Even by the lofty standards set by the first half of its debut season, Episode 5 of The Last of Us was powerful. Combining a deeply emotional story with plenty of action, horror and humor, “Endure and Survive” was a crucial installment for the series. It’s a heartbreaking hour ofTV that belongs among showstoppers like Breaking Bad’s “Ozymandias” or Game of Thrones’ “Hardhome.”
A huge part of what made the episode work was the story of Sam and Henry, brothers struggling to escape the ruins of Kansas City before an army of revolutionaries catch and murder them. Despite teaming up with Joel and Ellie and making it out of the city, the brothers’ journey is cut tragically short: Sam was bitten by an infected during the escape and later turns into a zombie once the group has seemingly reached safety. After killing his infected younger brother, Henry takes his own life. It was a poignant, shattering moment.
“Endure and Survive” also contained some serious foreshadowing for the endgame of The Last of Us season 1. Beware: MAJOR SPOILERS for The Last of Us lie ahead.
How The Last of Us Episode 5 sets up the season’s brutal ending
One of the things that really sets The Last of Us apart from your usual zombie apocalypse show is how deeply it explores its characters. The show is about how this epic journey effects Joel, Ellie and their relationship. Along the way they meet various other characters, but those encounters are often fleeting.
They’re also typically loaded with extra meaning relevant to Joel and Ellie’s journey. For example, in Episode 3, Bill’s suicide note encourages Joel to find one person and protect them, and “god help any motherfuckers who stand in [your] way.” This foreshadows the trail of bodies Joel will leave in his wake trying to defend Ellie as they cross the ruined United States.
We get more foreshadowing during Episode 5. During the showdown at the outskirts of Kansas City, the revolutionary leader Kathleen finally corners Henry, Sam and Ellie. Henry tries to convince Kathleen to let Sam and Ellie go, but Kathleen is too bent on vengeance. In order to save his own little brother Sam, Henry helped FEDRA track down Kathleen’s brother Michael, who was later executed. Michael was the original leader of the revolution, a universally loved figure whom we’re led to believe would have been a just leader, unlike the violent, tyrannical Kathleen.
Henry gave Michael up because Sam was sick with leukemia and needed medicine from FEDRA. He did a bad thing for a good reason, but Kathleen is still out for blood. “But did you ever stop to think that maybe [Sam] was supposed to die?” Kathleen asks. When Henry replies that Sam’s just a kid, Kathleen gives a telling monologue:
"Well kids die, Henry. They die all the time. You think the whole world revolves around him? That he’s worth everything? Well this is what happens when you fuck with fate."
This is relevant to Henry and Sam, but is also pretty clear foreshadowing for what lies ahead for Joel and Ellie. (Last chance to back out before we discuss the ending of The Last of Us video game.)