Kathleen, who first appeared in The Last of Us episode 4, is a supporting character created specifically for the series adaptation. Who is she and what is her role? Let’s find out.
Who is Kathleen in The Last of Us Episode 4 ?
Kathleen, portrayed by Lynskey, is the leader of the group that is heavily influenced by the Hunters. Inferred from an interrogation scene in the middle of the episode, viewers surmise that Kathleen’s doctor once told FEDRA soldiers about their neighbors in exchange for perks like protection.
Kathleen states that Henry was one of the informants who provided FEDRA with information about her brother, who was beaten to death in a prison cell. Now that she is in charge, Kathleen is determined to track down Henry. Notably, Jeffrey Pierce, who provided the voice for Tommy in the video games, now appears in the series as Perry, Kathleen’s rifle-wielding right hand.
The change morally complicates the story. Instead of clearly vicious villains like the Hunters attacking Joel and Ellie, we have a group on the verge of becoming the fascist regime they just toppled.
“[Mazin] said to me, ‘I hope you’re not offended, but I would love for you to play a war criminal,'” Lynskey recalls. “I said, ‘Ugh, I don’t know.’ He was like, ‘I felt like that would be your reaction. Let me tell you a bit more.'”
Kathleen’s brother is “basically Jesus,” says Lynskey. “Imagine growing up as the sibling of Jesus and being like, ‘My brother’s the greatest human being. He’s leading the world. He’s the kindest, most decent person. I don’t think I’m that great of a person. I don’t really need to be anything in particular because I have this person by my side.’ And then somebody brutally kills him and it’s so unfair. Who are you after that?”
Kathleen piqued Lynskey’s interest because, once she takes on a leadership role she didn’t want for herself, she discovers that she doesn’t feel guilty about the bad things she does. “She found out that she was quite heartless and so she was able to be pretty effective in a way that maybe wasn’t because she didn’t care about people,” the actress says. “That’s a very interesting dynamic.”
Next Sunday’s episode 5 of The Last of Us, airing on HBO and HBO Max, will feature more information about Kathleen.
