Ellie and Dina's mission just got more complicated as they face three current threats: the infected, the Wolves, and the Scars. But will the quest for revenge cost them their lives?
In The Last of Us season 2 episode 5, "It's in the Air" Ellie and Dina witness the brutality of the Scars firsthand but find themselves in worse trouble against the infected. In the midst of the chaos, Ellie finds her first opportunity for revenge, leading to a horrifying discovery.
Close calls
The episode begins with a conversation between two Wolf soldiers at a hospital in Seattle, where the basement levels have been completed blocked, leaving them inaccesbile except for one set of stairs. We learn from this encounter that the reason several soldiers were left behind including the one woman's own son was because the spores became airborne (this is all important for later).
Reinforcements arrive
Meanwhile, Dina has been listening to the Wolves through the walkie-talkie and using a map, establishing herself as the brains of the revenge mission. Ellie takes the time to explore the old theater, finding yet another guitar.
Her excitement to play fades instantly, but there is no time to dwell because Dina has made some discoveries. We learn that the Wolves constantly communicate, revealing weak spots, including several locations they constantly patrol.
However, they seemingly do not enter one building. Ellie and Dina know it's risky as there is probably a good reason why the Wolves do not enter the building, but they don't see any other choice.
Ellie learns a little bit about Dina's tragic past, which explains why she is so determined to help Ellie. That evening, they enter the building without detection, however it becomes very clear why the Wolves neglected this one location.
What starts as one infected revealing itself, that Ellie is convinced they can outsmart, becomes two, and before they know it, the room is filling with fast-moving infected. Seeing a gated doorway across the room, Ellie instructs Dina to run for it while Ellie distracts them.
The plan works at first, until Ellie is easily overcome by the infected, and Dina's protective barrier is nearly ripped apart. But luckily for them Jesse arrives to save the day.
But there is no time for a joyous reunion nor for Jesse to ask if Ellie was bit as they rush outside with Wolf soldiers closing in. They escape into a wooded forest and immediately realize the soldiers are not following them.
Jesse quickly explains that he and Tommy had followed Dina and Ellie to bring them home. However Ellie does not want to abandon her mission for revenge.
It doesn't take long for the three to learn why the soldiers avoided the woods as they witness the Scars brutally murder a Wolf soldier. They are spotted with Dina taking an arrow to her leg.
In the craziness, the trio separates, with Ellie successfully finding her way into the hospital from the beginning of the episode.
Ellie vs Nora
In the hospital, Nora, one of Abby's friends, is tending to wounded Wolf soldiers when Ellie catches her off guard. Nora manages to distract Ellie long enough to escape.
Ellie chases her through the hospital to the closed elevator shaft. As a last resort Nora jumps on top of a stalled elevator, and after it drops, she escapes through another elevator opening which happens to lead to one of the airborne basement levels.
Entering a new floor Ellie discovers the spores are airborne, as specks fill the air, finding some of the soldiers who couldn't escape have become infused with the cordyceps. It doesn't take long for Ellie to find Nora, who is slowly becoming infected from the spores.
When Nora notices that Ellie seems unaffected, she realizes she's the one who was immune. She tells Ellie about what Joel did that day at the hospital, only for Ellie to remain unfazed.
Ellie proceeds to break Nora's legs with a heavy wrench, demanding to know of Abby's whereabouts.
The return of a familiar face
In the midst of the screaming and torture, the screen fades to black, transporting audiences to our first flashback sequence. Ellie wakes up in her bed in Joel's house, with the man himself standing in her open doorway, greeting her with a smile.
The Last of Us season 2 episode 5 review
FINALLY, the long-awaited Joel and Ellie flashbacks are beginning to surface! There have been so many moments that warranted a flashback for reference, and now it seems we may be finally leading up to them all, including Joel and Ellie's fallout.
Now in regard to this episode, spectacular once again. The action has been so fast-paced, chaotic, providing adrenaline rush after adrenaline rush.
When things slow down, they never come to a dead stop. Conversations are meaningful, informative, with dialogue that works. Yes, I'll admit Jesse coming out of nowhere to save the day was out of nowhere, but it doesn't hinder Ellie and Dina's journey.
The arrival of the spores was very well executed. We haven't seen this threat of an airborne element of the cordyceps on the show yet, which makes them even more dangerous.
But will the airborne element become more prevalent? And will Ellie find Abby by the end of the season?
Now that Jesse and Tommy are here I am waiting, no hoping for Tommy to get some revenge too!
The Last of Us season 2 releases new episodes Sundays on HBO and Max.