We’re in the endgame now as we have only 2 episodes left in The Last of Us HBO series. The last episode “Left Behind” was a faithful adaptation of the DLC (Downloadable Content) of the same name. The episode is essentially a flashback to Ellie’s time in the Boston QZ as we finally get to see what went down with her friend Riley and how Ellie got “infected”.
The episode is a crucial plot point that fills in some of the gaps and provides an in-depth look at Ellie’s past. In the meantime, in the present day, Joel struggles to stay alive as Ellie tries relentlessly to nurse his wound. The episode was a slow burn, by all means, but it will go down as one of the series’ stronger episodes, given the incredible writing. direction, and world-building.
Here, we take a look at some of the most significant moments from “Left Behind” and provide some meaningful context to them.
See More: The Last of Us showrunners on how Ellie got her eyebrow scar
FEDRA – A necessary evil?
Throughout the series, we have come to learn that FEDRA is a fascist regime that is responsible for atrocities in the QZ. We have seen them in action and seen the consequences of their brutality in places like the Kansas QZ. However, in this episode, we were introduced to Cpt Kwong, a FEDRA officer whose heart might actually be in the right place.
The episode kicks off right on the heels of the last episode,”Kin” as we see Joel wounded and Ellie frantically trying to mend him.
In the starting moments of the episode, we see Ellie get into a scrap with a fellow student in FEDRA’s military school. She is then sent to Cpt Kwong’s office, which seems to be in charge there. This was a closer look at FEDRA than we have seen before, and provides insight as to how the Boston QZ branch functions.
In a rather interesting exchange, it is purported that despite FEDRA not being all that well-liked, they are the ones “holding it all together”. It is here that we see Ellie is intrigued by the idea of becoming a FEDRA officer.
Riley’s mall of wonders
At Riley’s behest, Ellie sneaks out of the school and joins Riley for a night out in the QZ. Riley then takes Ellie to an abandoned mall devoid of any FEDRA attention. She fires up the electricity to reveal a wondrous sight for Ellie. It then appears that Riley has had this night planned out for Ellie as she shows her around the “4 wonders of the mall”, including a Mortal Kombat II arcade cabinet.
What follows is an incredibly heartfelt few minutes as Ellie experiences some of the joys of being a regular teenager. It is then revealed that Riley has been posted at the mall where she is responsible for making pipe bombs. This angers Ellie and she storms out of the mall.
“Option 3”
As Ellie comes back to the mall, she pleads with Riley to not go, and she eventually agrees. This incredibly emotional moment is then broken up by a stray infected that attacks the pair. The pair get into a scuffle but Ellie manages to stab the infected.
Her celebration is grimly cut short as she realizes that she has been bitten. Riley then reveals her bite mark. This hits Ellie incredibly hard as we can see she had just found a new purpose to continue living on. The pair finally sit down and consider their options with the first one being that they take the easy route and shoot themselves. The pair then consider the option of simply letting go and losing their minds together.
It is not exactly revealed what happens afterwards but we can guess that Ellie likely had to shoot Riley as she turned. There is also the possibility that Marlene and the Fireflies arrive at the location to then take care of Riley. The former is more likely as she explained to Joel that her shooting the guy in Kansas wasn’t the first person she had shot.
Read Next: Best Bella Ramsey TV shows: From Game of Thrones to The Last of Us
