The Last of Us – Day One review S2 E4

May 18, 2025 Jeffrey Lyles Ariela Barer, Bella Ramsey, Ben Ahlers, Isabela Merced, Jeffrey Wright, Spencer Lord, Terry Chin, The Last of Us

Day One was an inconsistent episode with some really intense, exciting moments mixed with some calmer, laid back scenes that felt a little too slow.

There’s also the thing of The Last of Us pulling the rug out from viewers unfamiliar with the game who were totally caught off guard from that big episode earlier this season. If a show can pull off that kind of move it makes it that much harder to get invested in those quiet, character development moments knowing that in any episode a beloved character can get unceremoniously killed.

Day One starts out literally back on day one in Seattle back in 2018. FEDRA soldiers are driving along as one of the group starts regaling the others about a fellow soldier being intensely cruel in responding to a standoff with protestors. One of the soldiers, Burton (Ben Ahlers) is uncomfortable joining in with the raucous laughter.

Another soldier not laughing is their squad leader, Sgt. Isaac Dixon (Jeffrey Wright, American Fiction). Issac calmly chews out the loudmouth as the squad approaches a group of citizens. Rather than go on the immediate offensive, Issac wants to talk with the leader and has Burton come out with him. Burton notices Isaac has a fairly friendly greeting with the civilian leader before Isaac takes his grenades out and kills the other soldiers. Isaac tells Burton to make his choice. Seems like a pretty easy one if he wants to make it past day one.

Eleven years later, Ellie and Dina are having their own Day One in Seattle as they scrounge through a store. Dina seems happy to have found something but keeps it a secret from Ellie. Their education on the real world seems a little lacking as ironically neither understands the significance of the Pride flags and rainbows. Ellie also seems to have a very different understanding of Apollo One as well.

Ellie sees a satellite dish with WLF on it and predictably wants to head right to it. She’s too reckless to be the main hero so it’s a good thing Dina can talk some sense into her. They hole up in a music store and are really acting like reckless teenagers since they have no idea what’s going on out here while they make so much noise.

Dina gets weepy listening to Ellie singing and playing Take Me On. It was a decent rendition but hardly weep-worthy. This would get explained later on in Day One.

Elsewhere, Isaac is interrogating a prison stripped of clothing. Wright’s delivery is so disarming and calm that the big reveal that he’s got a chained-up, naked prisoner is a solid reveal. The Last of Us has already added a performer capable of stealing every scene in Catherine O’Hara. Bringing on Wright ensures this season has another star who can turn even the most lackluster episode into a tremendous showcase of their skills.

The prisoner has the same marks as the group walking along in the woods that encountered the WLF last week. Isaac wants to know where the Scars are attacking next. On the other side of the door, two wolves are listening to Isaac do his dirty work. One is nervous, while the other is fully on board with whatever Isaac plans to do. When Isaac shoots the zealot, the anxious guard recoils while Burton says the Scar got what he had coming.

Maybe they do as Ellie and Dina stumble onto a room where Wolves are strung up with their intestines dripping out. Dina sure does seem to be throwing up a lot. Did Jesse get her pregnant the last time they hooked up? [Note: That was from my notes as I watched, which by the conclusion of Day One doesn’t feel nearly as insightful].

They spot a sign painted with the Wolves’ blood that states “Feel her Love.” Is it possible that both the Wolves and zealots are horrible factions and need to get taken down? “What the f is wrong with Seattle?” Great question, Dina. Plus, a bunch of them are probably Seahawks fans too.

WLF reinforcements to check on their fallen friends forcing Dina and Ellie to hide. That can’t last long — Ellie is horrible at hide and don’t die, which ends up attracting more attention as they kill two of the Wolves.

They hide in a train station and the WLF search party awaken a swarm of infected. This sequence was the best action moment of Day One, which seemed like it was going to be another calm, slow rolling episode. There was excellent intensity here as Dina and Ellie struggled to stay ahead of the unrelenting infected, who are some of the better zombies since they seem starved for flesh and blood.

Ellie gives up her arm so an infected bites her instead of Dina, who didn’t know about her immunity to the zombie bites. After an incubation period where Ellie proves she is immune, Dina tells Ellie she’s pregnant and they start making out and having sex. That felt like a very weird time for their first hookup.

One tricky thing about this relationship is The Last of Us worked because there was no tired romantic subplot. Just a dude and his surrogate daughter trying to survive in a zombie outlaw world. With the main two characters in a relationship, it kinda feels like plot armor is being constructed around Dina now since it’s been established that Ellie is not getting killed. There’s even less chance of it now.

Factor in that they’re away from the other community members whose losses could prove meaningful, and it feels like this season has lost a fairly significant amount of suspense.

Ellie is thrilled that she’s going to be a dad. Well, actually Jesse is the father, but sure, kid.

Dina snagged a radio from one of the slaughtered Wolves so they can stay abreast of what’s going on. A new message clues them in that they could track down Abby, who’s presumably on the other side of the city.

Ellie suggests Dina’s pregnancy changes everything, but Dina won’t hear any of it. They started this together; they’ll end it together.

Day One marks a serious turning point. The Last of Us could be shifting to a series that could spotlight two untouchable characters in a show where anyone has been fair game.