It’s finally here! Hi I'm Meg! Zombie pro here at Zombie Infection! Greg (our MD) has asked me to review the series so here we go! SPOILERS IN THIS ONE!
A record 4.7 million viewers!
After episode 1 drew a record 4.7 million viewers and HBO announcing a season 2 renewal, it’s clear that the show is very popular among audiences. For this review I will be delving into key plot points of both episodes, so if you haven’t caught up yet this is your spoiler warning!
Episode 3 kicks off after the fallout of episode 2, where Tess sacrificed herself after being infected to allow Joel and Ellie to escape. It’s clear that Joel has a level of underlying resentment towards Ellie and anger surrounding Tess’s death. Despite this, Joel cares about Ellie and he is always looking out for her wellbeing. As they travel closer to their destination
Ellie discovers the lengths the government went to try and contain the outbreak- killing uninfected people trying to find refuge. The mass grave filled with skeletons was shocking to see and showed the harsh realities of an apocalypse.
We then go back in time and meet Bill, a distrustful survivalist who uses his skills and stockpile of supplies to adapt and survive in the new world. Time passes and solo survivor
Frank falls into the pit trap Bill created. Naturally both parties are initially weary of one another, but they slowly start to trust one another. One defining factor in their bond was music. In life music is something that brings people together and forges strong relationships. Both Nick Offerman and Murray Bartlett did a phenomenal job at portraying Bill and Frank and the deep connection both characters shared. As we see their relationship grow and develop, Joel and Tess cross paths with them. Bill’s lack of trust for others comes back to the surface, while Frank is immediately trusting and wants to help the pair as much as he can.
We then learn how the decade codes came to be and watch as the survivors part ways, not knowing what was in store for them. The remainder of the episode was an emotional rollercoaster. I had tears in my eyes when Bill had a near death experience and I was so relieved when I saw he made it through. This relief quickly turned into devastation as Frank told Bill “This is my last day”. Watching his final day unfold was heart-breaking and I found myself in floods of tears as the wedding scene and final dinner played out. The soundtrack that accompanied the scenes matched it perfectly and amplified the emotional impact. Just when I thought the show couldn’t get more emotional, the tragic twist unfolded as I watched Bill choose to die alongside Frank rather than live without the love of his life. Emotions were still running high as Joel and Ellie arrived, Frank’s unfinished painting sitting on the easel.
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After taking a moment to compose myself I started episode 4, which centred around Joel and Ellie’s journey to find Joel’s brother Tommy. As the episode unfolded we learned more about the brothers, including Tommy’s army background, how they met Tess and Tommy joining the Fireflies, a revolutionary militia group. Now that I’ve learned more about Tommy I am hoping nothing bad has happened to him, and I’m looking forward to the brothers
reuniting.
Things quickly take a turn as Joel and Ellie are ambushed after trying to go round a roadblock. The high-stakes encounter caused high tension and I was on the edge of my seat as Joel fought off the attackers and stop them from finding Ellie. The action reached its peak when Joel was on the brink of death and Ellie saves him with a gun she took from Bill and
Frank’s house. What followed was a shocking and unexpected sequence where the young man begged for his life and Joel shielding Ellie from his violent end. By doing this it shows that Joel does care for Ellie and doesn’t want her to be corrupted by the horrors of this world or haunted by her actions. The episode ends with our heroes navigating a building that looks like its been pulled from a horror movie. The lighting in the staircase had me on edge for a possible attack from the infected at any point, and my heart was in my mouth as the episode ended with Joel and Ellie being held at gunpoint.
Overall these 2 episodes were absolutely incredible. Episode 3 was an emotional rollercoaster and I haven’t cried that much over a TV show since watching the Supernatural finale last year. Nick Offerman and Murray Bartlett gave everything to the roles and showed the love Bill and Frank had for one another beautifully in a short space of time. I also enjoyed seeing Joel and Ellie grow closer, whether it be through honest conversation or cracking some of the most cringe-worthy jokes.
Thanks to that cliffhanger ending I’m already anxious to see the next episode and find out what will happen too Ellie and Joel.
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