The Last Of Us episode 6 gives fans a look inside Jackson, which video game players have likely been waiting on the edge of their seats for. While the episode is still fantastic and shows just how much the creators care about preserving the details of the game, it does feel a tad rushed at times. The wait to see Jackson has been a long one, and while we understand moving on to the next plot point by the end of the hour, we would have liked some more time there.
The Journey To Jackson
The Last Of Us episode 6 starts with Henry’s suicide again, reminding viewers of the last few moments of the previous episode before jumping forward to three months later. This was a really brilliant move and a great way to keep things moving along at a solid pace.
There is snow covering the ground, indicating that Joel and Ellie are well on their way to finding Tommy in Wyoming. The camera is following an older man who is hunting rabbits. We see him arrive at his cozy cottage, and he opens the door to find Joel holding a gun on his wife. He puts his gun down and sits, ready to hear what Joel says.
Joel points to a map, asks where they are, and tells the man that his answer is better than his wife’s. It must be because Joel then lowers his gun. During a hilarious exchange, we learn that the woman fed Joel and Ellie some soup, much to her husband’s dismay. Finally, Joel explains that he is looking for his brother and asks what the best way to go west is
The man and his wife explain that Tommy is gone if he is west of the river. There are often bodies they see there, and not just infected ones. As they leave, Joel starts to move slower and then holds his hand over his heart. Ellie asks if he’s dying while eloquently adding that if he dies, she’s fucked. Joel ends up being ok, but we are confident this issue will arise again.
The River Of Death
The old lady described the river they must pass as the river of death. When they get to a river, Joel says it is too close to dark, so they will set up camp before continuing. They then set up camp in a cave where Ellie asks Joel what he will do if the fireflies successfully make a cure from her blood. He thinks for a moment and then says he would like to run a sheep ranch because they are quiet and do what they are told. This becomes a running joke through the episode and really works writing-wise.
Ellie then tells Joel about how she tried to rub some of her blood in Sam’s bite, but it didn’t work. Joel can tell she is worried that they will not be able to make a cure, and she says if Marlene said they could do it, they could do it.
In the morning, they go to the river and shoot to see if any infected or people come out, but they do not, so Ellie and Joel cross the bridge – almost too quickly. They pass a water mill and another river, and Ellie points out that maybe this river is the river of death. Almost immediately after that, people ride up on horses and surround them.
They release a dog to smell them and see if they are infected. The dog is fine with Joel, but he and Ellie are nervous about whether it will sense anything in her. It doesn’t. Joel explains to the people that he is looking for his brother. A woman asks what his name is, and when he says Joel, they bring them back to their big settlement.
Welcome To Jackson
Joel sees Tommy when he enters the settlement and yells for him. They run up to each other and hug. When Tommy asks Joel what he is doing there, Joel admits he came to save him, which seems silly now, considering how amazing the place Tommy lives is.
Joel and Ellie are fed a full meal, which they are absolutely loving, and they are grateful for the hospitality. Joel asks if they can have a moment just for the family, to which Tommy replies that Maria (the woman who found Joel and Ellie at the river) is family, and they hold hands.
Tommy gives them a tour while explaining that they started the settlement seven years ago. They have a school, a laundromat, a bank that works as a jail (but they don’t need it), power, and even some sheep. In addition, a democratically elected council leads the 300 people, including children, that live there.
Maria suggests they put them up in the house across from them and leads Ellie there, leaving Joel and Tommy to catch up. They go to a bar, which almost feels like the old days. However, when Tommy asks how Tess is, Joel doesn’t tell him the truth about her death. Instead, he mutters that she is good.
Joel asks his brother where the fireflies are, and Tommy says it’s about a week-long ride south, but it is an arduous trip with infected and raiders. Tommy says he can’t go with Joel when he asks because Maria is pregnant, and he needs to be there for her and the baby. He adds he is scared about becoming a dad but thinks he would be good at it, to which Joel responds I guess we will find out. This causes the two to fight, and Joel storms off and says he will leave in the morning. He also has another heart episode once outside.
Flash to Ellie, and we see her coming out of the shower to clothes and a note from Maria. When she enters Maria and Tommy’s home, she sees candles and a chalkboard with the names Sarah and Kevin, as well as birth and death dates. Maria gets scissors and tells Ellie she will give her a haircut. The two talk about the memorial, and Ellie learns that Sarah is Joel’s daughter and Kevin is Maria’s son.
A Couple Of Arguments
Maria tells Ellie that she doesn’t know what Joel’s past was like, but that Maria does and that Ellie should be careful. Ellie immediately defends him and lets her know that she knows Joel used to kill people, throwing in that Tommy used to. Maria explains that she wants Ellie to be smart and safe before telling her to get ready because she is taking her to the movies. The movie theater is a barn with a projector, exactly like it is seen in the video game.
Now we see Tommy going to find his brother so that he can apologize for their fight. Joel asks more about the road to the University, where the fireflies are said to be, before explaining everything about Ellie and how she is immune, as well as the fact that Tess is dead. He explains that he feels weak now and like he is failing time and time again. He wants Tommy to take Ellie and says this is a way for him to make up for all the harm they did in their past and bring his child into a better world.
The conversation ends, Tommy goes to the movie night, and Joel returns to the house, where he learns Ellie overheard part of what he said to his brother. She tells Joel if he is going to leave, do it already. She says she isn’t his daughter, Sarah, to which Joel says exactly. She isn’t, and he isn’t her dad. Ellie explains that everybody who she ever cared about has died or left her — except Joel. She admits that she isn’t better off without him like he thinks because she would just be more scared. However, Joel says they will go their separate ways in the morning. This is a truly heartbreaking moment.
The University
The morning has come, and we see Ellie packed and waiting to leave. Finally, Tommy arrives, and they head to the stables, where they discover Joel is waiting. It surprises everyone when he says he will steal a horse and leave but then decides to let Ellie choose who will take her to the University. He thinks she would be better with Tommy, but she picks Joel immediately. Joel and Tommy say their goodbyes, and Tommy tells him there is always a place for them there.
Joel and Ellie ride off on a horse, and we get a montage of the next few days as he teaches her how to shoot, explains football to her, and discusses how it used to be. When they hit the city limits, Ellie mentioned that it took them just five easy days to get there. This feels like she is jinxing them. Joel tells Ellie that he has changed his mind about the sheep farm. If he can do anything, he wants to be a singer. Ellie laughs at him but says she wants him to sing for her one day.
Once they get to the University — which looks exactly like the game — they start to think something is up because it is so quiet there. They notice there are guard stations but no guards, and Ellie gets her gun to prepare for what they might come across. Inside they find medical equipment and notes, including a packing list. Ellie can’t believe they just left, and then they hear a noise. They go to the room it is coming from and find monkeys — Ellie’s first time seeing them. She jokes that at least it wasn’t infected.
Joel and Ellie then find a map with pins all leading to Salt Lake City, assuming that must be where the fireflies were going. Suddenly, they hear people outside. The two run to their horse, but a man comes up to them and attacks them. Joel snaps his neck, killing him, but gets stabbed in the process. Three more men come after them, and Ellie shoots them from the back of the horse as they ride off.
The final moments of The Last Of Us episode 6 are a major cliffhanger. Joel ends up passing out. He falls off the horse (luckily, the men are gone by this time). Ellie kneels over him, saying she doesn’t know what to do or where to go without him, and the episode fades to black.
Overall Thoughts
The Last Of Us episode 6 moves very quickly through Joel and Ellie’s time in Jackson. It is nice to catch up with Tommy, learn about his life with Maria, and see the brothers reunite. Viewers also get a few more hints at both Joel and Ellie’s past. Their fight is short-lived, so things can keep moving along, even though it seems like it is resolved a bit too quickly.
The biggest issue with this episode of The Last Of Us is that it sometimes feels rushed. However, with a cliffhanger like that, everyone will be on edge waiting for the next episode!
Rating: 8/10
