Kin was probably the second-best episode of the show to date, in my view (after Long, Long Time). I think I just like these somewhat slower-paced breather episodes the best. Kin does more than just follow the game's template for changing the relationship between Joel and Ellie fundamentally here: it also powerfully builds out the relationship between Joel and Tommy in a way that the game doesn't, and also offers a delightful glimpse into the show's fairly different version of Jackson. I think this is the all-around best performance we've seen from both Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey so far, and that's saying something!
Director Jasmila Zbanic's first-hand experience surviving a war was clearly of influence here. You can feel the authenticity of it in the clear divisions of labor that we see, in the fact that there is indeed cinema (she mentioned that even though they had scarcely anything else else, they had a film festival to maintain people's sanity), things like this. Part II's version of Jackson, in short, felt a bit more like her lived experience surviving in a commune in the middle of a war.
The winter is the chapter of the game that shifts the main focus to Ellie, which makes it feel the most distinctive and Left Behind, within that, is my favorite chapter of the whole game, so I'm really looking forward to the next episode. We could be in for something pretty unique too. This will be the first episode not written by Craig Mazin. Instead, Neil Druckmann himself is listed as the sole writer. Also, together with Kin, this will be one of just two episodes directed by a woman (Liza Johnson in this case), which I feel like could add a little something here since this episode will be mainly about Ellie and Riley. The critics are describing Left Behind one of the series' best episodes as well and that all makes me feel confident the material will be treated with the care and respect it deserves. Really looking forward to it!
