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The Last of Us: Who are Sam and Henry? The story of the brothers and changes from the game
Episodes 4 and 5 of The Last of Us show two new key survivors that join the post-apocalyptic adventure, but their story has a few differences from the original game.
The story of The Last of Us wasn’t made grate by its post-apocalyptic world or its monsters, but by its characters. We supposed that was made clear after the past few episodes of watching Tess, and that heartbreaking episode centered around Bill and Frank, but maybe it’s worth remembering that after the series’ 4th episode. At the end of it we’re shown two new faces that have created an endless amount of questions. But the main one, who they are, couldn’t have a more simple answer. These are Sam and Henry, two new survivors that are sure to earn a place alongside the rest of the characters that have come and gone.
Sam and Henry are taken from the 2013 video game and they are two brothers of 15 and 25 years respectively. They both accompanied Joel and Ellie for a while and their relationship was a reflection of the one they maintained. Ellie hit it off with Sam and Joel liked and identified with Henry. So first spoiler: They are not a threat.
In the game, Sam and Henry are raised in the Hartford quarantine zone until it was abandoned by the military and they both had to go out and survive on their own. Later they joined a group of survivors and they stayed with them until one day, while exploring and pillaging through Pittsburgh, the party was attacked by the so-called "hunters".
Who are the Hunters?
The Hunters are a faction made up of former residents of the Pittsburgh Quarantine Zone who grew tired of the control of the military and the Fireflies and they overthrew all kinds of existing power. Hostile to tourists and brutal in methods, Sam and Henry had to hide from them however they could... until they crossed paths with Joel and Ellie. Both pairs helped each other out of the city and escape from the hunters.
To talk about the reasons why they parted ways afterwards it might be worth waiting for a couple of episodes to pass, when we see what happens in the series and we can compare it (it wouldn't be the first change between video game and adaptation). Believe us, That is a spoiler that is not worth giving away.
For now, the series seems to have fused the events from the Hartford and Pittsburgh quarantine zones. Now it's like Sam and Henry grew up in the same quarantine zone the hunters were born in and they even seem to have done something serious to become outcasts. Craig Mazin and his team have also given this faction a visible head, the always great Melanie Lynskey in the role of Kathleen, and they've even put in some kind of dormant sprout underground in that same area, so we don't know where the story will go in episode 5 (which, by the way, we remind you that it’ll be released this Friday).
The series seems to be giving its own breaths of fresh air to the less explored moments of its characters’ past and the outbreak. We'll see what it tells us about Sam and Henry that we didn't get to see back in the day.