Episode 5 opens with Kathleen’s brutal takeover of Kansas. People riot on the streets, attacking soldiers and smashing windows. FEDRA soldiers are beaten and hung. In the present, Henry and his young brother hide from Kathleen’s patrols. Sam is terrified by a truck dragging a corpse – but he still wants to help. Henry signs for him to stay put, revealing that Sam’s deaf, and they escape when the coast is clear.
Meanwhile Kathleen interrogates a group of caged prisoners, cursing everyone who snitched to FEDRA. She offers a fair trial to anyone who informs on Henry. Only when Kathleen orders the guards to kill them all does someone crack: Henry is still in Kansas. Kathleen orders her men to hunt Henry down and has the prisoners killed.
Henry and Sam explore an abandoned building and meet with Edelstein, who shows them an attic hideout. They have enough food for eleven days. Henry admits to Edelstein that he feels guilty about all Sam has seen. And Edelstein offers advice, telling Henry that Sam is only scared because he sees his big brother’s fear. Henry promises Sam they’re safe and gives him a bag of crayons to decorate.
Ten days later the walls are covered in Super Sam drawings. Henry watches the trucks patrolling outside. They’re down to one can of food, and Sam is hungry. Edelstein still hasn’t come back.
Henry reveals that he’s learned the patrol patterns and is sure they can escape on foot. Sam grieves the doctor, and Henry holds him tight. He paints a superhero mask on Sam before they go.
Henry stops when he hears gunfire, and climbs up to look out the window. He sees Joel shooting at Kathleen’s militia. Later that day Henry and Sam enter the same apartment block Joel and Ellie found. Sam steps on the glass trap Joel set out, only realizing he made a noise because of Henry’s reaction.
Joel wakes to find Henry and Sam holding him and Ellie at gunpoint. Henry claims he wants to help them, not kill them. Admitting he’s never done this before, Henry gets Joel to promise not to hurt him or Sam if he puts the gun down. Joel being Joel, he still sounds threatening. Ellie reassures Henry that Joel is safe – he just sounds like an asshole.
Joel is surprised when Henry signs to Sam, and asks who they are. Henry confesses he’s the most wanted man in Kansas, guessing Joel is a close second. And like that an alliance is formed. They share out Bill’s food, and Sam thanks Joel. Ellie swaps introductions with Henry and Sam, nudging Joel to do the same. And Joel initially wants to split up. But Henry has information: he knows a way out of the city.
In the morning Henry fills Joel in on FEDRA’s twenty-year reign of terror. Joel is wary, saying he doesn’t work with rats. But Henry is persuasive. He reveals that pointing an empty gun the night before is the closest he’s come to killing, convincing Joel to clear a path if he shows the way.
Their conversation is interrupted by Ellie and Sam laughing at the joke book. It’s music to Henry’s ears. Uncomfortable with the dad vibes, Joel changes the subject to their escape. Together they make a plan to travel through maintenance tunnels and across the river. There’s just one catch: FEDRA drove the infected underground. Henry is convinced the tunnel is clean, but Joel has his doubts.
They dash through the bank and down into the tunnels. It’s dark and damp, but also deserted. Still Joel doesn’t share Henry’s hope. Henry tells Ellie that her dad is a pessimist – both she and Joel are quick to correct him.
Deep in the tunnels, the walls are covered in children’s drawings. They find art supplies, kids’ books, and loads of toys. Ellie and Sam play together, delighted when they find Savage Starlight comics.
Joel admits he was out of line judging Henry when he has Sam to protect. And Henry admits he killed someone before, selling out Kathleen’s brother to FEDRA in exchange for medicine to save Sam from leukaemia. Joel is understanding, and Henry says he’s sure that Joel was someone’s father even if he’s not Ellie’s. And Joel moves them on.
Perry finds Kathleen in her childhood home. She warns him not to try and talk her out of revenge, admitting her brother asked her to forgive Michael. Though Kathleen knows he would be horrified by her cruelty, she’s determined to go on. Perry pledges his full support.
Out on the street, Henry is thrilled his plan worked. Joel insists they stay cautious and keep their flashlights off. Ellie invites Henry and Sam to Wyoming, reasoning that she can wear Joel down.
Gunshots interrupt the cozy scene. Joel pushes everyone into cover. He tells Ellie to stay with the others while he deals with the sniper. Ellie panics, settling only when Joel asks for her trust.
Using cars for cover, Joel makes it to the sniper’s house. He finds an old man on the top floor and implores him to hand over the gun and stay in the room. The old man takes aim. But Joel is faster. He shoots the sniper and claims the rifle.
Kathleen radios the sniper, revealing her patrol is nearby. Her drivers spot Ellie, Henry, and Sam – who run for their lives. The truck smashes through cars. Ellie shoots until her gun is empty. As she stumbles, Joel takes aim. It’s an instant kill. The truck crashes into a nearby house. But Kathleen’s convoy has caught up.
Ellie runs from the exploding truck, Henry pulling her to safety. And Kathleen taunts him as she leads her militia closer, questioning whether Sam’s life was worth all the death Henry has caused. Joel listens from the house, pinned in cover by Kathleen’s team.
Henry tells Ellie to take Sam and run, getting up to face Kathleen. As she takes aim a sinkhole opens. The truck falls in. And the infected pour out.
Kathleen’s team are swamped by the hoard. Henry escapes in the gunfire and chaos, returning to Sam. Joel blasts a path for Ellie, who climbs into an old car to hide. Kathleen and Perry run as a roar sounds from the sinkhole’s depths.
A bloater emerges, huge and powerful, the fungus covering it like armour. It tears men apart. Perry’s gunfire only makes it angry. He tells Kathleen to run and not look back. She escapes as the bloater rips Perry’s head off.
A child clicker finds Ellie in the car. Visibly triggered, Joel misses shot after shot. Ellie escapes as the clicker leaps across seats, running to Henry and Sam. But she’s not the only one to find their hiding spot. Ellie stabs one clicker and Joel shoots the other. The three of them sprint past warring humans and infected.
Kathleen stops them, holding Henry at gunpoint. It’s a fatal mistake. The little clicker pounces, devouring Kathleen as she screams. Joel leads the others to safety while the infected destroy Kathleen’s crew.
Later, in a quiet motel, Joel and Henry watch the kids reading Savage Starlight. He invites Henry and Sam to Wyoming, and Henry agrees, glad his brother has a friend.
Sam writes Ellie a note asking if she’s scared, because she never looks afraid. Ellie admits she’s terrified of ending up alone. And Sam confesses a fear of his own: infection. He lifts up his trouser leg to display a bite riddled with fungus.
Ellie shows her own bite, revealing that her blood holds the cure. She cuts her palm and smears blood over Sam’s wound. Sam asks Ellie to stay awake with him, and they hug.
Despite her best intentions Ellie falls asleep. She checks on Sam the moment she wakes. And he lunges, attacking her. Ellie’s screams wake Joel. He reaches for his gun, but Henry gets there first. He picks up the weapon while Ellie begs Joel for help. And Henry shoots Sam.
Joel goes to check on a tearful Ellie, but Henry holds him at gunpoint. Unable to live with the guilt, Henry shoots himself while a horrified Ellie watches. She and Joel bury Henry and Sam in silence. Ellie leaves Sam’s notepad as a marker, writing “I’m sorry”, and leads the way on.
