Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey Were Perfect In The Very Dramatic The Last Of Us Episode Last Night
Axelle/Bauer-Griffin. Getty Images.(This contains spoilers about last night's episode of The Last Of Us. If you haven't seen it yet, check it out. It's a really good one.)
Bella Ramsey and Pedro Pascal were damn near perfect in last night's The Last Of Us. In what was the most dramatic episode of the season, both of them stepped up and delivered. I can understand how some people might not love that the plot didn't move forward at all, but I think it did a great job filling in some blanks. I thought it did a wonderful job making the entire run of the show fill more fleshed out.
The reason this worked so well was how organic it felt. I've been very critical of Bella Ramsey but she was fantastic here. It felt so much more real seeing her enthusiastic about a guitar or going to space than it does seeing her throwing grown men to the ground.
I loved the structure and creativity of the episode too. Having it land on a series of birthdays worked really to show how the Joel/Ellie dynamic has changed over the years. The museum scene was one I'll remember for a long time. Being able to have not only the museum, but the artifacts to yourself would be amazing. Will Forte's The Last Man On Earth did some funny things about him having full access to things that seem untouchable to us. But, seeing the emotional impact that those experiences can have was great to see on screen.
Last night also showed how important Pedro Pascal is to this show. He makes everything happening in this world feel so real. He really is one of the best actors on television. It also was a reminder how much the show misses him now. This was a very good episode but only reiterated how much the show needs him.
There were so many smaller yet great things about this hour of television. I loved the cold open with Joel's Dad explaining how he's not perfect. It played off the expectations we all have when we are told a TV parent is abusive. It also laid the groundwork for Joel trying to do the best he can with Ellie throughout the episode.
Having Ellie's trust slowly erode away as she realizes what happened in Salt Lake City was also well done. Ramsey played this very well and having lead to the conversation on the front porch made the emotion feel absolutely earned. The scene with Joe Pantoliano as a newly bitten person was heartbreaking. Joel absolutely could have let him at least see if he could make it back to Jackson. But that wouldn't be true to the character.
Next week is the end of the season. They have already said they will do a third season which would cover the second part of The Last Of Us Part 2. Beyond that, we don't know. Would they do a Game Of Thrones and try to continue the show without having the IP keeping the story going? If it's just another season, maybe they won't miss Pedro Pascal as much?
SEASON 2
Episode 6: A-
Episode 5: D+
Episode 4: C
Episode 3: B
Episode 2: A
Episode 1: B-