The Last of Us episode 5 ends with a zombie battle that sees Kathleen (Melanie Lynskey) and her ally Perry (Jeffrey Pierce) die. And Pierce is glad that he got the sweet release he did.
[Ed. note: As you might’ve guessed from the headline, this post contains spoilers for a death at the end of The Last of Us episode 5.]
Everything goes wrong for everybody at some point in the suburb throwdown at the end of The Last of Us episode 5. “Endure and Survive” ends with an elaborate action set piece, with infected swarming out of a sinkhole and overrunning Joel (Pedro Pascal), Ellie (Bella Ramsey), and their Kansas City allies and enemies alike. A lot of people die. But few get as brutal a death as Perry (Jeffrey Pierce), who gets torn to pieces by a bloater.
Even out of focus in the background as Kathleen (Melanie Lynskey) escapes, it’s a particularly gnarly kill. And Pierce, who also voiced Joel’s brother Tommy in The Last of Us game, wouldn’t have it any other way — and not only because it’s an Easter egg.
“Craig [Mazin, co-showrunner] said, ‘Look you’re gonna get the best death of the entire season,’” Pierce tells Polygon in an interview.