. BLAMMO.
Obviously, two life-changing developments coming together in such short order meant that the characters involved had to do the same, if you catch the drift I just sloppily lobbed out there.
I don't even feel right talking sleazily about that scene at all, given the snuggles and candid conversation that takes place the following morning. From talking about Ellie's bite(s) and scar to Dina's frankness about Jesse and her pregnancy, I fully believe that these two characters exist and are in love.
Also, Isabela Merced came through and possibly topped her earlier quote highlight after Ellie questioned her urinating on a pregnancy test.
- "That's how it works. I don't just randomly piss on stuff." - Dina
Ellie learns things in the most interesting ways sometimes.
Horrors Worse Than Cordyceps
Ellie waking up to no doubt filthy water dripping on her face is kind of scarier than bloaters. But only for that one second when you have no idea what it is.
Major Change: How Dina Discovers Ellie's Immunity + The Theater
The video game also uses Ellie seemingly sacrificing herself to save Dina as the catalyst, but instead of giving audiences a scene filled with infection spores and a broken gas mask, viewers watched Ellie shoving her arm into one of the monsters' mouths so deflect it from biting Dina.
As far as changes go during an episode that mirrored the game so expertly, I give this one my bite-shaped stamp of approval.
Going right back around to game similarities, seeing the introduction of the theater play out in such a dramatic way rocks. It's a major location in the game, so I expect the same for the series. Hopefully they clean it up a bit.
The Dreaded Subway Tunnel Massacre
Despite being in a relatively large section of an abandoned subway, this particular Last of Us scene feels incredibly claustrophobic thanks to the flares and need for silence. And then, you know, because of all the horrifying monsters that come pouring in with a shocking amount of speed and agility.
I wish we could have seen more of the WLF soldiers being torn apart, but I guess I'll have to settle for my butthole tensing up while watching Ellie use presumably her final bullets on the runners bursting through the windows.
I also do not have the upper body strength to have pulled myself up the way that Ellie did, so I can't truly put myself in her shoes after that point, because my own would have been toast.
Ellie Stabs A Dude In The Neck
One of the video game's most-used moves involves quietly walking up behind a threat and sticking a bladed shiv into their necks, causing ample blood spatter.
Seeing Ellie do it to one of the WLF soldiers here was another great nod to a game-specific action. Do such deadly wonders never cease?
Ellie And Dina Find The Horrors At The TV Station
Watching The Last of Us characters being forced to enter buildings and areas through upper-story windows never gets old. If only Ellie had more trouble pushing one of those doors open.
No time to think about that, though, because there are all those hanging bodies to be horrified by. As well as the "Feel Her Love" message on the wall written in blood. Very gross.
Isabela Merced delivers what I predict will be an episode-best line with:
- "What the fuck is wrong with Seattle?" - Dina
Yeahhhhh. Adding onto the list of "video game moments I love to see in live-action," hearing the WLF soldier barking out at his troops to "fan the fuck out" and find the threats is so good. As well as hearing them call out that areas are clear. Doesn't need to be anything complicated to match right up with the source material.
The Strange Benefits Of The Apocalypse
Isaac's interrogation goes everywhere that a prestige TV show, but I didn't necessarily expect to see Jeffrey Wright delivering a monologue about Williams Sonoma and the conduction strengths and weaknesses of copper pans vs. cast iron.
But I did expect to see him using those pans to inflict all kinds of pain on the nude and bloodied Seraphite. And yet he didn't, really, only burning the back of the Scar's hand before eventually shooting him through the head.
Isaac couldn't handle hearing his victim's logical arugment that for all the WLF soldiers that joined the Seraphites, the opposite never happened.
The Music Store - Ellie's Take On "Take On Me"
One of the most picture-perfect scenes early on in The Last of Us Part II comes when Ellie and Dina find the music store, and I'm oh so happy to say that Bella Ramsey and Isabela Merced turned every emotion three-dimensional during the sequence.
I wasn't sure if Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann would stick with A-ha's '80s staple "Take On Me" for TV. All the more so given Ashley Johnson's soul-enriching delivery in the game:
All the props in the world to Ramsey for bringing the same vulnerability and non-performative performance as her digital counterpart. Very nice. Very moving. Very Ellie.
- "All those lessons from Joel." - Ellie
- "He tought you well." - Dina
- "He did." - Ellie
And then cue all the sobbing as she leaves that perfectly maintained guitar in that gorgeous setting, presumably never to be played again.
Ellie Talking About Astronauts
Gotta love Ellie following her tank hatch maneuvering with some talk about astronauts. Non-gamers aren't going to expect where Ellie's love of the Space Race comes into play, but it's a sequence I cannot wait to see in live-action.
In the meantime, we can just enjoy stellar quips like this:
- "Yeah, these guys were just assholes killed by other assholes." - Ellie
Ellie is as full of truths as that tank was full of burned-up assholes.
Happy, Proud Rainbow Town
It's depressing to think about Ellie and Dina not knowing that rainbows were a symbol for LGBTQ+ equality, and would no doubt question those letters in relation to the WLF.
Dina And Ellie: Seattle Day One
It really rocks seeing the video game timeline so directly referred to, especially with Weston's Pharmacy in the background. And also especially when yeast infection jokes are involved. Wait, I didn't mean to say "especially" in that one.
Bye Bye FEDRA Dingleberries
Well it took all of no time for Isaac to show domination. Not only did he blow up a vehicle full of testosterone-stuffed FEDRA junkies, but he also aligned with "the fight," as it were.
So maybe he's a hero or something, since he did save that one very green soldier from dying with his compadres.
- "Now make your choice." - Isaac Like a Muhfucka
Not that I expect either of these guys to maintain their sanity over the next eleven years.
Isaac Is Here, A.K.A. FEDRA Soldiers Suck Just As Much In Live-Action
The Last of Us is great at bringing in characters whose deaths you hate to see coming, but hot damn, this lineup of FEDRA clowns deserves an instant shutdown, save for JEFFREY WRIGHT, MOTHERFUCKERS. Ahem, sorry. Love this dude.
The award-winning actor brought life to Isaac in the video game, and brings even more gravitas to the live-action role. Especially when he's making pompous asshats eat their words.
Something I wouldn't have seen coming in a million years: Josh Peck's totally unassuming Last of Us cameo.
Maybe Drake Bell will be a Scar or part of WLF.
Welcome Note
I can't wait to see what Isaac has in store for his followers and his enemies in this episode. That's all I'll say for now, though, as not to ruin anything with my own hopes.
