Things You Missed in The Last of Us Episode 5
Script written by Andrew Tejada
Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the Top Things You Missed in “The Last of Us” Episode 5. For this list, we’ll be looking at the best references, easter eggs and foreshadowing from the fifth installment in the post-apocalyptic series. If you aren’t caught up to the show or haven't played the “Last of Us” games, beware of major spoilers ahead. Which clicker creeped you out the most? Let us know in the comments.
<h4>The Savage Starlight Comic Hinted at the Episode’s Grim Ending</h4>
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Whenever Ellie and Sam got to the opportunity to relax, you could spot them reading the Savage Starlight comic. The cover indicated that they were reading the “Accretion” story. In the game, this edition of the comic focused on two people who care about each other battling to the death. After Ellie and Sam read the story together, they’re unfortunately forced to live it when the young boy turns and attacks. This cruel bit of foreshadowing still couldn’t prepare us for the moment the two budding friends had to fight each other. While Ellie didn’t strike the fatal blow, it’s clear that she still carries the weight of Sam’s death.
<h4>A Small Line of Gaming Dialogue Comes Back In a Big Way</h4>
The show proved yet again that it knows how to perfectly translate gaming moments into cinematic spectacles in the last act. After sneaking into a house to stop a sniper, Joel aims to keep his allies below safe from humans and clickers with a long range gun. This plot point perfectly mirrors a section in the game where you have to do the same. Speaking of the source material, Ellie mentions in a throwaway exchange that she took down 2 infected while away from Joel. The episode actually shows us this moment when she takes down the duo of enemies that tried to get Henry and Sam. Since the series continues to pay a lot of attention to the smallest details, its position of being the most accurate video game adaptation is not likely to change any time soon.
<h4>A Nod to the Original Cordyceps Outbreak Location</h4>
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It’s been pretty well established at this point that the fungi that flipped the world upside down spread so quickly because it got into a huge flour supply in Jakarta. As hardcore fans noted, this was a departure from the source material. The game heavily hints that the mutated Cordyceps fungi originated in crops from South America. While the continent hasn’t been explicitly mentioned in the show, there was a tiny nod to the source material’s epicenter in this episode. When the revolutionary leader Kathleen returns to her room, the camera notably brings South America into focus. This global Easter Egg was a nice nod to the original outbreak lore.
<h4>A Blink-And-You’ll Miss It Bloater Fatality</h4>
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We were initially kind of glad that the infected crawled out of that hole because they gave the heroes the chaotic distraction they needed to get away. However, we stopped smiling as soon as the huge and terrifying Bloater enemy came into view. This deadly enemy type is every bit as tough and brutal as it is in the game. If you’re unlucky enough to lose to one while you’re playing, you’re subjected to a violent death animation that is too gruesome to show here. But what we can say is that Bloaters are fond of attacking the face. When that infected gets its hands on Perry in the show, you can see him lose his head in a blink of an eye. We guess the Bloater really lives and kills by the advice Thanos gave in 2018.
<h4>The Bloater Actor Worked On Another Notable Infectious Role</h4>
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While we’re talking about the Bloater enemy, we have to mention the actor behind the tough skin. The intimidating enemy was played by stuntman and performer Adam Basil. Over the years, he’s worked on everything from The Northman to 2017’s Beauty and the Beast. Pedro Pascal would probably appreciate that Basil worked on “Game of Thrones” too. But the role that mirrors the stunt performer’s Bloater character the most is Venom. In both Tom Hardy films, Basil served as a stand-in for the alien symbiote hero. The stunt man clearly has a knack for playing huge people who have been infected by foreign organisms.
<h4>Paying Homage to A Complex Survivor Story</h4>
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After Joel reaches an underground hideout, the camera lingers on a drawing of a duo named Donny and Ish. In the games, you never meet these people directly. But players can get their entire story by collecting a series of notes. Upon acquiring all the collectibles, you’ll discover that Ish tried to stay away from the horde by living on a boat. When surviving on it became impossible, he eventually settled in the sewers with a group. Ish and his new ally Danny did their best to protect everyone. However, their world came crashing down when someone let infected into their community. While the final fate of these survivors is unknown in the game, the show may let us know what happened to them next.
<h4>An Unexpected Couple of Cartoon Easter Eggs</h4>
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If you were too terrified of the infected child to pay attention to her shirt, we would completely understand. But when you go back and take a closer look, she’s clearly wearing a Blue’s Clues shirt. We have to admit that we don’t remember the episode where the animated dog and her live-action friend run away from infected humans. Outside of the bizarre Blue’s Clues easter egg, the magic slate toy that Sam often uses features Woody Woodpecker on the front. If you were a kid born in the 90s or earlier, you may have the exact same one sitting in an old toy chest. It was great to see such a nostalgic item become a crucial part of surviving an apocalypse.
<h4>Ellie’s Failed Cure Foreshadows a Much Bigger Problem</h4>
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Throughout the narrative, several adaptational changes really stuck out. While Henry is okay with slaying people in the game, he’s much more reluctant to hurt people on the show. The choice to have a deaf actor play Sam was also a big and well-received change. However, the most significant plot departure centers on Ellie’s last moments with her new friend. In the game, she has no idea Sam is bitten until it’s far too late. The show gave Ellie enough time to try to use her blood as a cure. Of course, it didn’t work. This failed experiment nods to the moment in the game when it’s revealed that the only way to make a vaccine is to operate on Ellie’s brain. In both mediums, it seems like curing the world would require her to sacrifice everything.
