Kin

The episode was very frankly, I liked it HBO created as usual. As we are used to, from HBO an integrated directorial episode and actor Pedro Pascal mastered the character of Jules I think this episode was like what we used to from the episodes of The Last of SV in the past weeks The directing the details and the world surrounding the characters are perfect and the writing of the main characters The series was perfect but the talk about the choice of actors on both sides so for me I see them as normal choices and did not reach the required level I think the building of the main characters has been completed and the strong events will begin.

With the snow-covered mountains looming in the background, Joel and Ellie continue their journey.

Pascal's portrayal of Joel in this episode is heart wrenching, it hits like a dagger through your heart. I can already see him getting his Emmy this year. It was an amazing decision from the writers to bring the other side of this stoic man to the surface, exploring the emotional fears, struggles and doubts of someone who is 'supposed' to be a valiant hero.

This episode truly expanded and added depth to the existing material. The only gripe I have with this episode is that while it creates suspense, soon it becomes clear that that was about it - just words, no real danger.

Overall, the director did a great job. I found myself so immersed in it that I completely forgot I was watching a fictional story until the very credits. The cinematography is outstanding, some shots are nothing short of breathtaking.

Some great character moments and an intense conclusion is the best way to sum up this episode! We explore Ellie and Joels character more as well as their relationship!

This episode shows us Joel from a much more vulnerable side as we see how his actions and what he has been through have shapped him! Pedro Pascal gave his best performance as Joel in this episode! I got emotional in some of the scenes!

This episode was also more slow at times cause it was more character focused, until the end where things suddenly picked up and you are reminded what kind of world it is! I am very excited for the next episode.

Kin is another incredible episode of The Last of Us that further develops it's characters and the world they inhabit with plenty of important and emotional character beats whilst ending on a superb cliffhanger that's only let down slightly by a rushed final few minutes that seems like it was desperate to get to a certain point from the game.

Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey are still perfect and in this episode they bring the vulnerability of their characters to the forefront in spectacular fashion, especially Pedro who gets a true standout moment where all of his pain and fear can't be contained anymore.

Gabriel Luna is great as Tommy and his scenes with Pedro are terrific, the history between them has clearly left it's scars but you can tell they still care fo each other and the scene where they discuss Ellie's fate is probably actually better and more nuanced than the corresponding scene in the game.

Jasmila Zbanic's direction is excellent, it maintains the harsh look to the world whilst swapping the overall aesthetic as it heads into winter and has some really nice western homages. One very interesting choice present is to use the specific piece of music that was originally used in the final moments of the game and surprisingly it really worked.

This episode was the opposite of the previous episode that was action packed and full of life-threatening tension and excitement. This episode, conversely, has very little action, and it has tension of a different kind--emotional tension. It focuses on character development rather than fast paced adventure, and I think it's a good contrast to the previous episode. The good thing is that you can expect to get back to action in the next episode. It is not as good as the previous episode in terms of how much fun it is, but when the bar is set so high, then you can't expect every episode to be the bomb.