‘The Last Of Us’ Season 1 Episode 4 Non-Spoiler Review – “Please Hold My Hand”

This week’s episode of Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann’s post-apocalyptic drama television program, The Last of Us, takes our two protagonists to a new quarantine zone (QZ) on their way to Jackson, Wyoming. Following last weekend’s critically-acclaimed third episode, the show highlights a portion of the video game that sets off a wild goose chase and introduces two familiar, yet beloved characters.

The fourth episode of the series’ premiere season is titled, “Please Hold My Hand”. It is written for television by Mazin and directed by Jeremy Webb (Merlin, Masters of Sex, The Punisher, NOS4A2, Runaways, Altered Carbon, The Umbrella Academy).

In this review, I will be discussing The Last of Us Season 1 Episode 4. There will be no spoilers present, as the title of this article suggests. Nonetheless, please read ahead at your own discretion as I will discuss some character developments and some references to the source material, i.e., the 2013 video game.

Please note that I have seen all nine episodes of this first season ahead of the season’s release.

The Last of Us Season 1 Episode 4 Synopsis

According to WarnerBrothers Discovery, here is the synopsis for The Last of Us Season 1 Episode 4–“Please Hold My Hand”.

TBA

Discussion

This fourth episode of The Last of Us is one of Season 1’s shorter episodes, with the finale being the shortest by two minutes less. At forty-five minutes, some viewers may find this to serve as filler for the show. Others might find something worthwhile in it. Like the second episode, I do not have as many notes to convey. However, what I will say is that “Please Hold My Hand” does highlight the traumas of 56-year-old Joel Miller (Pedro Pascal) and how he is able to bond with his 14-year-old “cargo” traveling companion, Ellie (Bella Ramsey).

Paino’s set pieces continue to do wonders, with Macaulay et al giving us neat looks as a gas station, the woods, and the Kansas City QZ. Along with Bolter and Wallensten’s photography, the series continues to give us excellent shots of Joel and Ellie on the move, whether it is on the road or on foot. They also provide us with aerial views and landscape shots of the highway, and one I found particularly awe-inspiring is an abandoned rollercoaster by the side of the road.

With the highly emotional and touching episode that centered on two lovers, Mazin reminds us to remember the little things. He pulls familiar details from the 2013 video game that long-time fans have chuckled, giggled, and laughed at, such as Bill’s men’s adult magazine or Ellie’s book of puns, No Pun Intended Volume Too. Klean, Broucek, and Greenspan also give us a couple of tracks, which I found soothing–Hank Williams’s “Alone and Forsaken” and Lotte Kestner’s “True Faith”.

Themes

There is an interesting examination of trauma and loss–or even the coping thereof–that we see throughout the episode. In the previous episode, Joel and Ellie read Bill’s (guest star Nick Offerman) letter about saving those who we can save, something that Tess (guest star Anna Torv) told Joel previously. Joel continues to deal with this conversation while in dialogue with Ellie.

Ellie also deals with mortality and the fact that actual, real people are killed in this world. Having found a handgun in Bill’s home, Ellie finds herself in a situation where she has to save someone who has saved her before. There is an interesting juxtaposition of the girl in curiosity and wonder while in possession of a gun, and later, we see her trembling and tearing up at the experience of firing arms. Ellie asks Joel some questions in regard to the experience of having to kill other people, possibly innocents. To that, he tells her, “We’ll get through this”.

We also see Kathleen (guest star Melanie Lynskey), as she searches for the man responsible for her brother’s death. It is interesting to see what happens when FEDRA authority is usurped.

Easter Eggs

As they travel into Kansas City, Joel and Ellie pass by a movie theater in the town, Globe Cinema, with two films displayed to viewers from the road. One film is Underworld (from Screen Gems through Sony Pictures Releasing), while the other film is Matchstick Men (from Warner Bros. Pictures). Both of these films were released in September of 2003, the month and year when the Cordyceps outbreak occurred. It is interesting to note these two references as products of the two film production companies.

The Crew Behind The Last of Us

The Last of Us is created for television by Mazin and Druckmann.

Greg Spence and Cecil O’Connor serve as the producers of the series. Jacqueline Lesko is the co-executive producer. Asad Qizilbash, Carter Swan, Evan Wells (Naughty Dog), Rose Lam (Schmigadoon!), Carolyn Strauss, Druckmann, and Mazin are the executive producers.

Eben Bolter serves as the cinematographer for the episode, while Adam Wallensten additional photography. Timothy A. Good is the editor. Emily Mendez, Tim Kuper, Ben Cook, and Andrew McGivney are the assistant editors.

Gustavo Santaolalla (Brokeback Mountain) and David Fleming score the music for the episode. Christopher Battaglia and Chris Terhune serve as the sound designers.

Evyen J. Klean (Game of Thrones, Watchmen, Euphoria, Scenes from a Marriage, Peacemaker, House of the Dragon) and Ian Broucek (Peacemaker, Orphan: First Kill) are the music supervisors. Maarten Hofmeijer serves as the music editor. From PlayStation Studios, Scott Hanau serves as the score supervisor. Evan M. Greenspan does the music licensing for the show.

Victoria Thomas is the casting director for the episode. Corinne Clark and Jennifer Page are the Canadian casting directors for the episode. Megan Bayliss serves as the Canadian casting associate, while Elizabeth Brown is a casting associate. Alyson Lockwood is the extras casting director. Isabel Barker is the cast assistant.

Denton Edge serves as the stunt double for Joel. Taryn Roberts is the stunt double for Ellie.

Aesthetics

John Paino serves as the production designer. Don Macaulay is the supervising art director.

Callum Webster, Stevo Bedford, and Andrew Li are the art directors for the episode. Hitoshi Okamoto, Nathan Blackie, Matt Vest, and Oshy Parasol serve as the assistant art directors. Paul Healy is the set decorator. Alan McCullagh and Alex Lingnau are the assistant set decorators.

Cynthia Ann Summers is the costume designer for the series. Kelsey Chobotar and Rebecca Toon are the assistant costume designers.

Chris Glimsdale is the head of the hair department. Penny Thompson serves as the key hairstylist. Courtney Ullrich is Pedro Pascal’s personal hairstylist.

Connie Parker is the head of the makeup department, while Joanna Mireau (Peacemaker) is the key makeup artist.

Joel Whist is the special effects supervisor. Alex Wang is the visual effects supervisor, while Sean Nowlan is the VFX producer. Luke Botteron is the VFX editor, while Baljot Bhatti and Ryan Faulkner are the VFX assistant editors.

The Cast of The Last of Us

Bella Ramsey portrays Ellie, the female protagonist of the series. Pedro Pascal portrays Joel Miller, a survivor of the Cordyceps outbreak and the main male protagonist.

Melanie Lynskey (Heavenly Creatures, Don’t Look Up, Yellowjackets) guest stars as Kathleen, the leader of a revolutionary movement in Kansas City. Jeffrey Pierce plays Perry, a member of the rebellion.

Kathleen and Perry are original characters made for the franchise. Pierce previously portrayed Tommy Miller in The Last of Us (2013) and its sequel via voice and motion capture.

Lamar Johnson appears as Henry. Keivonn Montreal Woodard appears as Sam, Henry’s younger brother and a deaf, artistic child.

John Getz (The Fly, Zodiac, Superhero Movie, The Social Network, Doom Patrol) plays a doctor in Kansas City. Juan Magana plays a young rebel named Bryan.

Eric Breker co-stars as Bryan’s father.

Performances and Character Developments

Lynskey is a terrific actor in this episode, and–since this portion of the game does not last long–I can only savor her performance while it lasts. We do not get as much of Kathleen as I would have hoped we would, and I only wish that the episode (and the one that follows) had developed her character further, much as we had gotten with Tess, Bill, and Frank. Still, she remains straight-faced and intimidating. (And yes, I promise to my co-writers here at The Cinema Spot that I will watch Yellowjackets Season 1 soon!)

“Why Do You Kill Innocent People?”

It is also lovely to see flourishing bonding moments between Joel and Ellie through Ellie’s pun book and with Joel teaching Ellie how to properly aim a gun, unlike what her FEDRA schooling had taught her. Ramsey’s portrayal of innocence in this episode is pure, and when the actor shed tears here and there, I almost did so myself.

Ellie asks Joel, “If you don’t think there’s hope for the world, why bother going on? I mean, you gotta try, right?” This is an interesting question that Joel deals with, and it seems he is learning that Ellie is more than just “cargo” to be transported. In juxtaposition with the more grave discourse, Ellie’s pun book serves as levity for the tone of the episode. Here, we see Joel smiling and even laughing for the first time in God knows how long.

There is also a harsh development to Joel that I do not believe the video games have provided. This will lead to a turn for the worse in the sixth episode. Although, we will get there when we get there…

Final Thoughts on The Last of Us Season 1 Episode 4

This week’s The Last of Us has some goodness to it that I quite adore a great amount. While it may not say much for itself on the surface, again, it is the little things that have to matter. From the music that we find along the way, to the jokes, and everything in between, I found it reassuring that we have Craig Mazin helming this series. I mean, the man who gave us Scary Movies 3 & 4 and Superhero Movie? Sign me up for more parody projects and serious dramatic titles!

“Please Hold My Hand” features something below the surface that teases what is to come in the next episode. In terms of the Infected, it might be as horrific as the second episode and the peak of the season. Until then, you will just have to wait to find out…

The Last of Us is now airing on HBO and streaming via HBO Max!

Have you played The Last of Us or its sequel? If so, what are your thoughts? Let us know! For more drama, horror and science-fiction-related news and reviews visit and follow The Cinema Spot on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!

Also, if you want a closer look at Ellie, Joel, Tess, and the Infected, then you might want to purchase the Artwork of The Last of Us (2013) via Amazon!