The Last of Us HBO — Who Is Kathleen And Why Is She So Mad At Henry?

This piece contains spoilers for The Last of Us Episode 4 and some minor game spoilers. If you’re not caught up yet, check out our spoiler-free review of the full The Last of Us Season 1.

After the heartbreaking events of The Last of Us Episode 3, Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey) are back. Continuing their journey across the country on the search for Tommy (Gabriel Luna), the pair drive into some serious trouble after their car is sabotaged in Kansas City. It’s a notable diversion from the game which sent the pair to Pittsburgh next, but wherever they’ve ended up they’re about to face down with something far more dangerous than Clickers. 

The brutal nature of humanity often comes into play when it comes to post-apocalyptic storytelling. But The Last of Us on HBO has yet to dig into that outside of glimpses — the raiders breaking into Bill and Frank’s compound, and Joel’s ability to kill without qualms. In Episode 4, though, viewers are introduced to Kathleen (Melanie Lynskey), the leader of a group of survivors in Kansas City. Kathleen is a new creation for the series, but the vicious community she leads isn’t. Those survivors aren’t the only familiar faces we see though as the episode also introduces two fan favorite characters from one of the most infamous stories in the game. 

Who Is Kathleen in The Last of Us?

When it was announced that Melanie Lynskey had been cast in The Last of Us, Yellowjackets fans everywhere rejoiced. Lynskey is known for her standout roles as complex and often violent women, and it seems like Kathleen is no different. Lynskey’s ability to bring grit and anger to what seem like relatable every-woman characters promise that her role as Kathleen will likely be more nuanced than this episode lets on. While we meet her at her most brutal and see her kill a man in a moment of frustration, casting Lynskey hints that Kathleen will likely have deeper motivations than just rage and survival. As for the group that she’s leading, well if we look at there’s a clear roadmap for who the fearsome crew are. 

The Hunters are a group of antagonistic survivors who kill anyone who trespasses on their territory. Joel and Ellie meet them as they venture into Pittsburgh and soon learn that they don’t take kindly to “tourists” — the moniker the group gives to anyone who passes through — and will go to extreme and fatal lengths to protect their own. Ever since Kathleen was first revealed, fans have theorized that she would be leading the Hunters. This episode supports that to a point but, just as Episode 3 showcased, the series isn’t afraid of expanding on and diverging from the plot of the game and the expectations of the players. In an interview with Screen Rant, game creator and co-showrunner Neil Druckmaan established the fact that, while inspired by the Hunters, Kathleen and her group would “take a slightly different role here.” 

What that role can be is yet to be seen, but it’s clear that the group aren’t just the simple villains they were in the game. Lynskey brings a righteous but terrifying fury to Kathleen, showcasing that she’ll do whatever is needed to protect her followers. We can safely assume that their journey will present a more indepth portrayal of the Hunters and the lengths people go to survive.

Kathleen also represents another mirror of Joel. In Episode 3 we saw Bill act as a reflection of what could happen to Joel if he let love into his life and trusted someone. We get a hint this week that Kathleen may play an inverted role, showing Joel the dangers of brutality and a “doing anything to survive” mentality. Her introduction comes in tandem with the moment where Joel reveals that he, Tommy, and Tess used to do similar ambushes and murders in order to survive. That’s clearly something that’s in the past, but Kathleen will likely throw that past into the light. 

Before Joel and Kathleen come face to face, though, she’s got more pressing matters to handle. As the episode moves through the wreckage of Kansas City, we see Kathleen’s ever growing obsession with someone called Henry who she is apparently incredibly paranoid about. It seems that Henry sold out her brother to FEDRA officers, ultimately resulting in his death. And, understandably, she’s pretty mad about it.

Though that name might have gotten game players excited, new viewers likely didn’t realize its importance outside of Kathleen’s fear of him. But the end of the episode changes as Joel and Ellie are awoken from their sleep by two young men. And as gamers will know, this is our first glimpse of fan favorite characters Henry (Lamar Johnson) and Sam (Keivonn Woodard). 

How Henry and Sam Fit Into the Big Picture

Since IGN exclusively revealed their casting in the lead up to the show’s release, fans have been desperate to see Henry and Sam come to life. In the game the brothers meet Joel and Ellie and in Pittsburgh and the foursome soon end up becoming temporary traveling companions as they attempt to survive the Hunters. As the older brother, Henry is protective and devoted to Sam, and his relationship with Joel presents a new frontier for the main character. Henry and Joel bond over philosophical conversations and a love of motorbikes.

The connection between Ellie, Sam, Henry, and Joel feels like something wholesome and positive in the midst of the nightmare that is The Last of Us. It’ll be interesting to see if we get to see that here, especially as just before the episode ends we see Joel and Ellie sharing a laugh over one of the latter’s terrible puns. It’s a huge moment for Joel, who we’ve rarely seen crack a smile in the present. And the arrival of Henry and Sam so soon after hints to us that they’ll play a large part in the story. 

Those of us who have played the game already know Henry and Sam’s fate. It’s part of the reason that their story became such a long-lasting part of the game’s legacy. But just like Episode 3 expanded on Bill and Frank’s story and changed their endgame, there’s definitely a chance that we’ll get even more insight into Henry and Sam’s lives. Perhaps we’ll see their stories end in a different way than they did in the game. For now, however, we’ll have to wait until Episode 5 to see if it’s another heartbreaking bottle episode or if we’ll rejoin Ellie and Joel. 

Rosie Knight is a contributing freelancer for IGN covering everything from anime to comic books to kaiju to kids movies to horror flicks. She has over half a decade of experience in entertainment journalism with bylines at Nerdist, Den of Geek, Polygon, and more.