The Last of Us might just be the best series about a zombie apocalypse ever made, but it's at least one of the best. The first season is about a guy named Joel (a phenomenal Pedro Pascal) who tries to bring a girl (an equally formidable Bella Ramsey) to the headquarters of a resistance group called the Fireflies that might be able to use her for a cure to the Cordyceps infection. By contrast, the second season is about the budding romance between Ellie and Dina (Isabela Merced), as well as more than one revenge quest. Now the show is gearing up for a third season, but season two was a bit on the iffy side. It will be interesting to see how the writers will approach season three, as it will function more like a part-two of its predecessor. Hopefully it's a little longer, as season two felt incomplete in more ways than one.
That doesn't mean it didn't have a few fantastic episodes that totally justified its existence, but most viewers will agree that season one has the weight of a full story-arc that the third season will have to work a bit harder to reach. After two seasons, we have sixteen episodes in total. Some are better than others, but even the less impressive entries offer something compelling to the audience—whether they be thematic resonance, great acting, or excellent special effects. The heart and soul of this show are Ellie and Joel, though not all the best episodes revolve around them. Likewise, this zombie show has such memorable character work that it doesn't always rely on zombies to capture our imagination. Here is every episode so far, ranked by its emotional strength, narrative competence, character development, action (when applicable), and poignancy in whatever subjects it explores.
16 "Convergence"
Season 2, Episode 7
When Ellie wound up on that island, it felt like there was tremendous potential to leave her there for a while. Instead, she nearly gets hung and gets saved at the last second. It would have been cool to make season two a few episodes longer and keep Ellie there for an entire episode, as there's no doubt she spends more time there in the video game. This also didn't really feel realistic; wouldn't those Seraphites at least kill her quickly if they didn't have time to kill her slowly? Along with that really cheap cut to black, there have been much better cliffhanger endings from other shows.
15 "The Path"
Season 2, Episode 3
Ellie's speech at the town meeting is also more measured than one might expect, Then there's that funny moment at the beginning of that town meeting about the turkeys and corn, along with a stirring speech from one of season two's most surprisingly intriguing characters. But it does feel like the pace has slowed down a bit here, and three months is kind of a while for Ellie to be doing nothing that drives her so intensely throughout the rest of the season.
14 "Feel Her Love"
Season 2, Episode 5
Season two's "Feel Her Love" stands out in having several plot twists. The first is that the Cordyceps spores have gone airborne, though thankfully only in the basement of a hospital. The scene that shows us that is very well done, and the episode does a good job of returning to that idea later. As for Day Two in Seattle, the conversation when Ellie sees more dead people and suggests that maybe they should go back feels a bit out of character.
13 "Day One"
Season 2, Episode 4
The biggest storytelling lesson from the fourth episode of season two is relatively simple: the more Jeffrey Wright, the better. The episode begins with a terrific flashback to 2018, in which we see that FEDRA calls citizens "voters" to mock them. Isaac (played by Wright) kills his own troops in a definitive betrayal of the authoritarian government, joining WLF that same day. When we cut to the present day, Isaac wields a pan in an interrogation scene that makes the audience want to see more of the conflict between WLF and the Seraphites.
In the meantime, Dina and Ellie have an interesting adventure together. They get saved from WLF troops by a bunch of infected—who arrive in enough of a swarm to make for an impressive chase sequence. At this point in the show, however, one can't help but expect pretty confidently that they function more as a way to deepen Ellie and Dina's relationship. The audience can tell that it's too early in their journey for either to die, but it's compelling enough to watch Ellie explain her immunity to Dina. This also has a good guitar sequence, making for a nice chapter in their love story.
12 "Future Days"
Season 2, Episode 1
The season two premiere benefits from having Joel around, as the tension between him and Ellie is more palpable than the tension between any two other characters in the rest of the season. We can see that the past five years haven't been ideal for the pair, which feels like a very realistic way to develop their relationship after the season one finale. Whether Ellie knows what he did is unclear, but there are clearly some things they need to work out. It also certainly fits Joel's personality to have a therapist who's drinking on the job.
As for Abby, Kaitlyn Dever carries enough rage to make us believe that she and her former Firefly group will somehow be able to track Joel down. This is also a good way to set up this season's motif of revenge. There's also the discovery of a new kind of infected that stalks instead of running blindly at people, a chilling development that makes this world even more intimidating.
11 "When We Are in Need"
Season 1, Episode 8
The only quibbles would be with just how David (Scott Shepherd) feels a bit too evil sometimes to suspend disbelief: a cannibal combined with a pedophile is a bit much. On the other hand, he does encapsulate the darkest section of the human soul, something that the season has slowly been building towards in terms of whom Joel and Ellie have encountered. But his attempt to sexually assault Ellie in the middle of a burning building just feels unrealistic; it seems like there's too much smoke for either of them to survive if they stayed there any longer.
10 "Please Hold to My Hand"
Season 1, Episode 4
The fourth episode of season one works as a splendid build-up to the next episode. We're introduced to the conflict in Kansas City, where a resistance group is understandably on the hunt for a man named Henry (Lamar Johnson). There's also something happening underneath the ground, but leader Kathleen (Melanie Lynskey) is so focused on finding her target that she puts it off for later.
9 "Kin"
Season 1, Episode 6
Fans weren't waiting for this reunion for as long as Joel, but it's still very satisfying to witness. "Kin" sees Joel finally making his way back to his brother Tommy (Gabriel Luna). This was always the more important stop than the final stop on this journey across the country, but that's going to change. Things aren't as peachy as Joel might have pictured. It turns out that Tommy never sent word to his brother on purpose, and Joel's need to be a protector is definitely hurt by that.
Jackson is a nice town, but it's only a brief haven for the pair. Before they inevitably leave, though, Joel seems to be having an existential crisis. He doesn't have the same confidence to protect as he used to, and it's moving to see him tell his brother that he's too afraid to take Ellie the rest of the way. It doesn't really make sense that Tommy would be willing to take Ellie the rest of the way, since Maria would definitely have something to say about that. It also feels very obvious that Joel is going to be there to take Ellie in the morning. Still, though, this is still an important step in Joel and Ellie's relationship, and it's moving to watch.
Season 1, Episode 2
The second episode of the series keeps up the pace, starting in Indonesia circa 2003. This introduction compellingly shows the audience the beginnings of the virus, and how scary it was for scientists to study. There is apparently no possibility for a vaccine or treatment. The expert's solution to this problem is so extreme that it helps the audience understand just how helpless the situation is. Back in the present, Ellie explains to Tess (Anna Torv) and Joel that she's meant to be a source for a cure—another intense conversation.
Joel and Tess take Ellie through a museum to try and get through Boston safely, but they encounter a few clickers along the way. It's tense, reminiscent of the great Steven Spielberg movies where characters have to quietly navigate past monsters that are really close by. The ending is tragic, a sad but intriguing finish that ensures that the guy who didn't want to take Ellie at all has become committed to a journey that will be much longer than he anticipated.
7 "Left Behind"
Season 1, Episode 7
This episode explores the end of their relationship, which was complicated by Riley running away to become a Firefly while Ellie was having trouble in her FEDRA school. Riley suddenly appears and takes Ellie on an exciting evening through an abandoned mall. These two kids have great chemistry, and it's very endearing to watch them have fun. Their ride on the merry-go-round is one of Ellie's best scenes in the series, though that could probably be said for a few more scenes here, too. In the end, it's a heartbreaking episode that helps us feel for Ellie even more.
This episode explores the end of their relationship, which was complicated by Riley running away to become a Firefly while Ellie was having trouble in her FEDRA school. Riley suddenly appears and takes Ellie on an exciting evening through an abandoned mall. These two kids have great chemistry, and it's very endearing to watch them have fun. Their ride on the merry-go-round is one of Ellie's best scenes in the series, though that could probably be said for a few more scenes here, too. In the end, it's a heartbreaking episode that helps us feel for Ellie even more.
6"Endure and Survive"
Season 1, Episode 5
"Endure and Survive" is definitely one of the most intense episodes in season one. Whereas the episode before it set everything about the Kansas City situation nicely, this entry completely delivers on both an action-level and an emotional one Henry and his younger brother Sam (Keivonn Woodard) help Joel and Ellie get through town, the former duo functioning as a compelling foil to the latter.
But they run into some major trouble: Kathleen and her army. Just when it seems like all hope is lost, as Joel can't single-handedly snipe off all those people, the ground collapses. What comes out causes absolute chaos that is an absolute thrill to watch, making for one of the best and horrifying action sequences in the entire series. Along with Ellie's attempt to use her blood to heal an infected Sam, this episode has heart-wrenching moments that ring through thematically and provide excellent character development for our protagonists.
5"When You're Lost in the Darkness"
Season 1, Episode 1
The first half-hour or so of setup in the series premiere is perfect. We can see that Joel is a good dad, and his relationship with his daughter Sarah (Nico Parker) is a loving one. It's nice to see him and his brother Tommy together. There were several times when they came close to ingesting some potentially dangerous flour (cookies, cake), and we see it was a matter of chance that they weren't infected with so many others. Seeing this from Sarah's perspective lets the audience get to know and care about her, which makes her death all the more tragic when it comes.
Other moments, like the plane crashing and the soldier finding out that his orders are to kill civilians, are nothing short of terrifying. Then we fast-forward twenty years, but the exposition is so gracefully done that it doesn't get in the way of the storytelling. The public hangings, shortage of plastic bags, the conflict between FEDRA and the Fireflies—all of it brings the post-apocalypse to life. Along with Joel's intense flashback and the blood on his fist as a sign of things to come, this first episode couldn't be better.
4"Through the Valley"
Season 2, Episode 2
Similar to season one's "Endure and Survive," season two's "Through the Valley" fantastically delivers both in its action and its emotional power. This one hits harder on both fronts, though. Who knew we would get such an enormous attack on Jackson in just the second episode? The scale of this feels like a season-finale kind of thing, but we get it right here and it's amazing. Tommy even faces off against a Bloater, which is extremely thrilling to say the least.
It feels a bit contrived that Abby was able to find Joel without even having to break her way into Jackson, but the execution here is so good that the viewer is willing to suspend disbelief. Before that even happens, though, she has to run away from all those infected in the middle of a snow storm. When we get to the part when Ellie has to watch Joel die, it's such an emotionally potent scene that it's hard to even put it into words. By the end, Joel feels like he was one of Pedro Pascal's best roles.
3"Long, Long Time"
Season 1, Episode 3
Season one's third episode is one of the greatest examples of an adaptation expanding upon its source material. Bill (Nick Offerman) and Frank (Murray Bartlett) go from characters we never meet in the game to people we intimately spend about an hour with. Joel and Ellie came for supplies and a vehicle, but the men who lived here weren't available. We then flash back to Bill at the beginning of the whole pandemic.
This man is so resourceful that he creates his own private complex of property, in which he has the luxury of utilities, privacy, and (most importantly) security. Then a stranger comes to town, and they fall in love. We move forward through the years to key moments in their relationship, and it's gorgeously told the whole way through. Along with Joel making a brief appearance and a rather peaceful goodbye to these minor characters, this feels like a masterclass in storytelling that isn't reached all that often.
2"The Price"
Season 2, Episode 6
Another flashback episode, season two's "The Price" is arguably even more emotionally powerful than "Long, Long Time" because we're spending all this time with characters we already know and have strong feelings for. Lesser shows would have made this feel redundant, but The Last of Us ensures that everything that we see only expands our understanding of Ellie and Joel. It doesn't just go back through the past five years, though; it also shows a scene when Joel was a kid. The conversation he has with his abusive father is surprising, tragic, and fascinating.
This episode doesn't just choose random days to show the development of Joel and Ellie's relationship; it specifically chooses Ellie's birthdays. As such, "The Price" has some of the show's happiest and saddest moments. We go from that sequence in which Ellie gets to pretend she's an astronaut to the death of Eugene (which was nicely set up in previous episodes) and finally to Joel and Ellie talking about Salt Lake City. Moreover, since Joel is dead by now, all these scenes from the past are tinged with mourning for this dark, complex character.
1"Look for the Light"
Season 1, Episode 9
The season one finale is easily one of the shortest episodes in the series so far, but it packs a bigger punch than all the rest. Ellie isn't herself at first, in light of what happened to her in the previous episode. Then the famous giraffe scene arrives, and we see her spirits lifted. Joel doesn't want to give her to the Fireflies, but they still continue. It's profoundly sad to see them joking as the Fireflies approach from behind, conveying with one image just how impossible it is to have a moment of peace in this world.
Then Marlene (Merle Dandridge) explains to Joel that Ellie needs to die in order for the doctor to produce a cure, which is perhaps Joel's best scene in the entire series. It's a great scene for Marlene as well, connected to the magnificent introduction that shows us how Ellie became immune in the first place (and how difficult it would be for such a scenario to be replicated, even on purpose). What Joel does next is so dark, so shocking, and yet so aligned with the rest of the season that it leaves an impression on viewers they will never fully shake off.
