Warning! This article contains spoilers for The Last of Us episode 7 and both original games.The Last of Us episode 7 tells an important story, including a plethora of Easter eggs and hidden details for viewers to pick out. By focusing on Ellie and Riley's backstory, The Last of Us episode 7 contains many references to the original game's DLC featuring the same story. Similarly, The Last of Us episode 7 has many Easter eggs that provide subtle context to the characters and stories showcased thus far in HBO's show.
As co-creators Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann are very familiar with the original games - especially Druckmann given he was the creator of both - The Last of Us on HBO is very faithful to the source material. While some changes have been made to the original game to add depth and improve on some aspects of it, The Last of Us on HBO has proven its fidelity to the original. This has often shone through in The Last of Us' many Easter eggs, references, and hidden details, that only continue throughout The Last of Us episode 7.
10 Ellie’s Hiding Spot For Joel Is Identical To The Last Of Us Game
The first notable Easter egg to the original The Last of Us game is found in the opening sequence of The Last of Us episode 7. The episode - before focusing on Ellie and Riley's backstory - leads on from The Last of Us episode 6's ending with Ellie trying to get Joel to safety after the latter's injury. This leads Ellie to drag Joel into the basement of an abandoned suburban house. This house, and the basement of it, is almost identical to the spot from the original game down to the blow-up mattress Joel is laid on.
9 Ellie’s Room Hints At An Iconic Last Of Us Part II Scene
Another hidden detail in The Last of Us episode 7 comes from Ellie's room in the FEDRA military school. On Ellie's walls there are numerous hangings and posters, a lot of which link to the campfire scene from The Last of Us episode 6 and The Last of Us Part II. Two common themes of the posters in Ellie's room are space and dinosaurs. In The Last of Us episode 6, Ellie mentions her love of space. This, and the posters, tie to an iconic Last of Us Part II scene in which Joel and Ellie visit a museum filled with dinosaur memorabilia and a space section for Ellie's birthday.
8 Ellie’s Room Has Two Other Game Easter Eggs
Outside of the references to space and dinosaurs, Ellie's room in The Last of Us episode 7 contains two other Last of Us game Easter eggs. One is in the form of the pun book on her desk, which is the preceding book to the one Riley gives Ellie that was featured in The Last of Us episodes 4 and 5. Another is the comic Ellie is reading - Savage Starlight - which Ellie and Sam were shown to bond over in The Last of Us episode 5, aptly named "Endure and Survive" after the comic character's motto.
7 The Last Of Us Episode 7's A-ha Easter Eggs Foreshadow Season 2
Two Easter eggs from The Last of Us episode 7 foreshadow season 2 through the 80s band A-ha. "Take On Me" by the band is a prominent song from The Last of Us Part II that serves as a connection between Ellie, Joel, and her love interests. This is referenced in The Last of Us episode 7 as Ellie has an A-ha cassette tape in her room. Also, "Take On Me" plays when Ellie and Riley have fun in the mall, subtly linking the song to Ellie's love interest before season 2 will do the same through Dina.
6 The Last Of Us Episode 7’s Mortal Kombat II Easter Eggs Link To Episode 2
The Last of Us episode 7 features multiple references to Mortal Kombat II which links to Last of Us episode 2 and Ellie fangirling over the arcade machine. On Ellie's wall, one of the posters is of Mortal Kombat II. Later in the episode, Riley powers up the arcade in the mall for Ellie and the two play many games of Mortal Kombat II. The finishing move Ellie mentions in The Last of Us episode 2 from Melina is also shown playing out on the machine in Last of Us episode 7.
5 Riley’s Introduction To Last Of Us Episode 7 Is The Same As The Game
When Riley is introduced in HBO's The Last of Us episode 7, she scares Ellie by pinning her hand over Ellie's mouth while the latter sleeps. Ellie pushes Riley onto the floor in a scene that references the same scene in The Last of Us game. In the game, Riley pretends to be an infected that is biting Ellie in her sleep, which causes Ellie to retaliate as Riley falls to the floor.
4 The Last Of Us Episode 7 References An Iconic Gameplay Element
A common feature of both The Last of Us games sees the player having to bang the controller against their hand to reignite their flashlight. In The Last of Us episode 7, Ellie's flashlight stops working when traveling through the mall. Ellie then bangs the flashlight against her hand to get it to work again, in a neat and subtle reference to a gameplay element only fans of The Last of Us and Part II will notice.
3 Last Of Us Episode 7’s Mall Has A “Dawn Of The Wolf” Poster
One Easter egg to the original game comes in the form of the theater in the mall Ellie and Riley explore in The Last of Us episode 7. The theater reads that a movie called "Dawn of the Wolf Part II" is coming soon, with a poster of the film outside. The poster is identical to a billboard and a poster in Sarah's bedroom that can be found in the original game.
2 Ellie & Riley’s Photo Booth Poses Are The Same As The Last Of Us Game
Another reference to the original The Last of Us comes through Ellie and Riley's photo booth pictures. Most of the images are the same, with the most recognizable being the "scary" poses the girls do. This references the scene from the game, and also the poster for the DLC which features one of the photo booth images Ellie and Riley took.
1 Riley’s Tragic Line In Last Of Us Episode 7 Is Taken From The Game
The final reference to the game found in The Last of Us episode 7 comes from Riley's tragic last line. After both Riley and Ellie are infected, Riley says the girls have two choices. The dia HBO's show is word-for-word like the original game, in which Riley says they can either shoot themselves or they can "be all poetic and just lose our minds together". Of course, the heartbreaking reality is that Ellie will not turn in The Last of Us and Riley will, kickstarting the events of the series premiere.
New episodes of The Last of Us release every Sunday on HBO.