One scene in The Last of Us episode 4 hints at danger on the horizon with a scene showing an unseen threat trapped underground by the Hunters.
Warning! This article contains spoilers for both The Last of Us episode 4 and the original game.
The Last of Us episode 4 features a scene in which an unseen terror lies beneath the ground, begging the question of what awaits Joel and Ellie in the near future. The Last of Us episode 4 introduces the Hunters, a ruthless faction that has taken control of the Kansas City quarantine zone from FEDRA. Upon being forced to enter the city’s downtown area, Pedro Pascal’s Joel and Bella Ramsey’s Ellie are ambushed by the Hunters and have to resort to hiding until they can escape.
Throughout The Last of Us episode 4, many hints are shown towards the culmination of this story arc that will undoubtedly come in The Last of Us episode 5. From the introduction of Kathleen as the Hunters’ leader – played by Yellowjackets’ Melanie Lynskey – to the cliffhanger ending in which Henry and Sam (Lamar Johnson and Keivonn Woodard) find Joel and Ellie, The Last of Us episode 4 contains many teasing elements. Another of the other major hints, and possibly the most dangerous, is that of the underground monster which teases one of The Last of Us’ most horrifying creatures.
The Hunters Are Scared Of A Bloater Below The Ground
After Kathleen and Perry find a hideout used by Sam and Henry, the latter leads the former to the basement. After something huge seems to be moving beneath the cracked floor, Perry and Kathleen lock the door and decide not to tell the other Hunters. From what can be inferred in the scene, the two know what lies beneath and opt not to tell their comrades likely in a bid not to damage morale. This underground monster will pay off a shot from the trailers – and teases an action-packed entry after the amazing The Last of Us episode 3 – by introducing a Bloater to The Last of Us.
In the original game, Bloaters are a form of the infecteds that have been the host of Cordyceps for over two decades. Due to prolonged infection, Bloaters have hardened fungal plates across their entire body and are extremely difficult to kill as a result. The Pittsburgh section of the game, which serves as the basis for the story of The Last of Us episodes 4 and 5 albeit with a location change to Kansas City, features a Bloater hidden underground beneath a hotel. This provides more evidence of the fact that a Bloater lies beneath the basement, and will escape in The Last of Us episode 5.
What Are The Hunters Doing With A Bloater & What Does It Mean?
This begs the question though, of why the Bloater is beneath the basement and what the Hunters know about it. While it could be the case that the Hunters – a much deeper-explored faction, in a difference from The Last of Us game – trapped it beneath the ground as a potential weapon to use against enemies, it is more likely that Kathleen and Perry trapped it in order to keep their people safe. This would explain their panic at its potential escape, as the Bloater breaking out of whatever confines that are holding it could threaten their lives in the Kansas City QZ.
In terms of what this means for The Last of Us, it will potentially lead to a climactic action sequence involving the Bloater. While the game features a few different Bloater boss fights, HBO’s The Last of Us already avoided one with Bill’s story changes in episode 3 meaning co-creators Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann likely want to keep the Bloater as a single threat to make it feel more important. This threat could be showcased in The Last of Us episode 5, with the Bloater causing chaos as a third faction going against both the Hunters and Joel, Ellie, Henry, and Sam.
New episodes of The Last of Us release every Sunday on HBO.
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