The Last of Us spoilers follow – especially for episode 6.
There's a lot to champion about HBO's The Last of Us, and we've been sat here singing its praises for a long while.
At every twist and turn, the show keeps you at the very edge of your seat: not because of the fungal-infected, although we're in no hurry to run into them in a dark alley, but because it never quite does what you're expecting it to do.
Just when you think Joel and Ellie have been written into a corner and your brain is going a million miles a second thinking you know exactly how it's all about to pan out, the creators throw us a curveball and take it somewhere else entirely.
For a show born from the well-trodden apocalyptic zombie genre, primed for The Walking Dead comparison, it does an awful lot to break itself away and prove that it's so much more than that.
Related: How The Last of Us avoids the 'Bury Your Gays' trope through Bill and Frank's story
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The Last of Us is a powerhouse of storytelling. A character-driven narration wrapped with grief, loss and trauma, but with the sincerity of human connection at its core.
In episode six we really saw this pierce through, making room for Joel to show the depths of his emotions. Sure he's the gun-toting hero of the piece, and if we were to be attacked by a bloater we'd want him in our corner. But as we've seen with other characters from the video games, the roomy nature of the show allows space for deeper development – and this helps to open us to Joel's more vulnerable side.
Finally reunited with his brother Tommy, we saw a joy flash across his face that we've not seen since episode one, before the tragic death of his daughter Sarah.
Through a series of flash-forwards we know that Joel has become something of a nomad, surviving day by day with no clear purpose or direction. Feeling his brother's embrace would have felt a lot like home, but with that came memories and emotions he'd been working hard to suppress.
Seeing how Tommy's life was moving forward with a partner by his side and a baby on the way would have served as a sobering realisation that his own life, well, hasn't really gone anywhere.
As a result, we saw him shutting down and pushing everyone away – including Ellie.
The emotional weight that Joel has been carrying since the loss of his daughter, and everything he's faced since, is starting to show itself physically. From chest pain to worn down boots, Joel is tired and losing his drive to carry on.
He asks Tommy to take Ellie, voicing his fears that he'll get her killed because he always fails. It's a heartbreaking scene but a necessary one, and one that we don't often see acknowledged by our fantasy protagonists.
Affording Joel the opportunity to be a fully dimensional and layered character helps The Last of Us break even further out of its box. It's also an important move when it comes to the way masculinity is portrayed on screen: vulnerability and emotion are not weaknesses or flaws, but instead an admirable truth.
In terms of the storytelling, it also pushed Joel to face up to his developing bond with Ellie. For the first time since taking on the mission to deliver her to the Fireflies, he had the opportunity to leave her – and he couldn't. He's in it because he wants to be, and the feeling is reciprocated.
We just hope it hasn't been cut short.
The Last of Us airs on HBO in the US, and on Sky Atlantic and streaming service NOW in the UK.
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TV Editor, Digital Spy Laura has been watching television for over 30 years and professionally writing about entertainment for almost 10 of those. Previously at LOOK and now heading up the TV desk at the UK's biggest TV and movies site Digital Spy, Laura has helped steer conversations around some of the most popular shows on the box. Laura has appeared on Channel 5 News and radio to talk viewing habits and TV recommendations. As well as putting her nerd-level Buffy knowledge to good use during an IRL meet with Sarah Michelle Gellar, Laura also once had afternoon tea with One Direction, has sat around the fire pit of the Love Island villa, spoken to Sir David Attenborough about the world's oceans and even interviewed Rylan from inside the Big Brother house (housemate status, forever pending).
