Wintry landscapes and brotherly debates are in store for the latest episode of HBO's The Last of Us. With Joel and Ellie escaping Kansas City, they make their way to the chilly countryside of Wyoming in search of Joel's brother Tommy. Pascal's Joel is front and centre in this episode as he struggles with his growing relationship with his surrogate daughter, as the past continues to haunt him.
Fans of the game will have a lot to love with «Kin», as it manages to squeeze in plenty of scene recreations and even easter eggs to the game's coveted sequel — no doubt planting the seeds for the show's second season. However, regardless of whether you're a fan of the game or show, watching the lead characters come to terms with the fact that they might actually like each other is a delight.
Both Pascal and Ramsey are coming out of their shells, and you really get the sense that they've spent months on the road together as they bicker away. Whether it be an agitated glance or a hidden smirk, you can feel the unspoken love between the characters with each interaction. Six chapters into the show's nine-episode run, it all feels earned and natural, and we found ourselves regularly smiling away across the episode's runtime.
Of course, this is The Last of Us, so it isn't all smiles and laughter. We finally get a peek behind Joel's hardened exterior, revealing that the death of Sarah really has permeated its way through every fibre of his being. We knew it already, but in case there were any doubts, this is a broken man and Pascal expertly balances the stoic masculinity with tender vulnerability.
Something that has to be mentioned, though, is Tommy played by Gabriel Luna, who we last saw in the premiere prologue. Luna's performance here
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Gabriel Luna