The Last of Us Season 1 is nearly halfway complete and, so far, it has been one heck of a ride. We have come a long way from the moment Ellie met Joel, and the pair began an arduous journey to the Fireflies. Episode 5 was probably the toughest part of their journey so far as they went up against not just a full-sized militia but also a giant horde of Infected, complete with a Bloater. The episode “Endure and Survive,” much like every episode so far, contained little clues and details hinting at the larger scope of the series.
Here, we take a look at some of the most well-hidden and pertinent details that the writers and creators have sneaked into the show. Tread carefully, however, as the following might contain potential spoilers for the rest of the series and perhaps even Season 2.
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Ish’s stronghold in the tunnels
As Joel and the rest of the group make their way underground, they come across a rather unaffected part of the tunnels. They come across what appears to once have been a bustling colony complete with a school for children. The group finds refuge in the nursery as Ellie and Sam enjoy a small game of football in the back. Fans of the game immediately clocked it as a familiar location. This was the same stronghold that Ish managed to build along with other fellow survivors.
Players could potentially unravel this story through the numerous letters strewn all over the tunnels. Ish was a survivor who enjoyed living in solitude in the tunnels. Ultimately, he happened across a group of survivors that he invited back to his stronghold. From that point, Ish and the rest of the group built themselves a life of quiet comfort in the midst of a pandemic. The group meets a tragic end when one of them forgets to correctly lock the doors. The infected make their way in and the group is vanquished.
In the game, while Joel, Ellie, Henry, and Sam battle a number of Stalkers, Clickers, and Runners – the series’ tunnels are devoid of the infected. This is a pretty curious change to the material and one that seems to work in the show’s favour.
Bloater victorious
The Bloater is one of the most terrifying forms of the Infected and the episode illustrated exactly why. As the terrifying beast crawls out of the crater and makes his way towards Perry and Kathleen, fans of the game sort of had an inkling as to what to expect.
As Perry tells Kathleen to get away, he falls prey to the Bloater in perhaps one of the most gruesome ways possible. The Bloater rips Perry’s face from his body in a move that seems to be lifted right from one of the game’s most iconic death animations.
This is a pretty macabre nod to the game and clearly showcases Druckmann and Mazin’s appreciation for the source material, regardless of how gruesome it may be.
Savage Starlight foreshadowing
In the episode, Ellie and Sam read an issue of Savage Starlight, named “Accretion”, wherein two of the main characters are forced to fight in a death match. While the characters in the comic book series are friends and care for each other, they are pitted against one another in a fight to the death.
The comic book issue was present in The Last of Us Part II and the show seems to be taking cues from it to create foreshadowing. Later on in the episode, Sam and Ellie are forced to fight each other as Sam falls prey to the infection and begins to lose his mind.
While Ellie herself does not kill Sam, it is clear that she is reeling from the loss and it will likely have a lasting impact on her in future episodes.
Ellie’s cure
While in the game, Sam’s infection catches everyone off-guard, here, Ellie attempts to cure Sam by giving him some of her blood. While it seemed like a last-ditch effort that could just work, it appears it is simply not as easy to cure someone who has bits.
This seems to raise a lot of questions about whether Ellie is ultimately capable of helping produce a vaccine for the fungus. It will be interesting to see how this plays out and whether Ellie truly is the hope that the world is counting on.
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