The Last Of Us Fans Are Suspicious Of The Mysterious New Woman In Episode 4
Contains spoilers for "The Last of Us" Season 1, Episode 4 — "Please Hold My Hand"
If Episode 3 of "The Last of Us" is any indication, creatives behind the new cultural phenomenon are not afraid of deviating from the source material. Game creator Neil Druckmann has been quite upfront about exploring other storylines not directly present in his creation. The love story between Bill (Nick Offerman) and Frank (Murray Barlett) varies widely from the game but still resorted viewers to tears. Now, Episode 4, "Please Hold My Hand," has introduced fans to another element not present in the game.
While continuing their journey closer to Tommy (Gabriel Luna), Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey) encounter several obstacles. As they drift toward their inevitable and heartbreaking familial bond, the duo comes under attack as they travel through Kansas City. They discover a QZ has been taken over by a band of rebels led by ruthless Kathleen (Melanie Lynskey). The character is not present in the game but offers a perspective we have not seen before. So fueled by rage because of FEDRA's abuses, Kathleen's group has become an equally destructive force, murdering wantonly. With only a few scenes to judge the character by, many fans question exactly what will become of Kathleen in the episodes to come.
What is Kathleen's connection to Henry?
Some of the joys of adapting a popular IP is seeing perspectives that video games would not allow you to see. By virtue of television storytelling, we can break away from Joel and Ellie and see the absolute chaos of a different community. Kathleen is clearly in charge of her band of rebels, but many fans on Reddit question the circumstances of her character. U/johnppd and u/Coachbelcher wonder who Kathleen is and what the specifics of her group are. Other savvy viewers picked up on the slight details of the character through dialogue.
"Seems she lead the revolt against the QZ and they won," theorized u/BettyX. "So she is their leader they will die for and obey." But her connection to the new character Henry has many wheels spinning. While Kathleen interrogates a doctor in a FEDRA cell, she reminds him that her brother was beaten to death in the QZ because of government oversight. As a known FEDRA collaborator, Kathleen assumes the doctor knows where the previously unseen Henry is. But who is Henry, and what makes Kathleen so intent on finding him?
"[I]t seems like she thinks this Henry guy ratted out her brother to FEDRA and ultimately got him killed and she's out for revenge," noted u/colorofmyenergy. But other than that, viewers have no real understanding of who the runaway is. Ex-husband? Murderer? Friend? Only time will tell.