The Last of Us – “Left Behind” Review
The Last of Us, “Left Behind” aired on February 26th on HBO. Based on the 2013 video game developed by Naughty Dog, the series follows Joel (Pedro Pascal), a smuggler tasked with escorting the teenage Ellie (Bella Ramsey) across the post-apocalyptic United States. In “Left Behind”, as Joel fights to survive, Ellie looks back on the night that changed everything. Below you will find our review of The Last of Us, “Left Behind”.
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Warning: This article contains spoilers from The Last of Us “Left Behind”. Read at your own risk!
Following up on last week’s episode after Joel fell off the horse, injured by a stab wound. Ellie manages to get him into an abandoned house. Joel also urges Ellie to leave him. She remembers her time in a FEDRA military school. As a result of getting into trouble and fighting with another student, she is brought into the Captain’s office, where she is given the choice of which path to follow. While sleeping in her dorm, Riley Abel (Storm Reid) sneaks into her room. After being missing for three weeks, Riley revealed that she ran away and joined the Fireflies.
Riley took Ellie to an old, abandoned mall, and as they traveled, Riley chatted with Ellie about how she was recruited and the differences between FEDRA and the Fireflies. About the lies, FEDRA tells its citizens. Riley restores the power inside the mall, turning on all the lights. The girls explore the mall, and Riley surprises Ellie with a working carousel.
“I mean, I’m on a magic horse with, like, a million lights.” – Ellie (Bella Ramsey)
The girls had found a photo booth and an arcade. While the girls are playing arcade games, not knowing there was an infected in the mall who could hear them as he wakes up from hibernation. Riley gives Ellie the ‘No Puns Intended Vol 2’ Book. Ellie finds an explosive device and realizes that the Fireflies have stationed Riley in the mall. While Ellie is upset, Riley reveals that she tried to get Ellie recruited but was denied and that she is being sent to Atlanta in the morning. Riley wanted to see Ellie one last time before she left and wanted to say goodbye.
Ellie was able to convince Riley to stay with her before they shared a kiss. The girl’s moment is cut short when the infected enter the store, chasing them. They are fighting for their lives before Ellie kills it. As a result of the struggle, Ellie and Riley were both bitten. With tears in their eyes, the girls decided to wait until the infection took over. In the present, Ellie found a thread and needle and stitched Joel’s wound.
My Overall Thoughts
I love how we got to see a bit of Ellie’s life before ending up with the Fireflies. But we got to see the events leading up to the moment she discovers that she is immune to the fungus bite. Getting the chance to see Ellie act like a teenager was refreshing as she’s been under the stress of the apocalypse and stuck with adults the majority of the time. I will never take an escalator for granted after seeing the joy and wonder on Ellie’s face when finally experiencing one for the first time. In this episode, we got to see why the ‘No Puns Intended Vol. 2’ Book was so important to Ellie. We got to see a different side of Ellie in this episode, more of her back story. This is another episode that did not disappoint.
When you’re lost in the darkness, look for the light.
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