Photo: HBO/ The Last of Us
In "The Last of Us" episode 7, titled "Left Behind," Joel is in critical condition after being stabbed, and Ellie is left to consider leaving him and heading north to find Tommy. The episode also includes a flashback to Ellie's life as a FEDRA soldier in training, where she is given the choice to become a grunt or an officer. Ellie's best friend, Riley, who has joined the Fireflies, offers Ellie the chance to have the "best night of her life." They explore an abandoned shopping mall and contemplate the idea of joining the Fireflies.
The episode opens with Joel in critical condition, and Ellie finds a suburban home for them to hide out in. Joel tells Ellie to leave him and search for Tommy. The episode then flashes back to Ellie's life in the Boston QZ as a FEDRA soldier in training. After punching a bully, Ellie is given the choice to become a grunt or an officer. Ellie chooses the latter, which returns her to a room filled with her possessions, including a stack of comics, cassette tapes, and posters.
Ellie's best friend, Riley, returns after being gone for three weeks, revealing she has joined the Fireflies. She offers Ellie the chance to have the "best night of her life," and they explore an abandoned shopping mall. The mall is filled with frivolous items, and Ellie fixes her hair in the window of Victoria's Secret. The episode ends with the two contemplating the idea of joining the Fireflies.
The tension between chaos and FEDRA's fascism is at the heart of the episode. The Fireflies' cause is morally just, but the methods used to fight for it are reprehensible. Ellie's choice to become an officer is a means to an end, and her fascination with the abandoned shopping mall and Victoria's Secret windows is a reminder of the lost innocence of childhood.
Episode 7 of "The Last of Us" provides insight into Ellie's past and her relationship with Joel. The tension between chaos and fascism is at the heart of the episode, and the exploration of the abandoned shopping mall is a reminder of lost innocence. The episode sets the stage for the season's conclusion and leaves viewers wondering about Ellie's ultimate fate.