Episode 8: Apocalyptic Bingo!
Spoilers... duh.
I don't need the podcast to break down this one. Congratulations to everyone that had cannibalism on your apocalyptic bingo cards! Game players knew we would get here but it was a shocking awakening for TV-only viewers. Episode 8 was an uncomfortable episode to watch, but don't worry Joel is back so we're good.
I will have to admit that the show got the pacing and tension-building right in this episode (a top critique of mine for past episodes). This episode had a solid reveal going from a "something's not right here" to "oh sh!t!" in a slow, dreadful series of events. It is unfortunate it had to feature a miraculous recovery by Joel that required viewers to suspend disbelief yet again in a show that does nothing but expect viewers to suspend disbelief.
Also I am not sure if this is what the show was going for, but in an episode starting out with bible reading isn't it cliche our savior Joel rises from the dead. Anyone that thought Joel was ever in any danger (or Ellie for that matter) has never played a video game with side quests.
I do want to harp on the "sense of danger". As uncomfortable as this episode was to watch it was more from the creep factor than it was from any sense that something bad would happen to our main characters Joel and Ellie. Like a video game its just a case of finishing the side quest to get on with the main story.
Can we dispense with the cannibalism as well please? It is uncomfortable to watch and detracted from an otherwise great tension builder of the creepy preacher targeting a young girl. We could have gotten all of the drama of this episode without taking the cannibalism.
Anyways, Joel is back to a full healthbar so on to new adventures.
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