Ever since The Last of Us killed off Joel (Pedro Pascal), my complaints with The Last of Us Season 2 have been twofold. First, the series finds itself with the unenviable task of filling the void left by the lack of Joel and Ellie's (Bella Ramsey) dynamic.

Season 2, Episode 4. It’s comforting to know that long after the collapse of civilization, certain TV clichés will persist. Like: If a woman vomits unexpectedly in one episode,

“The Last of Us” Season 2, Episode 5 will air at 9 p.m. ET/PT. “The Last of Us” Season 2, Episode 5 will air live on HBO and drop on Max simultaneously for streaming. There are seven episodes this season. After tonight’s episode, there will be two episodes left.

In 'The Last of Us' Season 2, Episode 5, Ellie (Bella Ramsey) overcomes her fears, pushes past her doubts, and... recommits to revenge. [SPOILERS]

Episode 5 delivers on the promise of a new infection vector by depicting spores that linger in the very air the survivors depend on. Early in the episode, Sergeant Elise Park recounts how an entire basement level was sealed off because the air itself was lethal, creating a dread-soaked cold open that rivals the game’s most harrowing moments.

Episode 6 introduces new scenes between Joel and Ellie to tell a gentler story than the game — recalling the first season’s famously tender Bill and Frank episode.

In case you weren’t already traumatized enough from the brutal beatings in episode 2 or episode 4, episode 5 reminds viewers that you are, in fact, watching The Last of Us, and the brutality isn’t going to stop simply because Abby gave up golfing. (Sorry.)

Episode 6, the penultimate installment of Season 2, was made up almost entirely of flashbacks to those five intervening years, with the show revisiting Joel and Ellie nearly every