Summary
Joel, played by Pedro Pascal, and Ellie, played by Bella Ramsey, continue their cross country road trip until they run into some bandits that force them off the road.
I enjoyed this episode for the most part, but I will admit that the stuff with the bandits at the end of the episode has me a little trepidatious as I worry that we might see another Woodbury situation, which for those unaware was when in the Walking Dead the whole pace of the show slowed to a near halt and a relatively minor event in the comics ended up stretching into multiple seasons. I want Joel and Ellie to be done with the bandits and away at least by the end of the next episode and not have this drag out and start to feel like network TV.
The scenes with Joel and Ellie together in the car driving and bonding were really well done and felt straight out of the game so it gets points from me there. Ramsey has fully grown into Ellie to such a point wherein I couldn’t see anyone else play her, I also thought the inclusion of the joke book was a stroke of sheer genius.
Seeing Ellie shoot someone for the first time, even though she didn’t kill them, felt like the momentous occasion it should have been and I enjoyed how the show had Joel deal with it, sending her into another room in a futile attempt to preserve her innocence. The show is really excelling in implementing the proper weight and emotion to these scenes and having them feel important and meaningful rather than just going through a check list of events from the game that need to happen in the show and checking one or two off per episode.
Overall, another good episode but the stuff with the bandits at the end has me nervous as I have been hurt in that regard before.
4/5
Pros.
Joel and Ellie bonding
The acting across the board
The significance the show gives to Ellie’s first time shooting someone
The joke book
Cons.
The bandits seem to be getting a lot of focus
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Another Millennial Reviewer 