The Last of Us Episode 5 is out early and not surprisingly, the show has once again diverged from the source material. Endure and Survive featured many interesting changes from the original Naughty Dog video game. Still, the changes only made the ongoing story even more intense as we saw the new characters in a completely different light.
One of the big things that The Last of Us Episode 5 changed from the game were Sam's disability and age. In the show, Henry's little brother is played by Keivonn Montreal Woodard who is deaf and a lot younger than Game Sam who was 13. Although this has already been established when Woodard's casting was announced, both the disability and younger age made the friendship between Sam and Ellie more endearing and special.
Like his brother, Henry also got an interesting change. In the series, we got to learn Henry's backstory which is connected to Melanie Lynskey's original villain Kathleen. In Episode 5, Henry admitted to Joel that, in exchange of medication for Sam's leukemia, he had turned in the leader of the revolutionary movement to FEDRA. The man was actually Kathleen's brother and she took over as the movement's leader after he was killed by FEDRA.
The encounter with the sniper in The Last of Us Episode 5 is also very different from the game. In the game, Joel, Ellie, Henry, and Sam are attacked by hunters while they make their way out of the city. After taking out the hunters, Joel goes after the sniper and fights with him. However, the sniper is the only one in action and when Joel reaches him, he gives the man the chance to surrender peacefully.
Sam's disability and age are not the only things that were changed in The Last of Us Episode 5. His bond with Ellie also leads to Sam revealing that he was scratched by a Clicker when the Infected emerged from the ground. This leads to Ellie trying to use her blood to cure the boy but unfortunately, the result is still the same as the game as Sam becomes infected and attacks Ellie.
The most heartbreaking change in the show is possibly Henry's reaction to shooting the infected Sam. In the game, he blames Joel, repeatedly yelling, "It's all your fault." However, Henry is more in shock in the episode, tearfully asking, "What did I do?" before shooting himself in guilt.
Did we miss other major changes in Endure and Survive? The Last of Us Episode 5 is now streaming on HBO Max.
Related: The Last of Us Episode 5 Images Introduce Henry and Sam
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