The Last of Us ‘Kin’ Review: Joel’s pathos examined

Craig Mazin, Neil Druckmann and director Jasmila Zbanic put Joel through the emotional ringer in Kin.

Pedro Pascal delivers his best performance to date as Joel and should earn him an Emmy nomination. Kin begins with a three-month time jump. Joel and Ellie’s attachment to one another has grown. Although neither will admit it just yet.

Throughout the series, Joel’s desire to protect those around him and his perceived failure in doing so has gnawed at him. Early in Kin, Joel decides to take two watch-out shifts while Ellie sleeps. Joel falls asleep once again. Ellie is fine and already keeping watch like Joel taught her, but this failure stings Joel once more.

Joel and Ellie finally reach Jackson, Wyoming. Even before meeting Ellie, Joel has been driven by the need to protect his brother Tommy. When he does reunite with his younger brother, he finds out Tommy is safe, happy and plainly doesn’t need Joel’s protection. Pascal and Gabriel Luna are terrific at creating this unique brotherly bond.

There is no shortage of heartwrenching scenes. In any other episode, Joel pleading with his brother to take Ellie because he doesn’t think he’s capable of protecting Ellie would be the standout scene of the season. However, Kin somehow digs the knife in deeper when Joel tells Ellie she’s going with Tommy to Colorado. The scene is an acting showcase for Pascal and Bella Ramsey. Whatever shields Joel and Ellie had up are pretty much shattered.

Kin is a nearly flawless episode. The only issue is the ending of the episode feels a little rushed in comparison to the perfectly paced beginning and middle.

I can’t remember a 1st season of a series brimming with as much confidence as The Last of Us. Even House of the Dragon struggled a bit out of the gate. If the preview of next week is any indication, Ellie is about to go through a similarly harrowing experience as Joel went through in Kin.

With the overview out of the way, let’s dive deeper into Kin. There may be some minor spoilers. The Last of US  is streaming on HBO Max.

Finding your Kin

There are three tear-jerking scenes involving Joel and Tommy.

The first is the initial reunion. Joel is so enthusiastically happy about seeing his brother. Tommy is taken aback. However, the warm embrace between the two erases any apprehension on Tommy’s part. Even during this seemingly warm scene, there’s a purveying sense of sadness in the air due to the absence of Sarah. The look of jealousy on Ellie’s face also adds to the emotional complexity of the scene.

Ellie departs with Tommy’s wife Maria while Joel heads to a bar with Tommy. The Miller brothers have a heart-to-heart. Joel is perturbed over Tommy not responding to his calls over the radio. Tommy admits that was Maria’s call, but you can hardly blame Maria due to all of the terrible things Tommy and Joel did. The reunion turns nasty.

Tommy reveals Maria’s pregnant. Joel responds by saying “we’ll see how that goes” instead of congratulating his brother. Tommy responds by invoking Sarah’s name and saying just because life stopped for Joel doesn’t mean it has to stop for him.

Later, Tommy stops by for another, more civil chat. Joel reveals Ellie’s immunity and asks Tommy to take Ellie. Tommy refuses at first. Joel insists he’s not who he used to be and is worried he won’t be able to keep Ellie safe. He goes into detail about all of the things that are bothering him. He’s physically slower, has terrible dreams he can’t remember and is suffering from panic attacks (he doesn’t call them panic attacks, but that’s what they’re). It’s a powerful scene that kind of reverses the dynamic between the two brothers.

Joel’s never been so vulnerable, which makes him a more sympathetic character going forward. Fights between loved ones can drive people apart, but they can also introduce moments of clarity and the latter scene between Tommy and Joel is an excellent example.

Welcome to Jackson

When Ellie and Joel arrive in Jackson, Wyoming, they find a small but thriving community. Unlike the fascist-like QZs, Jackson is a democratically run small town with electricity and running water. There’s even a movie theater showing 1977’s The Goodbye Girl and a giant Christmas tree.

There’s a council instead of a one, central political figure. The residents rotate between different jobs. Someone like Tommy might work as a security one week and then herd sheep another week. Joel makes a remark about the town’s structure sounding like communism. Tommy recoils at the suggestion but doesn’t disagree. Maria readily admits Jackson is a communist community.

Ellie and Maria spend some time together. Maria cuts Ellie’s hair. She also tries to convince Ellie not to trust Joel. Ellie doesn’t take the bait, but she does notice two memorials to dead children. One of them is named Sarah. Ellie believes Sarah is Maria’s daughter. Maria reveals Sara is Joel’s daughter.

Suddenly, all of the puzzle pieces about Joel finally seem to fall into place for Ellie.

Joel and Ellie

Kin is the most Joel and Ellie-centric episode of the series. After three months on the road, Joel and Ellie are more comfortable with one another. When Ellie reveals she wants to be an astronaut, it’s Joel who knows Ellie’s favorite astronaut is Sally Ride. Joel’s correct answer doesn’t throw Ellie off for a second.

Everything in this episode builds up to the big confrontation between Joel and Ellie. Joel tells Ellie that Tommy will take her the rest of the way. Ellie emotionally wounds Joel with the revelation that she knows about Sarah. Joel tells her don’t (as in she’s treading on thin ice). However, Pascal’s tone as Joel is more pleading, please don’t hurt me anymore by mentioning my daughter. Ellie reveals everybody in her life has abandoned her except for Joel. Going with another person, even if they’re more capable, would make her more scared.

In the morning, Tommy prepares to take Ellie. As the duo reaches the stables, they find Joel saddling up a horse. He says Tommy is the better man to take Ellie, but she deserves to have a choice. Without hesitation, Ellie chooses Joel.

The fight between Joel and Ellie somehow produces a cathartic outcome. On the journey to Colorado, Joel teaches Ellie how to shoot a rifle and explains the rule of football. Ellie and Joel arrive at The University of Eastern Colorado. They find the college campus abandoned with a few monkeys running around. Before they can dig deeper into why the researchers left the facility, a group of raiders appear outside.

Joel and Ellie try to stealthily reach the horse. Unfortunately, one of the raiders catches them. Joel is able to snap his neck but is stabbed in the process. Kin ends with Ellie pleading for Joel to get up.

Kin Final Thoughts

The examination of Joel and Ellie as well as Joel and Tommy’s relationship leads to another riveting episode of The Last of Us.

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