The Last of Us (TV Series) Kin (2023) User Reviews

Great character development!

[and_mikkelsen · 10/10 · 20 February 2023]

Some great character moments and an intense conclusion is the best way to sum up this episode! We explore Ellie and Joels character more as well as their relationship!

This episode shows us Joel from a much more vulnerable side as we see how his actions and what he has been through have shapped him! Pedro Pascal gave his best performance as Joel in this episode! I got emotional in some of the scenes!

This episode was also more slow at times cause it was more character focused, until the end where things suddenly picked up and you are reminded what kind of world it is! I am very excited for the next episode.

Great episode but the ending felt rushed

[John94 · 8/10 · 21 February 2023]

The series continue to be excellent like the rest of the episodes with great cinematography, acting and writing, but i have one minor issue with this episode that the other episodes didn't have. The final minutes of the episode felt incredible rushed. The pacing was great until Joel and Ellie reached the university. Where is the audio recordings that explain what happened to the place like in the game? Also why they cut the shootout and the brutal fight with Joel, Ellie and the raiders inside the university? That would have given a much more stressful and thrilling ending and show how capable Ellie really is at handling herself and protecting Joel from wounds at the same time. I got chills in the game when she was protecting him in the building after he got injured. At this point in the game we started to seen how Ellie has matured and how big her survival instinct really is.

Top-notch acting

[halcyonedit · 9/10 · 20 February 2023]

With the snow-covered mountains looming in the background, Joel and Ellie continue their journey.

Pascal's portrayal of Joel in this episode is heart wrenching, it hits like a dagger through your heart. I can already see him getting his Emmy this year. It was an amazing decision from the writers to bring the other side of this stoic man to the surface, exploring the emotional fears, struggles and doubts of someone who is 'supposed' to be a valiant hero.

This episode truly expanded and added depth to the existing material. The only gripe I have with this episode is that while it creates suspense, soon it becomes clear that that was about it - just words, no real danger.

Overall, the director did a great job. I found myself so immersed in it that I completely forgot I was watching a fictional story until the very credits. The cinematography is outstanding, some shots are nothing short of breathtaking.

So good

[mattrabbi · 10/10 · 20 February 2023]

First 10/10 I give for this show. It's worth noting that I haven't played the games, and am unfamiliar with the story. But wow this episode just hit all the right notes for me. The emotional beats all hit, the journey was as captivating as ever, and I really resonated with all the characters' emotions especially Joel. This also might be the episode with the most beautiful cinematography so far.

I went back and watched some of the scenes in the game that were in this episode, and I can't speak for those who had played the game beforehand, but mannn I can see why people are saying this is a great adaptation.

Sometimes I'll just finish watching an episode of TV and instantly know it's a 10/10 for me. This was one of those. Ahhh I want more.

Best episode of the show

[ivarbroder · 10/10 · 21 February 2023]

Granted, the 1st were also very good.

This episode has things happening, and the bond between the two main character grows.

The only thing that is _really_ annoying, is why Joel's brother does not come along to help protect Ellie, when he knows that she potentially holds the cure to the infection, and that Joel has become somewhat weak. If he had come, Joel most prob wouldnt have been stabbed ... so ... that was annoying. However not annoying enough to bring things down to 9.

Opening scene with the native americans was awesome. HBO just nails casting and direction.

My daughter and I were truely hoping that Joel and Ellie would just reach the fireflies this episode, and yes, that it was possible to do the trek without running into raiders or infected. HBO shows like this and GoT has that "unreadability" to them (which is awesome, very unlike all the recent DC / Marvel / Disney SW garbage being spewed out).

This episode has won me over. I'm a complete fan

[timmyhollywood · 9/10 · 21 February 2023]

After a pretty good start, the last two episodes -- this one in particular -- have officially won me over.

The best thing about The Last of Us is people having believably like people actually would in these situations. In this episode, Joel reveals his fears and his weaknesses. This is no wooden action hero, this is a three-dimensional human being. The drama over whether he and Ellie would part ways was not overplayed, but just as it needed to be, with realistic emotions, reactions, and changes of heart.

The next best thing about the show: there is real suspense. And this doesn't come from zombies popping up around every corner, a la The Walking Dead, this comes from precisely the opposite. Six episodes in, there have only been a few choice scenes of infected attacks. That actually *enhances* the dread when you're watching the show. My wife and I cringed the whole way as Joel and Ellie took their five day ride to find the Fireflies, watching through our fingers at the same time we laughed with them and enjoyed watching as their ersatz father/daughter bond deepened.

As a reviewer for The Verge put it, "Sometimes you don't need violence and zombies. Sometimes you just need human beings hanging out at the end of the world."

The Last of Us is the first series -- or movie -- that I'm aware of, brave enough to do this. It took some risks at the beginning, and there was some necessary set up. But once Joel and Ellie got rolling, it's only gotten better with each episode.

(Not so much for the people Joel and Ellie encounter, though, who tend to almost always wind up dead.)

Great show, can't wait to see where it goes from here.

Only gets better.

[SlippinoftheEdge · 10/10 · 21 February 2023]

I read some of the user reviews and i think significant amount of people who played the video game are not so pleasant with the show, i get that. I understand what makes them upset. They have an image of the characters, their aspects so on and on. The characters on the show might not live up to the espectation for the people that played the game.

I on the other hand i didn't play the game (i guess i should thank to my father for not buying me a playstation 3). Later i become a huge pc gamer and console gaming ended for me before it even started. My point is i am thankful that i didn't play the game because i am loving the show and i believe everyone who didn't play the game are enjoying themselves as well. I think it's because we don't have any reference point to compare things. From a neutral point of view i think they did a very wonderful job on this series. I am sure it will hold the standards throughout the season finale or finale.

Just wanted to point out i once was in your shoes with the witcher series. In every aspect you can't compare the quality of this adaptation no matter you played the game or not. I believe if you watch the show, then play the video game it will be more optimal experience.

P. S: It is coming to pc in a month so be ready guys. Much love.

Opposite of the previous episode

[yerk20202020 · 8/10 · 23 February 2023]

This episode was the opposite of the previous episode that was action packed and full of life-threatening tension and excitement. This episode, conversely, has very little action, and it has tension of a different kind--emotional tension. It focuses on character development rather than fast paced adventure, and I think it's a good contrast to the previous episode. The good thing is that you can expect to get back to action in the next episode. It is not as good as the previous episode in terms of how much fun it is, but when the bar is set so high, then you can't expect every episode to be the bomb.

One of the best TV episodes in recent memory

[brandonmckay8 · 10/10 · 20 February 2023]

This episode (along with episode 2) is some of the best TV episode writing, acting & design I've seen in a very long time. Feeling every emotion through this one as Joel & Tommy reunite before arguing but that leads to a beautiful scene between the 2. Then Joel & Ellie have such an intense scene where Ellie opens right up & we see a different more venerable side. Joel talking about if he a cure happens he wants to get a farmhouse was a nice ode to Part 2. The first time Ellie has ever seen Monkey's & Joel talking about his singing was a nice moment I'm glad they kept in the show before an intense ending as Joel fights for his life!

Beautiful.

[Scar38 · 10/10 · 20 February 2023]

I have covid so I was so looking forward to this next episode.

A few minutes in I was a little disappointed and started thinking, is this where it goes downhill ? But I stuck with it and thank god I did, it was truly beautiful, the acting from everyone was brilliant, especially Pedro and Bella, and it was so good to see Graham Greene, even though it was only for a few minutes.

Once again most of the scenes were much like the game, if not identical, but that didn't matter, because it was so well made, I once again felt like I was back in the game, and it's such a nice feeling.

The scene where Joel is telling Ellie he won't be taking her was phenomenal, especially with Bella's acting because she sounded just like Ellie.

Wow! Again for this amazing TV series

Keep it going guys.

For me the best episode of the series until now

[Skipfishh · 8/10 · 10 March 2023]

I had never heard of director Jasmila Zbanic until I watched this episode, and I would like to congratulate her, because for me this episode was so far the one that made me feel the most back to what I felt when I played The Last of Us for the first time .

It's impressive how the director finally managed to transmit everything that this wonderful game conveyed, something that I missed a little in all the previous episodes. Not that I didn't like the other episodes, I did, but none had been as special as this one.

Now I hope the next episodes maintain this quality, which was what I expected from this series.

"I'm not who I was, I'm weak"

[Wardmeisterr · 7/10 · 20 February 2023]

This episode covers one of the best vignettes in the first game's narrative, the confrontation between Ellie and Joel where they must evaluate their relationship, ultimately choosing each other after considering what they'd been through together. Ostensibly, that moment has been recreated 'faithfully' from the game, even the same hard-hitting emotional dialogue has been copy-pasted into the scene. However, I can't help but feel that this episode does nothing but serve as proof that the show is ultimately watered-down from the game. The whole sequence between Ellie and Joel is around ten minutes in total, we see Joel break down in front of Tommy, claiming he is "weak" and can't take Ellie any further because of his newfound fear, I understand this serves as a callback to his daughter's death and how he has rediscovered the same trauma through his time with Ellie, but I struggle to think of a time we ever saw him strong in the first place? At this point it feels like in the next episode we'll see Joel nicely ask the two men from David's camp where Ellie is and let them go when he finds out they told the truth! I also feel like Ellie and Joel very quickly became friends again and there really wasn't much of a trial to overcome to fix their relationship, Joel just randomly decides to go with her instead of dumping her with Tommy. Had they kept the sequence where Ellie runs away, I feel that the impact would have been greater. The show needs to allocate greater focus onto building up climaxes rather than just showing moment to moment without any sort of buildup. Despite all this, the performances from Pascal and Ramsey are fantastic as usual, the former really getting to break out of the character's usually stoic and emotionally detached mannerisms and deliver a defining moment in the show that is certain to be remembered, I'm very much looking forward to the final episode after seeing what he can do (despite my apprehension towards the show-runners 'softening' the overall violence of the narrative.)

Disappointing and inconsistent

[sonib-39474 · 5/10 · 20 February 2023]

This episode contained one of the biggest moment in the story. I had high hopes given how well the deaths of Sarah and Henry were shown, but I felt let down by this episode.

The game had set up this scene perfectly by first showing that Joel and Ellie were co-dependent. Ellie sounded scared in a lot of the moments and had to be rescued a few times by this point in the story. Hence, when she says that she only trusts Joel, it seemed consistent with what had happened so far.

Compare that with this version of Ellie who is eager to prove that she can survive on her own. She wanders around, killing the infected. She trusts the old couple in the cabin despite Joel telling her not to. She even stands guard, showing that she isn't a child who needs Joel to protect her. Instead she is portrayed as a young adult, capable of handling things herself.

So when she says that she'll be scared without Joel, it seems disingenuous. The relationship of Ellie and Joel in the series is not the same as it was in the game, so keeping the same story and the same dialogues seems like a weird choice.

Also, the fact that the scene was set-up by a harmless movie night scenario didn't help either when compared with the game's set-up of Ellie running away.

Family Reunion

[eoinpgeary · 9/10 · 20 February 2023]

Another episode of the Last Of Us down and only 3 to go !

The episode was quite good, there wasn't anything major for the majority of the episode but it really focuses on the weight that Joel is feeling, now that Joel and Ellie get to Tommy they are allowed to breathe for a while and because of that it's like Joel had no time to process everything that had happened and keeping strong for Ellie, well now it's hitting him like a pile of bricks. Seeing that Tommy has moved onwards with his life I think also takes a tole on Joel.

We get some great one on one scenes with Joel and Tommy and also Joel and Ellie.

The episode overall is quite good, another great adaptation from the game hitting some key scenes and the episode leaves us wondering what will happen now !! 8.5/10.

Wait, What Just Happened ?

[tristan_19 · 10/10 · 20 February 2023]

Everything I wanted to write for this review has to take a step back... We have to talk about this ending...

What ? Huh ? Joel ? ¨Still think you'd be better off with Tommy...¨ is a fantastic piece of foreshadowing here. I can't speak for the game, because I haven't played it. People who have played would have to tell me... Is it something you're comfortable with or is it a betrayal of what you know ?

Nevertheless, it stays true to the essence of the show and in The Last of Us fashion dives deep into the exploration of human trauma and connections. Death is part of life I guess. Still cried for Sarah here and Joel dying trying to protect Ellie is so beautiful and fitting for his character, but it feels early ? Maybe he isn't dead, but I doubt there's a Lord of Light or Red Priestess to revive him...

But he came in and delivered the information and Tommy knows. Someone knows and can honor his memory. Fight for what's right. I think Ellie will go back to the compound and Tommy will bring her to Salt Lake City... I guess Joel's journey was complete and he found his brother and made amends.

Gotta say the music is amazing and haunting, and the scenery more than stunning. The winter aesthetic and various shots and locations really shine. They are popping off with the visuals and emotions in this one. Got some vibes of The Walking Dead's Alexandria with the new place (or even Kingdom with the movie playing), Better Call Saul's Bagman with Joel and Ellie sitting by the fire at night and Ellie climbing up the rocks, Django Unchained with the horses in the snow (and some Tarantino-y feels with the first scene in the cabin), and even Iron Man 3 with Joel having all these panic attacks (or at least something like that) and Ellie just following him and harassing him with questions.

You really feel the contrast and difference in philosophies and opinions once you reach the compound. They built something and Tommy wants to protect it. They have a whole life there, and Joel learns Tommy is about to become a father. Of course, this brings back a lot of trauma with Sarah, and Joel tries to distance himself from Ellie.

Hope you enjoyed this messy review. There is so much in this episode to analyze and think about. What is life ? I couldn't believe my eyes at the end there... Oh wow. It only makes these first six episodes much more impactful and great because there is only five or six episodes of Ellie and Joel bonding and developing a relationship (five if you exclude the first episode of course). Now, on a rewatch, we'll just sink in every moment with Joel and Ellie that much more and yeah... This show is special.

Another incredible episode

[masonsaul · 9/10 · 21 February 2023]

Kin is another incredible episode of The Last of Us that further develops it's characters and the world they inhabit with plenty of important and emotional character beats whilst ending on a superb cliffhanger that's only let down slightly by a rushed final few minutes that seems like it was desperate to get to a certain point from the game.

Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey are still perfect and in this episode they bring the vulnerability of their characters to the forefront in spectacular fashion, especially Pedro who gets a true standout moment where all of his pain and fear can't be contained anymore.

Gabriel Luna is great as Tommy and his scenes with Pedro are terrific, the history between them has clearly left it's scars but you can tell they still care fo each other and the scene where they discuss Ellie's fate is probably actually better and more nuanced than the corresponding scene in the game.

Jasmila Zbanic's direction is excellent, it maintains the harsh look to the world whilst swapping the overall aesthetic as it heads into winter and has some really nice western homages. One very interesting choice present is to use the specific piece of music that was originally used in the final moments of the game and surprisingly it really worked.

Keep it coming

[jjlcraftgamer · 9/10 · 21 February 2023]

This episode is another great one. It pushes the story forward in the right direction. We learn more about Joel and about a town where his brother lives. Seeing this and learning about their way of living is really interesting. Also, Joels conflicts with his brothers are illustrated very good. How he decides to go with Ellie and not leave her with Tommy is so heartfelt and great. Furthermore, Ellies reaction to him deciding to lead her is just great.

Also the very beginning of the episode with the couple is very funny and another great addition to the show. Listening to Joel and Ellie speaking about the future but also casual talks make the world and their relationship so much realer and interesting.

Ending with this big cliffhanger makes you excited for the next episode to come. Even though I know that Joel will survive I am still thrilled to see how this plays out and how he gets saved.

Emotional level 100!

[blonde-irka · 10/10 · 21 February 2023]

What an amazing episode! All of it! This episode showed us the deep connection between Joel and Ellie. It started out cute than it escalated and towards the end you understand that they deeply care for one another. It is a very emotional episode and it's like we needed it after the action from last episode. Also the reunion of the brothers brought me to tears, and than Joel's speech about his fear! So he is afraid of losing Ellie and he wants what's best for her and later on realizing he is best for her! Just wow! I do not know the game but the show made me fall in love with this story! Cannot wait for next one!

Great production, but story is missing a lot of great beats

[851222 · 9/10 · 20 February 2023]

Greetings from Lithuania.

6th episode of TLOU was superbly looking and crafted episode. But there is a problem, and the problem lies in story. I do make comparison with the game, fan of which i am, and i was disappointed by this episode. So many great and chilling stuff was left on the floor here (no spoilers), from which this show should have benefit way more. What we got at the end is an episode which was constructed on highest level, but story felt highly disappointing in comparison with VG.

Overall, with only 3 episodes left, i wonder what else they will cut out. What we got here is superbly made show, but could have way more better if they would follow the source material.

From a non-gamer ep. 6

[GomezAddams666 · 8/10 · 20 February 2023]

If we have come this far and people were still thinking Bella Ramsey was miscast, this episode will prove them wrong once and for all.

We are past the middle this season, we're getting close to the finale which for someone like me remains a mystery, and this entry proved to be very emotional.

The acting from Ramsey and Pedro pascal was phenomenal, as it was from the rest of the characters.

When the series started we were presented with a strong character in Joel, a badass if you will. As the season progresses some layers are peeling off and Joel is becoming more human. He may have signed to be the savior and protector of Ellie when this journey started, but everything he has lost is taking a toll on him, which is why we are starting to see him as a vulnerable man. The question is who is saving whom.

Family and Commitment

[claudio_carvalho · 8/10 · 24 February 2023]

After burying Henry and Sam, Joel and Ellie head for three months to Wyoming to look for Tommy. They meet an old couple that advises them to not cross the "River of Death". However, they do and stumble upon an armed group of men riding horses. Joel explains that he is looking for his brother Tommy and wants to cross their land peacefully. They bring Joel and Ellie to their fortress where he finds Tommy, who married Maria. Now this group lives in the commune Jackson, organized by the survivors, with duties and obligations. They welcome Joel and Ellie to stay with them, but Joel believes the immunity of Ellie may save the human race. Joel tries to convince Tommy, who is younger and stronger than he, to go to the University of Colorado, where the Fireflies have a base and may study Ellie, but Tommy says that Maria is pregnant and he will be a father.

"Kin" is another great episode of "The Last of Us", with a good storyline. Now the journey of Joel to meet his brother has ended, he assumed the commitment to Tess to take Ellie to the Fireflies. The conclusion makes the viewer wonders what might happen to save him. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "Kin"

Streamlined

[cwhagedorn · 7/10 · 20 February 2023]

Everything here works. The acting is top notch, the set design is great, and the soundtrack is just perfect (love you Gustavo). But when directly stacked against the game, too much of what makes the story substantial is left out here. The Last of Us Part 1 is already quite a streamlined story, and everything is there for a reason. Cutting in down for the sake of time feels like a little bit of a disservice. This adaptation is still great, but I feel that it's going from plot point to plot point too fast, and I wish it had more time to breathe. More episodes could have really helped that issue.

Rushed in an uncreative way

[aria-sh-76 · 2/10 · 24 February 2023]

I get it that the budget doesn't allow the series to have all the scenes from the game! It made sense until this episode!!

None of the emotional scenes has the same impact as the game!

Maybe it's because we don't spend that much time with Ellie as we did in the game!

But it doesn't help that her character is kinda less likeable compared to the game version!

The rudeness of the TV version is annoying while in the game it just made Ellie cute and relatable!

I don't mean this in an offensive way but she's just not that lovely!

And the fact that they change how joel gets injured made it into a very rushed and uncreative scene! I rather if they changed the whole thing like the billy episode instead of making a worse version of it!

I decided not to watch the rest of show because that was an easy scene to get right and they didn't!! Don't want to sound like a raging fanboy but i just can't defend this one and say it was a budget issue or it was a creative choice... It was nothing but lazy!

10/10 great episode

[muohamad-91144 · 9/10 · 19 February 2023]

The episode was very frankly, I liked it HBO created as usual. As we are used to, from HBO an integrated directorial episode and actor Pedro Pascal mastered the character of Jules I think this episode was like what we used to from the episodes of The Last of SV in the past weeks The directing the details and the world surrounding the characters are perfect and the writing of the main characters The series was perfect but the talk about the choice of actors on both sides so for me I see them as normal choices and did not reach the required level I think the building of the main characters has been completed and the strong events will begin.

Really making me hate the weekly trickle

[markwha · 10/10 · 20 February 2023]

So we're now 7 episodes in and with only one clunker of an offbeat episode I'm pretty confident in saying that this is the new Walking dead (early seasons), Westworld, Fringe, x-files or however you see fit to compare. There have been very few science fiction shows that have been able to draw in and captivate mainstream audiences like these over the years, myself included. But The Last of Us is consistently giving us beautifully shot action, drama and storytelling mixed in with humour when needed and really living up to past sci-fi smash hits mentioned above.

Unfortunately the high quality storytelling is not the only thing that reminds me of these older classics, but it's also bringing back the feeling of frustration in having to wait a whole week to get another sliver of the story. And to make matters worse it looks like the season is only 10 or so episodes compared to the.older shows having more than double that. After season 1 I cringe to think that it might be another year before things continue.

Despite my gripes with the politics of streaming services these days I won't deduct a single point for this near flawless episode. The special features this week were absolutely beautifully shots of the snow capped mountainous area that our leads mar their way through, some excellent character development from our leads which show that neither of these actors are the least bit one dimensional and we're also treated to a very unique, funny and genuine scene at the start of the episode involving an elderly Inuit couple who I sincerely hope that we see again at some point. This scene felt particularly genuine and did a fantastic job of setting the tone for the episode.

Solid 10/10 for me on this one, I think this is the proper way to change up the pace and tone like they meant to in episode 3 but here they knocked it out of the park by changing up the tone and pacing while also adding much more depth and story progression.

Just wish I had a bunch more to binge watch..