Warning! This article contains spoilers for The Last of Us episode 7, The Last of Us Part I, and The Last of Us Part II.The Last of Us episode 7 tells the story of Riley and her history with Ellie, which is crucial to Ellie's character, the remainder of season 1, and the events of The Last of Us season 2. The episode begins with Ellie attempting to save Joel's life after the latter was stabbed in The Last of Us episode 6. After Joel tells Ellie to leave him behind, Ellie flashes back to the time she spent with Riley around three weeks before The Last of Us episode 1 took place.
This story is based on the DLC for the original The game, entitled Left Behind which aptly lends itself to episode 7's title. It surrounds Ellie who is alone in a FEDRA school after Riley, her best friend, ran away to the Fireflies. However, Riley returns for one final night with Ellie before leaving Boston, in which the two experience a journey that will be vital to Ellie's character arc and season 2 of HBO's The Last of Us.
Riley’s Story In Last Of Us Episode 7 Establishes Ellie’s Biggest Fears
The core reason Riley is so important to The Last of Us is her impact on Ellie. Throughout The Last of Us thus far, Ellie's survivor's guilt has been shown due to her immunity, and how everyone around her dies from infection be it Riley, Tess, or Sam. This survivor's guilt also plays into Ellie's greatest fear of ending up alone which she established with Sam in episode 5 and Joel in The Last of Us episode 6. Riley's story is instrumental in establishing these issues, both Ellie's survivor's guilt and her biggest fear.
As shown in The Last of Us episode 7, Riley was Ellie's best friend and first love. This paves the way for the heartbreaking ending of the episode when both are infected, which means Ellie finds out she is immune after watching Riley succumb to the Cordyceps infection. This kickstarts her survivor's guilt which is only worsened by Tess and Sam. Also, having to watch Riley, Tess, and Sam die - as well as her orphaned upbringing - contributes greatly to Ellie's fear of being alone, something showcased in The Last of Us episode 7 through her desperation to save Joel.
Ellie’s Issues Will Play A Big Part In The Last Of Us Season 2
Warning! The following section contains major spoilers for both The Last of Us Part I and The Last of Us Part II.With Riley's story - and her tragic fate - being the catalyst for Ellie's biggest issues, the importance of "Left Behind" will be showcased properly in The Last of Us season 2. Much of The Last of Us Part II - on which season 2 will be based - centers on Ellie's complicated relationship with Joel. After saving her from the Fireflies at the cost of a cure at the end of the first game, Ellie begins to resent Joel due to her survivor's guilt. The cure not being made, and having to watch everyone she has loved die from infection, makes Ellie's life feel meaningless to her due to Joel's choice.
Furthermore, Ellie's revenge story in The Last of Us Part II over Joel's murder will tie into Ellie's fear of being left alone. The revenge story, and the dark deeds Ellie will commit towards achieving her vengeance, causes her greatest fear to eventually become a reality. Not only does Joel leave her through Last of Us Part II, but her commitment to revenge causes her other loved ones to leave her too. All of this just goes to show how vital Riley's story is to Ellie's character, and therefore the harrowing future of The Last of Us.
New episodes of The Last of Us release every Sunday on HBO.