The Last of Us ‘Please Hold to my Hand’ Review: The roadtrip begins

Please Hold to my Hand is another terrific episode that can’t quite reach the heights of perfection in the last episode.

Joel and Ellie are finally heading west to help Tommy. The trip gives the duo plenty of time to catch up. One of the highlights of the game was the stupid joke book Ellie whipped out. The joke book returns in the tv series and is a great way of showcasing the evolving relationship between the two characters over the course of the episode. Joel barely responds at the beginning of the episode. However, by the end of the episode, Joel is smiling and laughing at the jokes.

The Last of Us tv series has done a great job of expanding the world’s lore. In the game, the human enemies are just obstacles for Joel and Ellie to overcome on their journey. In the show, Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann continue to focus on other characters. Please Hold to my Hand introduces a new character to the franchise in Kathleen played by Melanie Lynskey. Kathleen leads a group of humans who successfully dethroned FEDRA in Kansas City. Lynskey is terrific at being charming, so it’s nice to see her take on a villain role.

Please Hold to my Hand features the most visceral action sequence since the pilot. Ellie is forced to save Joel. The aftermath of the sequence is where Ellie and Joel fully connect in a way that will change the two forever. Joel may not realize it, but there’s no going back.

There really aren’t any issues with Please Hold to my Hand. The episode just doesn’t match the impossible emotional heights of Long, Long Time.

With the overview out of the way, let’s dive deeper into the stand-out elements in Please Hold to my Hand. There may be some minor spoilers. The Last of Us is available to stream on HBO Max.

Heading to Kansas City in Please Hold to my Hand

Similar to the beginning of Long, Long Time, Ellie begins the episode by peppering Joel with questions and comments. Instead of questions about the Cordyceps fungus, she’s bludgeoning Joel with puns and jokes. While Joel doesn’t even crack a smile, he can’t withstand Ellie’s barrage. Without much prompting, he goes into detail about his relationship with Tommy and his brother’s connection to the Fireflies.

In short, Tommy has always wanted to change the world. Before the pandemic, Tommy wanted to change the world by enlisting in Desert Storm. After the pandemic, he joined the Fireflies for a similar mission. Joel’s particular brand of narcissism is on full display. No matter how much he complains about his brother, it’s his job to watch out for him. Ellie is clearly enamored with Joel’s persistence given he doesn’t have much else to live for after Tess’s death.

Joel and Ellie stop to camp for the night. Ellie wonders if they’re safe, Joel says they’re but stays up all night to keep watch. When they arrive in Kansas City, they find a Sara Lee truck blocking an overpass. Joel is able to find a detour, but an ambush is waiting for them in Kansas City.

The performances between Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey continue to dazzle. Ellie is slowly bringing the father inside of Joel to the surface.

My first time

The ambush forces Joel to crash the truck into an abandoned storefront. Joel tells Ellie to hide. Ellie obeys until Joel gets caught off by an attacker from behind. Ellie is forced to use the gun she’s hidden away. In the most traumatic scene in the episode, the man begs for his life. Ellie is shaken. Joel tells Ellie to hide again. Not for her protection, but so she won’t see Joel kill the man.

Joel can’t even begin to comfort Ellie. He pitifully stops by saying he’s not really good at this, which Ellie bails him out with humor. She also tells Joel this isn’t her first time killing someone. Joel doesn’t press for more information.

He approaches Ellie and places the gun in her hands. He teaches her how to hold the gun properly. From this point on the relationship between Joel and Ellie changes. She’s no longer cargo, which is how Joel referred to her on the road, they are permanently linked.

Fast forward to the end of the episode. Joel and Ellie are getting ready to turn in for the night. Ellie once again delivers another terrible joke. Joel smiles for the first time since his daughter gave him his present some 20 years ago, then laughs.

As close as Joel was with his daughter, the connection he shares with Ellie is actually deeper and Please Hold to my Hand excels at showing how Joel and Ellie are alike. When Jole can’t bring himself to comfort Ellie, she pushes away her tears. Then, when Joel does press her about her past, Ellie responds as Joel did with Tess. She doesn’t want to talk about it yet.

Kathleen’s Crew

Kathleen leads a successful uprising against FEDRA in the Kansas City QZ. Unfortunately, like most regime changes, the replacement governing body isn’t necessarily any better.

Kathleen’s group is trying to keep control of the city. She’s looking for two individuals named Sam and Henry. Her interrogation of a doctor is interrupted by the news of two men killed by Joel. She orders the group to hunt these people down.

Meanwhile, Kathleen and her right-hand man Perry investigate an abandoned building that appears to be collapsing. Perry is played by Jeffrey Pierce, who voiced Tommy in the video game, which is a nice touch. Kathleen orders to keep the situation quiet over Perry’s objections. I’m not sure if a power struggle is coming or not, but it looks like the fungus is about to explode from underneath the building.

Most of the episode focused on Joel and Ellie’s reaction to Kansas City. However, this quick look at Kathleen’s crew gives us just enough background into the foes standing in Joel and Ellie’s way.

Please Hold to my Hand Final Thoughts

Please Hold to my Hand is another great episode of The Last of Us. The improving relationship between Joel and Ellie was terrific and felt organic.

The addition of Kathleen to this universe is a smart touch. A villain with goals is more captivating than a leaderless faction that exists just to be killed by Joel, Ellie or the infected.

Based on the cliffhanger, I’m interested in seeing how the series changes the Sam and Henry story. Based on Ellie being smarter in some ways and somewhat naive in others than in the game, the story has to change. Rest assured the next episode is going to be an emotional rollercoaster.

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