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The Last of Us airs most ‘insane’ episode yet with heartbreaking cameo: ‘No notes’

The Last of Us has aired one of its most brutal episodes yet (HBO)

The Last of Us has aired one of its most brutal episodes yet (HBO)

The fifth episode of HBO’s The Last of Us has been hailed its most ‘insane’ yet – with viewers also gagged over a surprise flashback featuring Pedro Pascal as Joel.

Warning: Spoilers ahead for The Last of Us season two, episode five.

Following The Last of Us season two’s super gay fourth episode, Ellie (Bella Ramsey) and Dina (Isabela Merced) continue their hunt for Abby (Kaitlyn Dever) and her friends in order to exact revenge for Joel’s death.

In episode five, “Feel Her Love”, one of the source material 2020 video game’s most brutal scenes is brought to life, when Ellie catches up to Nora – one of Abby’s squad.

Players of the game will be familiar with the sequence that occurs after a brief chase through a hospital in Seattle being used by the WLF (Washington Liberation Front) that ends in a cordyceps-infected basement.

Nora, portrayed by You‘s Tati Gabrielle, quickly realises that she’s heading towards Infection and assumes that Ellie is too, after the pair tumble into the red-lit lower levels. But as in the game, Ellie is immune – and decides to make Nora’s last moments as painful as possible with the help of a section of pipe.

Viewers have reacted to the episode, which aired today, calling it one of season two’s most “brutal” sequences yet.

“They nailed Ellie n Nora’s confrontation in the show like wow,” wrote one viewer above a comparison of the scene’s beginning from both game and TV series.

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“Bella killed that interrogation scene with Nora no notes 10/10,” another wrote.

And a third added, “This is probably my favourite moment of the season so far. Bella’s Ellie was actually INSANE.”

Viewers have also been gagged (read: left emotionally bereft) by a brief flashback in which Ellie is in bed, and Joel appears in her doorway, saying, “Hello kiddo”.

For anyone not up to speed, this is particularly notable because Joel met the business end of a golf club in the second episode of this season in one of gaming and TV’s most shocking deaths, leaving the bulk of season two to follow Ellie’s journey for revenge.

The flashback occurs just as Ellie is going full beast mode on Nora, giving viewers whiplash in the change in tone – and the reappearance of Joel has left fans emotional to say the least.

“JOEL MILLER I MISSED YOU SO BAD,” one X user wrote of the surprise cameo.

“I’m still grieving and this is how you decide to end the episode?????” another asked.

“Hitting the dad pose with ‘hey kiddo’ I simply cannot handle this,” a third wrote.

Episode four of The Last of Us featured a sex scene between Ellie and Dina, and has been subsequently review-bombed by homophobes, despite being faithful to the source material video game.

The Last of Us airs on HBO on Sunday nights at 9 p.m. ET and on Mondays in the UK on Sky Atlantic and Now. It is also available to stream on Max.

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