Warning! This article contains spoilers for The Last of Us episode 7 and the original game.The Last of Us episode 7 features the story of Ellie and Riley, which ends in a predictably tragic place for HBO's show. While the opening sequence of The Last of Us episode 7 centers on Ellie attempting to get Joel to safety, it quickly switches focus to Ellie's experiences with Riley in the Boston QZ. The episode takes place primarily in this setting, around three weeks before the events of The Last of Us episode 1.
In doing so, the episode jumps between Ellie and Riley's journey and Ellie's attempts to save Joel's life in the future. Due to the intense cliffhanger ending of The Last of Us episode 6, the decision to focus on Ellie's backstory may come as a shock. That being said, The Last of Us episode 7 continues in its predecessors' footsteps by being expertly written, performed, and directed in a mostly self-contained story with yet another tragic ending.
What Happened To Riley At The End Of Last Of Us Episode 7?
With much of The Last of Us episode 7 focusing on Riley and her bond with Ellie, it may come as a surprise when the ending does not properly divulge what happened to her. The last that is seen of Ellie and Riley in The Last of Us episode 7 comes after they are both bitten by an infected host, and decide to sit together and wait for the Cordyceps infection to take hold of them. As is known from The episode 1, Ellie ends up in the hands of Marlene and the Fireflies, but it's unclear what happens to Riley.
The obvious answer is that Riley turned into an infected monster after The Last of Us episode 7's ending, yet the subtle hints of Ellie's role in this sprinkled throughout the show are truly heartbreaking. In The Last of Us episode 4, Ellie states that shooting the Hunter was not the first time she has hurt someone before deflecting Joel's questions about this. It can be inferred that Ellie was talking about Riley, with Ellie likely being forced to shoot Riley after the latter turned, and the former discovered her The Last of Us immunity.
How Did Ellie End Up With Marlene In Last Of Us Episode 1?
Another lingering question from The Last of Us episode 7's ending surrounds how Ellie ends up with the Fireflies for the events of The Last of Us episode 1. As evident from the latter, Marlene knew Ellie in The Last of Us due to the Firefly's connection to Anna, Ellie's mother. However, this does not explain how Marlene found Ellie, which is subtly answered in The Last of Us episode 7. In that episode, it is revealed that Riley ed the Fireflies and was stationed in the mall to guard some Firefly supplies.
It is likely that the Fireflies, including Marlene, eventually traveled to the mall to either retrieve their supplies or check in with Riley after not hearing from her. This is where Marlene found Ellie alive, despite being bitten. This tracks with Marlene and Ellie's dia The Last of Us episode 1, in which Marlene reminds Ellie that she told the Fireflies not to shoot her after seeing her bite. This then leads directly into The Last of Us episode 1, kick-starting the events of the series.
Does Ellie Save Joel’s Life In Last Of Us Episode 7?
Episode 7 also focuses on Joel's injury in The Last of Us episode 6, and Ellie's attempts to save his life. Despite the bulk of the episode centering on Riley and Ellie, the very ending scene sees the latter beginning to stitch together Joel's stab wound. This sets up The Last of Us episode 8, in which Joel's wound becomes infected. Ellie will then come across David to acquire antibiotics and eventually save Joel's life. That being said, the sewing of the wound during The Last of Us episode 7 certainly goes a long way to reducing Joel's blood loss and helping the tissue heal to lead into episode 8.
The Last Of Us Episode 7 Flips Joel & Ellie's Story
One aspect of The Last of Us episode 7 which is very interesting is the way the show flips Joel and Ellie's story from episode 6. The entirety of The Last of Us episode 6 showcased Joel's growing fear over his connection to Ellie, and how his drive to save her due to his prior losses stems from this. The Last of Us episode 7 though, flips this by focusing on Ellie's drive to save Joel because of the pain she felt losing Riley. This is a beautiful way of showing how each character feels about the other while making both infinitely more sympathetic in the process.
What Happens Next To Ellie & Joel
With The Last of Us episode 7 ending with Ellie stitching Joel's wound, the looming question is what happens next to the characters. As mentioned, Ellie will eventually venture out into the cold in order to find food for her and Joel. If HBO's show continues following game as closely as it has thus far, The Last of Us episode 8 will see Ellie encounter David. David is the leader of a community who offers to trade Ellie some antibiotics for Joel's infected wound for a deer she catches.
However, it is also revealed that the men who attacked Joel and Ellie in The Last of Us episode 6's ending were of David's community. As a result, David takes Ellie only in an attempt to convince her to his group while sending men to kill Joel who did the same to his men. This leads to the climactic confrontation that is sure to be shown in The Last of Us episode 8 between Joel, Ellie, and David which will change the main characters' dynamic forever.
Why Riley & Ellie’s Story Is Important To The Last Of Us
With the Riley hints from The Last of Us' thus far finally being paid off, the question of why this story was worth telling within the show remains. The importance links to Ellie's character arc, especially going into the finale of The Last of Us and season 2. The crux of Ellie's character arc across the series centers on her immunity and how that regularly contributes to her survivor's guilt. This guilt also causes Ellie's main fear, her fear of being alone which she described to Sam and also Joel in The Last of Us episode 6.
Both of these things - her survivor's guilt and fear - come from her experiences with Riley. Riley was Ellie's first love, and tragically the first person to die from infection after Ellie discovered her immunity. This factors into the future of The Last of Us, both explaining why she is now so connected to Joel and does not want him to leave her, and why she is so committed to fulfilling the Fireflies' dream of synthesizing a cure. All of this will come into play in a big way in The Last of Us' final two episodes, and even into season 2.
New episodes of The Last of Us release every Sunday on HBO.