The Last of Us Season 1 Episode 6 Review: Kin
With The Last of Us Season 1 Episode 6, “Kin,” we’re finally out of the expositionary territory and ready to explore the characters we’ve been following for the last six episodes.
Like its name suggests, “Kin” is all about family and the relationships that change over time and solidifies Ellie and Joel’s father/daughter relationship.
Ellie Meets the Town
Ellie’s reaction to the town of Jackson is refreshing. Much like how she would play with Sam on The Last of Us Season 1 Episode 5, “Endure and Survive,” she gets a glimpse into a world where she could be a kid for a bit.
While in Jackson she gets to watch movies, eat “proper meals,” and read books about what life is like before the outbreak. It feels simpler and more comfortable, and seeing it all through Ellie’s eyes is part of the charm.
The fact that while Ellie is in town, she realizes that Joel has been keeping a secret from her also adds some depth to their relationship that was much needed at this point in the series.
Plus, the addition of a menstrual cup and a “super fucking eggplant” coat is the icing on the cake.
Joel and Tommy
Given that we’ve spent several episodes now with Joel focusing on finding his brother it’s rewarding to see the reunion; even if it feels a little anticlimactic.
Jackson is a town that has found a way to thrive in a world that’s falling apart and it seems to have everything Joel and Ellie could need. However, it also means that Joel isn’t needed the way he thought he was.
Tommy isn’t in trouble, here! He’s thriving and he’s about to have what Joel had before the outbreak. There’s a bit of jealousy when Tommy tells Joel that he’s going to be a dad because Joel is living in the past and his failures.
He’s been focusing on how he couldn’t save Sarah, and now that Tommy isn’t in trouble, Joel seems to think he could lay down his burdens for a moment. Almost like he doesn’t have to fight anymore.
Even though he ultimately decides to give Ellie a choice.
Joel and Ellie
We spend very little time in Jackson and even less getting back in touch with Tommy, but the time Ellie and Joel spend there is crucial for where the series is going. “Kin” feels like the first time that these two have had to confront what they’ve become to each other.
The father/daughter relationship that has been building between these characters is stronger than ever in Jackson. Even more so when Joel begins to think that he’s seeing Sarah and missing what he had before the outbreak.
Additionally, Joel’s heart-to-heart with Tommy, where he admits that he feels he’ll just get Ellie killed and that he has to leave her is all the more heartbreaking. When Joel tells Tommy that she’s immune you can feel hope in his words. He’s starting to realize the potential but also realizing how much he cares about Ellie.
It’s clear that losing Ellie would destroy Joel, but the visceral pain that Joel is experiencing when encountering a possible danger for Ellie solidifies how much he cares about her.
The moment where Ellie shouts about how everyone has either died or betrayed her is the best moment of the episode, and the fact that moments later they’re able to be on their way and Joel is happily teaching her about the past and how to shoot a rifle solidifies their father/daughter bond and makes Joel’s injury that much more stressful at the end.
What did you think of this episode of The Last of Us? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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The Last of Us airs Sundays at 9/8c on HBO and HBO Max.
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Lauren Busser
Lauren Busser is an Associate Editor at Tell-Tale TV. She is a writer of fiction and nonfiction whose work has appeared in Bitch Media, Popshot Quarterly, Brain Mill Press Voices, and The Hartford Courant.