"The Last of Us", episode 5: Everything fits - and that's the problem

Luca Fontana

13.5.2025

Translation: machine translated

Episode 5 of "The Last of Us" is dark, oppressive and emotionally charged - between spores, feelings of guilt and decisions that no one can undo.

The fifth episode of «The Last of Us» - «Feel Her Love» - throws us even deeper into the torn world of Ellie and Dina. What begins as a search for clues turns into a confrontation with old demons, new enemies - and themselves. Between overgrown ruins, religious fanaticism and a city that knows more shortcuts than morals, an episode unfolds that scores with intense moments - but also with coincidences that seem too convenient.

In the Spoiler Factory, Michelle, Domi and I talk openly, critically and emotionally about the current episode as always - with spoilers up to this point, but without a preview of what's to come.

Here's a little sneak peek:

If you haven't seen the previous episodes, you can catch up on them here:

If you haven't seen the fifth episode yet and still want to know what it was like, here's a short summary of our impressions - without spoilers.

Where love is blind and logic falters

«Feel Her Love» caught us a little on the wrong foot. Not because it doesn't have any good moments - quite the opposite. But because it swings back and forth between emotional impact and questionable logic like an overloaded rucksack.

There's this one moment: a throwback to one of the scariest parts of the game. Mushroom-infested air, cold, red neon, pure trepidation. This is where the series blossoms. Michelle celebrated the scene - and rightly so. It's the first moment in a long time where you get the feeling that every decision could end fatally.

At the same time, I wonder: why does so much of this feel like half the season has been papered over with narrative convenience? Paths always lead exactly where they are needed dramaturgically. Encounters happen because they just have to happen. I have nothing against good timing - but if everything falls into place perfectly, the story loses its credibility.

Domi was particularly annoyed by the narrative technique: If tension arises from coincidences instead of decisions, the world loses authenticity. And he's right. But what stays with me is the realisation that Ellie knows more about herself and others than she lets on. And that this journey doesn't just look like revenge, but also like a final, selfish grab for control.

At the end, we were all in agreement: «Feel Her Love» is intense, brilliant in places - but also a reminder that pathos without plausibility rings hollow.

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Hosts

Luca Fontana

Luca is living proof that our parents were lying: There are no square eyes from watching too much TV. Rumour has it that he was already watching «Star Wars» films and reading Marvel comics in his mother's womb. Today, after many years of field research, he knows his way around the Disney universe better than Al Capone in 1930s Chicago. He uses the same password for his 14 streaming subscriptions because otherwise he would forget them. The only people who are allowed to disturb him in his «work» are his two cats.

Michelle Brändle

While others break out in a sweat just drawing a stick figure, Michelle uses every tablet test as a template for digital artwork. Somewhat more tangible are those from the 3D printer, which regularly model her smartphone reviews. The gadget enthusiasm that almost every new member of the editorial team succumbs to can be seen on their desk, which is flanked by a home-made RGB keyboard and matching RGB mouse. She only feels even more emotion, which even gets under her skin in the form of tattoos, for Pokémon.

Domagoj Belancic

If anyone games more than Phil, it would be Domi. If his dog didn't regularly drag him out into the sunlight, he would have long since collected all the platinum trophies on the Playstation. His heart also burns for another well-known Japanese company, Nintendo. This is proven by the various retro consoles that adorn his office, as well as his encyclopaedic knowledge of all Pokémon - even those that have yet to be invented.

Luca Fontana

Senior Editor

Luca.Fontana@digitecgalaxus.ch

I'm an outdoorsy guy and enjoy sports that push me to the limit – now that’s what I call comfort zone! But I'm also about curling up in an armchair with books about ugly intrigue and sinister kingkillers. Being an avid cinema-goer, I’ve been known to rave about film scores for hours on end. I’ve always wanted to say: «I am Groot.» more

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