Welcome to the mall of fun

Joel lies dying as we flashback to learn exactly why Ellie won’t give up on him, even as he begs her to.

If it wasn’t obvious by now, not only do the TLOU (as it is affectionately known) showrunners know exactly what they’re doing, they’re also demonstrating wilful lack of care with our heartstrings. It’s not looking good for stoic Joel, losing blood from a nasty stab wound in his stomach made by the broken baseball bat of a foolish assailant who paid dearly for his trouble. As the colour drains from his face and he slips from their horse, I really don’t know how Ellie’s going to get him out of this one. She struggles to a shelter with him and does the best she can, as we flashback to the last person dear to Ellie that she lost.

Remember that line in episode 2 when it was clear that Ellie was lying about being alone when she broke into a shopping mall only to be bitten by an infected? Well that’s another thing this series does well – breadcrumbs and call-backs that give the audience an ‘oh yeah’ moment. It’s deeply satisfying, then segways to poignant teenage adolescence as we all remember our first crush. The innocence and the excitement of just being with them, and when it turns out they like you too? Glorious. But not for long. Because these writers know what they’re doing and they like to hurt us.

Verdict: Temptation’s on his way… riding a pale horse. 8/10

Claire Smith