Tales of revenge with a post-apocalyptic backdrop are typically very good or very bad.

The Last of Us Season 1 Episode 5 confirmed my suspicions that The Last of Us Season 1 Episode 4 was planting seeds that would sprout one episode later and leave us with more casualties than before.

Kathleen was difficult to read because, on the surface, she came off as a tyrant who murdered anyone who opposed her.

Learning about her past and how she came to be in this position of power allowed us to understand her motivations and get on board with her cause, or at the very least, understand it.

Kathleen's drive to avenge her brother's death was her ultimate undoing, but in her defense, why should her brother have been collateral to save Sam's life?

This post-apocalyptic world is cutthroat. People are turning on each other, and the others are hiding out, hoping they somehow will prevail and get rid of Cordyceps for good.

Kathleen couldn't think clearly because she was so devoted to revenge, and it was a bitter pill to swallow that these people could have made some different decisions and would still be alive.

There's an element of intrigue with someone like Kathleen because she made me wonder what would push her to these extreme measures. Something had to tip her over the edge.

All Henry knew was saving his brother and handing over Kathleen's brother to save his own was the only forward.

Sam was just a child, residing in this horrible world, battling leukemia. Henry would've been unable to forgive himself if he didn't bend over backward to get those drugs to save Sam's life.

Throughout The Last of Us Season 1, we've seen how corrupt Fedra is. They were supposed to be a beacon of light amid the darkness, and their decisions don't instill the hope they have the safety of anyone on their minds.

On The Last of Us Season 1 Episode 3, we witnessed the murder of Bill's entire community because there was no space in a quarantine zone. That's dark, so the resistance probably learned of these tyrannical ways and took action.

Joel's apprehension about working with Henry and Sam made sense. Joel only recently got accustomed to looking after Ellie, and if, god forbid, things got bad on the road, how would he be able to look after two more people?

Joel's driven by the notion that Ellie's life can make a difference in this horrible world. In his eyes, it all has to be worth it.

I was surprised at how judgemental he was to Henry because, as we've learned, Joel pulled some horrible stunts throughout his time in the apocalypse.

At least he recognized that Henry made decisions that kept his brother safe.

Joel likes to be in control of these situations because he's looking after Ellie, and you could tell he hated the notion of playing nice with two people who held guns at their heads.

Henry understood Joel had great aim because he witnessed him and Ellie crashing into town, so he probably knew he had to aim the guns first.

As a fan of the video games, I was disappointed the sewer section was practically omitted, so you can only imagine the shock on my face when the bloater -- and thousands of Cordyceps' finest -- burst through a hole in the ground to ruin Kathleen's revenge plot.

Something had to happen to allow Joel and Ellie back on the road, and the series did an excellent job of raising the stakes and showing the intensity of these situations in densely populated areas while also offering us a different resolution to the plot.

Had Kathleen been in the right frame of mind and not following her revenge plot, she would have planned a more intricate way of stopping the four without opening what can only be described as a Hellmouth.

I imagine her decision to have her people with the snow plower knocking all the cars out of the way was the reason for the infected knowing where everyone was.

The CGI was fantastic here. When I first watched a rough cut of the episode in December, it was far from complete, and the finished product really shows how much work goes in during the post-production process.

Joel not wanting to kill the sniper showcased that he's still haunted by his time during those 20 years after the world fell. Had he allowed the man to survive, it could have helped or hindered him down the line.

Joel deserves props for being open to not killing him. It's a shame that the man thought he was better off turning the gun on Joel because everyone who does that winds up dead.

Kathleen and Perry's deaths weren't shocking. It was apparent we were getting a two-episode payback plot here, and it wouldn't have made sense to have them pursuing Joel and Ellie out of Kansas City.

Based on what happened in the video games, Sam being bitten was a given, but it didn't make it any less harrowing.

Ellie sprang into action because every single person she's met, besides Joel, had died.

She knew something strange was going on with her body, so her theory that her blood would prevent Sam from turning was a decent way of thinking outside the box.

Although it didn't work, it probably gave Sam some solace in those final hours.

Henry's existence recently has been about his brother, and after shooting him when he turned, he couldn't compute how to continue in life without him, but it was startling when he turned the gun on himself.

Moments like these will stop Joel and Ellie from forming attachments to anyone they find on the road. Everyone has a shelf life, and in this story, everyone not named Joel or Ellie is fair game.

Ellie will be traumatized by the events because she formed a connection with Sam, even when it seemed like they wouldn't.

"Endure and Survive" was another great installment, but the series needs to find a way of not killing off every new supporting character within a handful of episodes.

I know that was how things mostly played out in the games, but the series has proven that subtle changes can enhance the source material.

What are your thoughts on all that death?

Did you expect to see a Bloater so soon?

Hit the comments.

The Last of Us continues Sundays at 9 p.m. on HBO and HBO Max.

Paul Dailly was an Associate Editor for TV Fanatic.Follow him on X.