Revolution on the Streets
Episode 5 drops us into Kansas City mid-riot. FEDRA’s reign is over. The people have revolted. Soldiers get dragged through streets. Orders bark over loudspeakers. It’s grim, fast, and completely unhinged.
That’s where we meet Henry and Sam. Two brothers. On the run. Hiding from Kathleen and her vengeful resistance crew. We already met Kathleen last episode—remember? She’s still hunting them. Only now we understand why.
Henry made a deal. He sold out her brother to FEDRA to get medicine for Sam, who had leukemia. It’s awful, but what’s the alternative when your little brother’s dying?
So, yeah—she wants him dead. Badly.
A Surprise Sleepover
Cut back to Joel and Ellie, still camped out in the Kansas City high-rise. Surprise! They wake up at gunpoint. It’s Henry and Sam.
Instead of a fight, there’s a deal. Henry knows a way out of the city. Joel has the muscle. Ellie has the sarcasm. Sam has the crayons. And off they go.
This Sam, by the way, is different than in the game. He’s younger and deaf. That change makes the bond between him and Henry even more tender. Their communication is quiet, but powerful.
Through the Tunnels
Henry’s plan? Sneak through the tunnels beneath the city. Word is, FEDRA cleared them years ago. Joel is skeptical, but what choice do they have?
Surprisingly, the tunnels are clear. Not a single clicker. Just echoes, dust, and shadows.
And something unexpected: a makeshift classroom. Murals. Toys. Signs of life from a group that once lived underground. It’s haunting and strangely hopeful.
Here, Ellie and Sam bond. They giggle over Savage Starlight comics. They laugh. It’s rare and sweet. But we all know it can’t last.
Out of the Frying Pan…
On the surface, Kathleen is getting desperate. She corners a group of collaborators. She’s cold. Sharp. Still obsessed with Henry. Her second-in-command, Perry, shows her something worse: a pulsating sinkhole. It bubbles like something’s alive underneath.
Kathleen brushes it off. Not now. Henry first.
But the ground always comes back.
Into the Fire
The group makes it to the edge of the city. Freedom is right there. Almost.
Then a sniper opens fire.
Joel splits off, flanks the sniper, and takes him down. But the shot alerts Kathleen. Her whole militia rolls up in trucks. Guns ready.
She corners Henry, Sam, and Ellie. Joel watches through a rifle scope. It’s tense.
Then the ground erupts.
Clickers. Runners. A bloater. They swarm from the hole. It’s chaos. Screams echo. Guns jam. People fall. Joel picks off infected, protecting Ellie from afar. Ellie saves Sam. Kathleen? She gets dragged into the dark by a child clicker.
Just like that—it’s over. The infected scatter. The survivors crawl away.
Quiet After the Storm
They make camp in a motel. For a second, it feels safe.
Ellie and Sam stay up late. They talk with flashlights. He asks if she’s scared. She says yes. Always. He shows her the bite on his leg.
Ellie tries something—she cuts her hand and rubs her blood into his wound. “My blood is medicine,” she says.
It’s heartbreaking. You know it won’t work.
The Worst Morning
At dawn, Sam sits on the edge of the bed. Ellie taps his shoulder. He lunges.
He’s turned.
Henry shoots him to protect Ellie. Then, stunned and shattered, he turns the gun on himself.
It happens fast. Too fast.
Joel and Ellie bury them. A crude grave. A goodbye written in chalk.
Then they walk.
What’s Left Behind
Episode 5 doesn’t just raise the stakes—it rips them from the ground and throws them in your face.
Here’s what lingers:
- Ellie tries to save someone for the first time. And fails. It changes her.
- Joel sees himself in Henry. A protector, pushed too far.
- Sam’s deafness adds softness. He’s not just a kid. He’s a mirror for Ellie.
- Kathleen proves that revenge has a cost. And it’s everything.
This episode hits like a brick. It doesn’t ask for your tears. It earns them.
And it reminds us, painfully, why the show is called The Last of Us. Because week by week, we’re watching pieces of them disappear.
