Like many avid TV viewers, I have been in love with HBO for several years now. My all-time favorite will always be “Six Feet Under” and it’s probably the show I’ve revisited the most. A true masterpiece holds up and leaves a timeless resonance. Like millions of others, I also had seen every episode of “Sex and The City” as well as the disaster that is their follow-up series,s “And Just Like That.” Years went by and eventually, HBO got Alan Ball to follow up “Six Feet Under” with a series adaptation of “The Southern Vampire Mysteries,” and retitled it “True Blood.” The show was an instant hit and was the R-rated alternative to the then-popular Twilight franchise. Full of graphic sex scenes and violent kills, the show drew in those who loved camp and the morbid involving an attractive cast, some of them being very familiar faces.

One actress it introduced me to was Rutina Wesley who played Tara. Tara was and still is my favorite character on that show. Wesley plays her with a hard edge whose trauma was communicated through defense mechanisms while still looking out for her best friend, Sookie Stackhouse. It really confuses me why she hasn’t been more of a superstar since then, but she has had substantial roles in high-profile series like “The Walking Dead” and “Hannibal.” Luckily, HBO has brought her back in what probably will be a one-episode role as Maria Miller, Tommy’s partner, and Joel’s sister-in-law, in THE LAST OF US Episode 6.

Joel and Ellie have finally arrived in Jackson, Wyoming where he reunites with his brother, Tommy. There’s clearly hostility between them as they embrace each other, and the conversation feels jilted as if something obvious isn’t being said. Their history involved a lot of killing people in order to survive and that burden has haunted Tommy. This appears to have been communicated to Maria who glares at Joel during the reunion. She has suspicions about what’s going on between Ellie and Joel, but tries not to ask questions.
Instead, Maria tries to prepare Ellie for what it’s like to be a teenage girl growing up with only an older man in her life. It’s during these conversations that Ellie first learns about Sarah, Joel’s daughter. Now aware of his loss, Ellie has more of an understanding of why Joel is the way he is.

They share words about loss, recreating one of my favorite scenes from the game line by line, which ultimately leads them on their way to the University of Eastern Colorado where they believe the Fireflies are. Their comfort level has reached a new height as Joel finally shares his hopes and dreams of growing up before the pandemic. Their visit is cut short when they have unexpected visitors who attack them. Joel kills one, not realizing that he gets stabbed in the process. They ride off on their horse to safety, but Joel falls over unconscious and Ellie once again is alone.

The emotional arcs in THE LAST OF US are explored in every episode to great lengths. The beauty of HBO is that the series doesn’t have to tell the story in a traditional narrative. Some episodes are just under an hour while others are longer when needed to provide a quality story. In THE LAST OF US Episode 6, both Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey are allowed to exert their characters’ mindsets. They both succeed in bringing them to life and allowing the audience to empathize more with our leads.

Based on the story structure in comparison to the game, the next episode will most likely act as a prequel for Ellie prior to meeting Joel. If it’s anything like “Left Behind,” (the prequel game), then we are in for more heartbreak and tears. THE LAST OF US continues to focus on the monsters that live in all of us instead of the infected, creating a far more interesting show that keeps us on edge every week.

The sixth episode of the HBO Original drama series THE LAST OF US debuted on February 19 at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT on HBO and will be available to stream in 4K on HBO Max.