The Last of Us (TV Series) When We Are in Need (2023) User Reviews

The ending is deeply moving.

[lovemichaeljordan · 9/10 · 7 March 2023]

So many emotions. It starts slower like the previous episodes, but once again, it ramps up towards the end. The tension is through the roof; the last 20 minutes won't let you rest for a second. It's brutal, highly emotional, and an interesting depiction of human morality. What would you do to survive?

Joel and Ellie's relationship has developed; they actually care for each other now. This episode is deeply moving at times. When the end credits rolled, I could feel my eyes watering. It's a beautiful story about human connections, but it's set in a terrible and scary world. Sometimes it's not the infected who are the scariest.

Both leads are just phenomenal. No one doubted Pascal (rightfully so), but many were skeptical about Bella Ramsey playing Ellie, but come on! She is outstanding! If the previous episodes did not sell you on her performance, this definitely will. She's showing every emotion in the book, and she is so convincing. Her performance is touching and the final scene moved me deeply.

Um...wow

[kadenkgcampbell · 10/10 · 6 March 2023]

Give Bella Ramsey her flowers. Bella deserves an Emmy for this masterful performance. I shed a tear watching the last few scenes of this episode. I cannot believe how talented Bella is.

The build up and story behind the new characters, especially David, was great. Did not feel rushed and it was perfectly timed and executed. This story is honestly one of my favourite stories and seeing it adapted into an amazing TV show is a dream come true.

I cannot begin to explain how incredible the dynamic between Pedro and Bella is. The line when Joel said "I got you baby girl" just broke my heart, the mountains they both would climb over to see each other prosper and be alright is so powerful. Nothing can stop the love they have for each other and it shows through their actions way more than their words. I'm in love with this show.

HOLY COW!!!Adrenaline Rush!!!

[traanced · 10/10 · 6 March 2023]

Ellie(Bella Ramsey) is flawless. The acting over all is on other level. The episode is epic and Ellie does the job. Adrenaline roller coaster ride. The loyality and feelings in this episode would really hit hard down to the core of your bones. Do not miss out this gym if you are really want to see something which makes you stick to the screen with your eyes wide open. The vibes of a freezing frosting weather and hunt for a survival would get you there after watching this episode. I never thought it would be as good as the Game itself. But I gotta accept I was wrong and it does the job. Awesummm.

From a non-gamer ep. 8

[GomezAddams666 · 10/10 · 6 March 2023]

You expect desolation in an apocalyptic world, but this episode is by far the most depraved and brutal of the entire season so far, and that is saying something.

I don't know what people would do after the world as we know has ended, but this chapter showed us the worst possible outcome in the worst possible way.

At the start of this entry we are presented with a cult-like sect, which is bad enough, but as the episode progresses we see how horrible these people really are.

With Joel still incapacitated it is up to Ellie to provide and protect both of them, that is how she meets a man named David is the leader of the cult, and like any good Prophet-like character he is a wolf dressed in sheep clothing.

David has a flock that depends on him for everything, and he is willing to go to extreme lengths not to lose their faith, even if it means feeding then their deceased loved ones without them knowing it.

As if everything wasn't bad enough, he also wants Ellie to be his bride, and he won't take no for an answer. In perhaps one of the most gut-wrenching scenes so far, he tries to take advantage of her, and her only chance of survival is to be as brutal as Joel, or perhaps even more.

In this world the infected are not as scary as the survivors. For there is nothing scarier in this world than the soul of a human being, and the lengths of depravity he is willing to go to while justifying himself.

Most faithful and disturbing episode so far

[masonsaul · 9/10 · 6 March 2023]

When We Are in Need is the darkest and most disturbing episode of the season, a very faithful adaptation of the corresponding part of the game and a haunting reminder of what the apocalypse will do to people that shows the infected aren't even close to being the worst monsters in this world.

This is the most faithful episode of the season, barely deviating from the game and only briefly enhancing the backstory of David's community (which works) with the rest being shot for shot and line for line. However by invoking the memory of the game it invites comparison to the source and obviously some of the scenes aren't as strong as the original but are still great here.

Bella Ramsey has always been really good at showing Ellie's warmth but here she really shines because of the horror and pain she convincingly portrays. Scott Shepherd is superb as David, his kindness is so off-putting and when he does show his true nature it's so horrifying to witness.

Ali Abbassi's direction is excellent, knowing when to show you the disturbing imagery and when to leave it your imagination. The episode also covers a lot of plot in less than an hour so it's a testament to the pacing that it doesn't feel rushed and knows exactly when to end.

To all the people having a sook about the Bible Preacher..

[lukeferra · 10/10 · 7 March 2023]

I'm Christian and this was perfect. The leader was not a Christian at all. He's a false prophet more akin to the antichrist ok. He never believed in any of it. He believes in the cordyceps. He uses the Bible and faith to control the starving and desperate people. The leader's flock don't know that they're eating the dead.

There is nothing wrong with the showrunners choice to use Christianity here. The leader was a fake and phony. People complaining are way off the mark.

The episode was amazing in every way. Brutal. Realistic. Acting was top tier. Did the game justice. Excellent episode. Might be the best episode so far.

Absolutely amazing!!!

[lochersheralyn · 10/10 · 6 March 2023]

This episode has by far been my favorite but also the hardest one to watch. Bella Ramseys acting was absolutely phenomenal and I was holding my breath throughout the entire episode. This episode was by far the bloodiest so far but it worked perfectly with Ellie and Joels storyline.

As somebody who has played both games multiple times, I feel like this episode portrayed the brutality of the games perfectly but also finally showcased the relationship building between Ellie and Joel. Really hoping to see more of this in the last episode.

Loved everything about this episode and I am so excited for the last episode.

The episode the show needed

[sahilpatelrock · 10/10 · 7 March 2023]

Jist finoshed the episode and i gotta say this was just awesome.

The storyline, Action, Character developmemt everything was on its peak in this episode the way i see.

You will see why the creators did choose Bella to be Bella. She acted in the show perfectly but in this episode she just nailed it. Big Kudos to this actress.

A thing which i loved the most in this ep. Is the connection between ellie and Joel. How she is struggling just to leep alive joel as well as how joel is struggling to find and save Ellie.

Also if you'll notice that joel called her " BabyGirl" at the end of the ep. He used to call her daughter by that name. HE never spoke that name since 20 years. This proves he is starting to see ellie as a part of his life now.

AAAAAAAAAA

[tearsofhoe · 7 March 2023]

Bella Ramsey did an amazing job in this episode! Don't get me wrong they were amazing in other episodes as well, but in here? PHENOMENAL PERFORMANCE.

I think making the leader a priest/preacher was an amazing choice, and this is coming from someone who's always been orthodox. It shows that he took advantage of people who actually believed in god and used their beliefs to his own advantage. I mean if anything he had god complex himself lmao. Not making the leader just cannibal and making him "religious" added depth to the whole episode, made you feel bad for his followers and so on. I don't get why people are offended by it, I mean it's obvious that he's not actually a believer.

With that being said, great episode, I'm just a little worried about how they're gonna fit all the important parts in the last episode.

It's okay, baby girl...

[undalol · 10/10 · 6 March 2023]

New episode of The Last of us!

Wow!! I'm still on edge after watching the episode.

The episode starts showing us a new character named David who is the leader of a group of survivors.

On the other hand, we see Ellie in her fight to keep Joel alive and because of this she goes hunting a deer, and because of this she ends up finding David and her partner.

From here is where the action begins.

I really liked the way they adapted David's story in this episode, unlike the game, here everything happens a little faster, however, everything happens in the right way for fill the story in just 50 minutes.

As the episodes progress, adjectives run out to describe Bella Ramsey's performance.

Man, the whole episode is pretty cool, but the ending... A scene exactly taken from the video game in which you feel Ellie's fear and adrenaline for everything that is happening with David, until finally Ellie explodes showing us one of the most violent and bloody scenes of the entire series.

With this it is clear to me that there is definitely no bad episode in the series, and that the cast for this one was more than perfect. Bella Ramsey is definitely Ellie, and also a shout-out to Troy Baker for his terrific performance in this episode (it was pretty funny hearing Joel's voice in someone who isn't Joel this time lol).

I don't know what else I can add. 10/10 for the penultimate episode of this season and to wait for the season finale, which I know will also be magnificent.

We do what we have to...

[songod-95003 · 9/10 · 7 March 2023]

That is the message of this ep and on a bigger level the whole series.

Everyone has done what they have had to. Whatever the reason, however those reasons have changed; everyone does what they have to in this world gone mad.

What show\film am I talking about? "The Last of Us"? "The Walking Dead"? "Night of the Living Dead"? "Lost"? "Max Mad"? "Last Train to Besun"??

It has become a long used trope to picture, when\if our world falls apart, that what remains of humanity will be at its most basic, most selfish, most violent. Sure some heroes emerge who think of others before themselves; but by and large; people become raiding parties out for only what they need and taking it no matter the cost to others. (An ep way back of TWD showed how such a party not only took what another group had, they killed everyone including the children.)

Is this what we truly are? When it all gets ripped away, when money means nothing, when nothing we are used to works anymore; and we are on the ground walking from place to place scavenging, hunting (if we know how), and killing anyone who has what we need? Or if we still have a soul we attempt to "barter" for it?? But push comes to shove... they die or we die.

I suppose there is precedent for it. Look at how our culture and others react to even the slightest disruption. We riot. We loot. We burn. Extrapolate that to a world wide calamity.

Indeed then... this IS who we are.

Best of the game. Best of the show

[evermanofgod · 10/10 · 6 March 2023]

I only have one complaint about the episode and it's a very minor one I'll drop at the end, but other than that I wish nothing to change about this episode. First, Winter in the game, then the show.

The Winter segment of the game is possibly the most well written and designed gaming content ever made. A few years ago I bought and read a bunch of screenwriting books to learn all the elements of a well written movie/book. This segment checked all of those boxes. The well developed villians, crisis of belief, good pacing, and all the other bells and whistles.

This. Episode. Kept. ALL of it.

Everything the game got right was kept and the additions enhanced the base story. The issue I've had with the previous episodes is most of the changes try to force you to care about temporary characters that didn't exist in the game or were completely inconsequential. Here, the additional dialogue and characters were still focused on one point: the darkest moment in Ellie's life to this point. Kathleen's character was pointless because she could hace been removed and little would change. The girl in the settlement was the one to break the facade of a post apocalyptic utopia.

I hope the creators look at the success this episode alone is pulling and keep that model. Still pleasantly surprised with the results so far.

Rushed and half-baked episode

[Leungzy · 6/10 · 7 March 2023]

This episode should have been at least an hour and a half to flesh out the story between Ellie and David and to really show how creepy he is.

It even could have been told in 2 episodes if they told the story in its entirety.

Aside from Bill/Frank, characters being introduced in 1 episode and being killed right at the end of it just feels too quick in my opinion.

For comparison, Bill's episode was almost 1 hour 20 minutes. I loved what they did with him and Frank because they spent so much time letting us get to know and develop feelings for the characters.

A whole episode was used to show us Ellie and Riley playing around in a mall in the last episode. Do we just forget about her now?

What happened to Riley? Did Ellie kill her? Did she kill herself? Did Ellie just run away and leave her? Why bother spending so much time showing her. I was hoping they would show what happened or at least explore it since the game just says that Riley became infected and nothing else.

They took the liberty to explore a story with Bill and Frank. Instead of developing Riley's story or adding to it, they just rush straight into David's and half-bake his story before it's over within the hour.

I have no idea how they thought it would be a good to tell this part of the story in less than an hour.

Going off the game's storyline, this episode had a lot of potential to be so much better and should have been.

Originally Ellie and David are attacked by a massive swarm and a bloater (a wasted opportunity to show some more infected) who they fight off, proving to be an effective team before he saves her life, appearing to be a decent man before revealing that he actually knew who she was all along.

In this he barely spends any time with Ellie and he's ready to make her his partner? And trust her over everyone in the town? Based on what? Her just holding him at gunpoint as opposed to seeing her fight against infected in the original story?

Wasn't very believable and should have been included to some extent.

The show has gotten to a point where too much has been cut out from the original, especially storylines that actually enrich relationships and make them seem real.

We are shown David and Ellie having a conversation for a literal few minutes before James breaks a world record for a 4 mile hike and tries to ambush her. They didn't show David gaining her trust or a reason for us to believe that David really trusted her.

His character development (or lack there of) and the episode itself have been rushed.

Where was the rest of the group that wanted revenge on Ellie and Joel when she was captured? How did Joel manage to get into the resort without any trouble? In the game he has to fight his way in to get to Ellie.

Did the whole group just go on holidays or vanish?

Again...rushed and half-baked, telling us only half of the story.

The show started off so promising but now we're getting GOT Season 8 treatment were things aren't being fleshed out enough and it has become such a disappointment.

I never had a problem with the lack of screen time the infected were getting until this episode but they have just skipped over too many parts now that should have had some of them in it.

You cannot give the story of the TLoU justice by telling it in such short episodes, 50 minutes isn't long enough to tell segments of the story and to introduce and then kill off characters.

Characters are just easy come, easy go at this stage.

As a huge fan of the games, I know I'm not being completely biased either, as I have been watching this with my house-mate who had no knowledge of the game, and his exact words after the episode ended were "that was an anti-climax", referring to the build up and how quick the episode ended.

The only good things about this episode were seeing Joel's voice actor playing the character of James, and then Joel and Ellie's acting.

But again, had they took the time to develop the story properly, it could have been better.

There is definitely some cherry picking going on too in the reviews because my review for the last episode got removed and almost 24 hours after this episode released there is only positive reviews and no negatives.

How did those towns people survive for 20 years?

[spinosa5 · 5/10 · 7 March 2023]

The people from the town led by the charismatic but evil leader - how did they even survive all this time? 6 or 8 armed men go looking for Joel and Ellie, and get taken down one by one like amateurs. One guy enters the house where Joel is hidden in the basement, spots the door that Ellie tried to hide and creeps down the stairs. Without backup and of course Joel, who has miraculously recovered from a gut-wound due to 2 shots of penicillin into his stomach takes him down easily. Back at the town, Ellie grabs a cleaver and in one blow embeds it in a guy's neck and kills him, from an impossible position lying on her back. She's a small 14 year-old small, nobody could make that killing blow from that angle. Just small observations from a viewer that never even heard of "the game" and just rating this show as an independent story.

The terror this world creates!

[and_mikkelsen · 10/10 · 6 March 2023]

Everything happens for a reason!

Wow what an absolute great and dark episode! This was tense and satisfying with some key-defiening character moments! This episode gives us a dark and realistic look into what kind of people that comes out of this world! People will do anything to survive! There are moments when you know... you know!

This episode has some of my favorite moments and scenes from the game adapted really well! I was excited to see if they would deliver and they did! Last part of the episode was really good!

Some great acting and cinematograhpy! Well shot! Its great when someone steals the scenes they are in!

I am sad we only got one episode left!

Holy tears

[sophiamendes00 · 10/10 · 6 March 2023]

Goddamn. Bella Ramsey has just won me over with this episode. I was loving her acting so far, but this episode was just beyond anything I've seen from a 19-year-old. I have no idea how some people think she wasn't the best actress for this role. Completely mesmerized by her performance.

Also, this episode was simply so raw and animalistic. It really depicted what it's like to have to survive with basically no means.

Ended up crying, of course. The ending really was something special. I don't wanna spoil anything, so please just watch it asap.

Cant believe there is only one episode left! It's absolute perfection.

The Last of Us - S01E08 (2023) Brutal. Very brutal

[claszdsburrogato · 8/10 · 7 March 2023]

We are getting closer and closer to the end of the series and it continues to be great in its execution. In this penultimate episode there were scenes with extremely brutal violence and a lot of blood. However, it wasn't scenes of violence just for the series to look very adult, in fact it shows a lot about Joel's character and also about Ellie. The way the two act differently in these scenes shows how Joel is already a person who no longer cares about hurting others, but for Ellie, this is something very traumatic. It's been said by many people, but it's worth noting: The Last of Us isn't about infected, it's about people. So, when you manage to develop these people so well that you are able to understand their evolution from moments like this, you have done your job correctly.

Nearly flawless

[markwha · 9/10 · 6 March 2023]

As the weeks go by I and I review each passing episode I now find myself re-reviewing the series rather than just the episode itself. This one here was near flawless in every aspect with my one and only complaint being that I could see the twist coming from miles away and didn't have much shock and awe from it. Aside from that small gripe, this episode's quality is why this is currently my favourite show. A highlight here is Bella Ramsey really showing off her acting chops and given the initial reaction to her being cast, good on her!

About the main series, I am starting to feel like with only one episode left in its 9 episode first season that there may have been a bit too much time wasted in its two full length flash back episodes. A LOT happened in this 50 minutes of runtime. So much that it felt short. But at the same time earlier this season we had a 76 minute flashback episode and then a 55 minute one a few episodes later. Neither of which added to a progressed the story much (but despite that I personally liked them both in their own respects).

So I'm anxiously awaiting next weeks season finale but if I had one thing I could change in season 2 I would make it so there was less time spent on flashbacks, perhaps weaving them into longer episodes rather than devoting 22% or more of a season to flashbacks which do little to story progression or deep character development. What I would really love is for them to bump the episode count up to 12 or more but unfortunately that's unlikely given how things are these days.

Gripped.

[notsomighty · 10/10 · 7 March 2023]

Anyone giving this any less than a score of 7 or 8 was watching something different to the rest of us. I was gripped from start to finish as I have been for the entirety of the show. I gave it a 10 based on how I felt at the end credits also based on its own individual merit. I never got to see this far in the game as my then haggered PS3 couldn't handle it. And like a good book I suppose if you know what's coming the 'live action 'version won't quite live up to the expectation so I kind of understand people's slight negativity towards the shows depiction of the cannibalistic group/cult (I say 'cult' because it definitley isnt religiously motivated). But now being out of the loop (as it were) and seeing it for the first time, it really is a class piece of television.

I'm not going bang on page after page, I'll the negativity police do that. I just had to write something in reply to the low marks people have given it for the absolutle obscurest of reasons which I wont get into. If you haven't watched Last of Us, get it watched. If you haven't played Last of Us, get it played. But if you come out of episode 8 with anything less than a stunned silence you need to be watching something more cultured like love island or naked attraction.

PS. Bella Ramsey take a bow. Absolutley sterling performance.

Fantastic episode, true to the game and brilliantly made

[SpacedMan44 · 10/10 · 7 March 2023]

This episode was, in my view, the best yet. Not a clicker or bloater in sight, but a critical part of the game retold in a fantastic way.

The portrayal of David as a cult-like monster who has his people under his thumb and doing the unthinkable was very well played out. The appearance of the excellent Troy Baker was a brilliant addition to this episode as well.

The key piece of this episode, though, was the performance of Bella Ramsey, particularly in the closing scenes, was absolutely incredible. The situation of David attacking Ellie, after earlier attempting to groom her, was horrific, and Ramsey's performance got across the horror, the fright, the disgust and the desperation of her situation. Truly remarkable for an actor of their age

And the "Baby girl" at the end. Heartbreaking and poignant in equal measure.

Absolutely blown away!!!!!

[timo1024 · 10/10 · 6 March 2023]

This is the most intense episode of any show I have seen in one hell of a long time, and I do watch plenty of shows that this should mean something. Absolutely superb acting from Bella, she's just perfect for this role and delivers on every emotional level. The build up where we get to know the members of the new group is well done too. All the characters are interesting and their plot and actions make sense, which has become embarrassingly rare in modern TV. Also the dialogue and the overall writing is great, nothing feels like sheer luck or like some characters have superhuman skills. The action is believable and very well filmed. Add to that the perfect music, insane tension that keeps you on the edge of your seat for the entire 50 minutes, making it feel like a full length movie, and a plot that gets pretty insane while still being believable, and you have yourselves a mind-blowingly epic episode of the last of us. I am so so happy this show turned out so good, and I can't wait to see even more of it. This show outclasses every other show at the moment, and the others can either go suck it or, better, learn again how it's done right, because this is cinema exactly the way it's supposed to be! Thanks an kudos to all the people involved!!!

Give Bella Ramsey an Award

[jgtornado12 · 10/10 · 6 March 2023]

This episode was executed masterfully! Watching Bella Ramsay's character development from the first episode until now has been incredible. From starting off shy and immature in the first few episodes to her realizing that she must take action and stand up for herself and fight against David and his crew to save Joel's life rather than Joel being her hero again. Watching Ellie successfully hunt, bargain, and realize her priorities to save Joel while also plotting how to distract the group trying to hunt them showed so much growth and maturity. The wittiness and power in her voice/screams while staying calm when dealing with a predator to execute her plots to escape was simply incredible! I haven't seen an actress especially a younger actress like herself deliver a performance like that in a long time. Watching side by side clips of the cage scene with the video game, made the game look weak compared to the show and that is a feat that should be celebrated!

Pedro's interrogation scene was also badass and he continues to amaze in every role he plays. Hearing him say to Ellie "it's okay baby girl, I've got you" tore me to shreds emotionally since it's the same phrase he told his daughter...

Give Bella Ramsey an Award for this role!

An analysis of The strongest episode.

[igornveiga · 6 March 2023]

At the beginning of the episode we get a hint of what's to come, with a take focusing on "Todd's Stakehouse", then preacher David with lines about the Apocalypse. Then Ellie goes hunting and we see her making silly mistakes (I ended up wondering, is she all that, is she ready to go out alone in this world?) However, she quickly finds a rabbit that can represent luck or bad luck once that the animal manages to escape, causing Ellie to go into the forest to hunt when she meets David and James which in a way is lucky because through this the necessary medicine is obtained to save Joel, however it is also unlucky because what lies ahead in the rest of the episode is macabre.

At a certain point, the question asked in the paragraph above was answered, Ellie despite being physically fragile is extremely dangerous mentally, having a coldness to hide and only attack when the time is right (almost like a wild animal), I think it is that's what David recognized in her, after all, in a previous scene he is shown eating a plate full of human meat. In the last act, I believe that the Bar in flames refers to what awaits the false Preacher after death, Hell (if there is such a thing).

The episode leaves no doubt that the protagonist is ready for the world that surrounds him, even if her physique is not the strongest and she is not so skilled with weapons, her mental power and coldness in critical moments is her main weapon and as he knows how to use it perfectly, he overcomes the obstacles posed by the plot so far.

Good...not great.

[whiskeydeltapulse · 6/10 · 7 March 2023]

What seems to be becoming a trend in the series, things just feel a little rushed, and yet another episode goes by without any infected, the need to create the vaccine seems all but pointless at this stage with numerous communities living in relative peace.

I found David fantastic as a character but at no point trusted him which made the dramatic "he's a bad guy" scenes seem a bit pointless.

That ending, gunshots and the central hub of the town literally burning down didn't warrant even a head peak by others in the town as Joel strolls right through and they take their time leaving, quite poor.

Slow and patchy

[mdawg9 · 3/10 · 7 March 2023]

The pacing was again off. The first act was slow, making the climax feel rushed. The writing was lazy and cringeworthy in parts - David's villain monologue was full of cliché (honestly, how many times has a TV bad guy said "you remind me of myself"?). His character was generally overdone - he was wholly "bad", an aberrant evil that was too cartoon-like to be fully scary. The suspension of belief was also a little much. Somehow Joel goes from semi-comatose to disarming and killing multiple men and torturing two (adrenaline doesn't quite cut it, let's be real lol). Has Ellie never had a single vaccine in her entire life? She knows how to draw the needle but injects it directly into the wound? Why didn't Ellie use Joel's spike of adrenaline to quietly sneak them both out on the horse? Why did the townspeople do absolutely nothing while a building was set alight and their leader killed?

Also, it's a shame the show fell into the old rape trope. Why, why, why do showrunners think it's necessary? What lazy writing to lean into the destruction of women and girls. The scene with David was gratuitous. Finally, there isn't a single infected. The show can only ride so long on the premise that "this is ultimately about how people are bad!! This is about human relationships not zombies!!". There is zero sense that they are an actual threat. The show relies on gamers' nostalgia and emotional investment but as a standalone media it's just patchy.