‘The Last of Us’ Episode 4: Every Easter Egg and Ending Explained

The Last of Us is a very faithful TV adaptation of the popular games. But the longer it goes — and we’re up to Episode 4 this week — the more it begins to diverge in small but important ways from the games. This week we learn that Joel has a weakness; he doesn’t hear very well on his right side. This is one of the few parts of show that is totally new, and it’s important for a few reasons. For one thing, it turns Joel into a more flawed, human figure, especially compared to the guy in the games who can get shot and stabbed and hurt and then is back to normal with a quick health kit. And when we learn that Joel’s hearing was destroyed not by getting shot but by years of shooting others with his own gun, we see how Joel’s brutal life has hurt him physically as well as emotionally.

That’s one of the many Easter eggs, video game references, and little details you might have missed in The Last of Us Episode 4. In our latest video on the series, we look at the lyrics and meaning of the Hank Williams song played in this episode, compare how certain scenes looked in the video game and the show, and show why the series is steadily showing man, not zombies, to be the scariest threat in this world. Watch our full breakdown of The Last of Us Episode 4 below:

If you liked that video breaking down all the Easter eggs in The Last of Us Episode 4 check out more of our videos below, including all the Easter eggs in The Last of Us Episode 3, why The Last of Us Part II was a great game, and all of the Easter eggs in The Last of Us Episode 2. Plus, there’s tons more videos over at ScreenCrush’s YouTube channel. Be sure to subscribe to catch all our future episodes. New episodes of The Last Of Us premiere on HBO on Sundays — although Episode 5 will debut early on HBO Max.