However first, we’ve got to get to know Ellie on her personal phrases. This episode is an prolonged flashback to when Ellie was a scholar coaching to be a soldier underneath the Federal Catastrophe Response Company (FEDRA), the fascistic navy group that struggles to keep up order in main cities. No shock: She’s a child who usually will get into bother, and doesn’t readily hearken to authority figures. After a struggle with a bully, Ellie is scolded by a FEDRA officer who says she’s throwing away a possible way forward for changing into an officer. The officer tries to tempt Ellie by praising her: “There’s a frontrunner in you.”
By Ellie’s eyes, we get essentially the most in-depth have a look at the enigmatic and morally compromised FEDRA establishment. It makes a present of being benevolent, however in reality, it’s a corporation largely made up of self-serving opportunists.
Later, Ellie is again in her room, surrounded by issues that fascinate her: dinosaur stickers, comedian books about space-faring adventurers, a “Mortal Kombat II” poster, cassette tapes of music by A-ha and Etta James, and her knife. It’s a navy dormitory, full with a “lights out” mandate for bedtime, and she or he’s alone in a room made for 2. Somebody sneaks into Ellie’s room whereas she’s sleeping, and locations her hand over her mouth. Ellie understandably freaks out, kicks off the intruder and clicks open her knife.
It’s her greatest good friend, a lady named Riley, who’s been lacking for 3 weeks. Riley thought Ellie would recognize being sneaked up on: “In my thoughts, you really liked it,” Riley says.
Riley explains that she ran away to affix the Fireflies, the revolt group labeled terrorists by FEDRA. She invitations Ellie to hang around along with her for just a few hours so she will be able to clarify the whole lot — and guarantees to indicate Ellie “one of the best night time of [her] life.” Ellie has accomplished navy drills the place she’s been taught to kill Fireflies. Nonetheless, she finally goes with Riley.
Riley chides Ellie for combating along with her bully, advising her to choose her battles. Regardless of being referred to as a possible “chief” by that one FEDRA official, it’s attention-grabbing to see Ellie defer to Riley a lot in the identical manner as she defers to Joel. Ellie chafes at taking recommendation, however you may inform she’s internalizing what she hears from folks she both is dependent upon or admires. The 2 playfully discuss and wander by way of the quarantine zone (very long time no see, Boston). The lighting on this sequence seems like stage lighting, and the 2 are clearly operating throughout a staged rooftop. However this feels intentional; the colours pop and intensify the lighter temper.
The 2 discover a lifeless physique on the way in which to Riley’s massive shock, reminding the viewers that though this episode focuses on teen drama, it’s nonetheless set in a doomed world. They loot some booze off the physique earlier than a leap scare. Possibly a bit excessive off seeing a lifeless physique, Ellie asks Riley to carry her gun. All through this sequence, Ellie leans in each time violence occurs round her. She will be able to’t assist however be fascinated with demise and the issues that trigger it.
All through this entire journey to the mall, Ellie pokes and prods Riley over her supposed “betrayal” of FEDRA and defection to the Fireflies. Riley supplies in all probability essentially the most context of the present thus far on how the Fireflies are organized and recruited, and the way they do their enterprise. Each characters defend their “aspect,” and it’s shocking to see how a lot Ellie defends FEDRA.
They lastly arrive on the mall, and Riley lights up your complete facility with just a few switches. I’m unsure mall lights work fairly like that, however hey, I’m only a journalist. Right here, the episode bombards the viewer with trendy manufacturers like CVS, Panda Categorical, the ever-present Subway and even GameStop. Riley is right here to indicate Ellie a good time on the mall. Ellie delights in seeing an escalator for the primary time, and spends a minute or two charming the pants off Riley (and the viewers) by enjoying with the seemingly inconceivable physics of escalators.
Riley asks why anybody would ever want a bit of Victoria’s Secret lingerie. Ellie replying “Do you want me to elucidate it to you?” is one other one in all Bella Ramsey’s standout line deliveries. Her Ellie can really feel a bit too grown up, however a lot of this episode emphasizes her youth; she giggles by way of most of its run time. The 19-year-old Ramsey convincingly performs a lady who’s nonetheless coming of age.
Riley says she needs to indicate Ellie the “4 wonders of the mall.” The primary is a carousel with a “magic horse,” as Ellie calls it; she delights in one more piece of working equipment that causes issues to maneuver on their very own. Right here we get the primary hints of romance as the 2 experience their magic horses among the many lights. The cinematography is tight, as the 2 characters navigate their emotions. Ellie nonetheless can’t let go that Riley left her behind, and once more questions the Fireflies — virtually as if she feels jealous and jilted. Riley says she simply didn’t really feel appreciated with FEDRA.
The subsequent surprise is a fast cease at a mall picture sales space. The third is an arcade, or to Ellie, the “most stunning factor” she’s ever seen. Miraculously, the “Mortal Kombat II” machine nonetheless works. That is the HBO and Warner Bros. Discovery model universe at work; Warner additionally owns the Mortal Kombat franchise. Right here we see Riley play as Mileena and efficiently pull off her Fatality ending transfer (which in all probability counts as one more miracle). How the hell did a 17-year-old lady in a fungal post-apocalypse be taught this transfer? Did she discover a print technique information? GameFAQs.com, a sport trace web site, certainly doesn’t work on this world both. She even teaches Ellie find out how to pull off a ending transfer for one more character, Baraka.
It’s right here that the viewers realizes there are zombie issues afoot on the mall, as one wakes up close by. Riley takes Ellie to a room she’s was a hideout to supply a present (the pun ebook that Ellie obsesses over all through the present) and Ellie discovers Riley’s been making bombs for the Fireflies. Ellie is upset at this: These bombs might’ve been used to kill her. Ellie storms off, as Riley struggles to elucidate herself. She lastly admits the reality: She introduced Ellie to the mall to spend one final night time along with her. The Fireflies have assigned her to a submit in Atlanta, and Marlene (the Boston Firefly chief from the primary episode) has refused to let Riley take Ellie along with her.
Ellie intends to go away Riley, however turns again to search out Riley at a Halloween store. She needs the pun ebook Riley was about to offer her as a present. The 2 make up, and Ellie appears to just accept Riley’s choice. In an effort to avoid wasting the night time, Riley pops a tape into the shop’s speaker system and the 2 dance. Ellie stops her awkward dancing to beg Riley to remain. Riley accepts. Ellie swoops in for a kiss, and we lastly get affirmation that Riley was greater than only a “greatest good friend” to her. Ellie beloved Riley.
That is “The Final of Us,” although, and no tender second lasts: The aforementioned zombie crashes the occasion. After a wrestle, Ellie is ready to kill it. Trembling and wide-eyed, Ellie is thrilled at her kill — earlier than she realizes she and Riley have been each bit. Ramsey’s scream right here is startling and unhappy. Ellie smashes up the shop in frustration as Riley sinks to the ground in disbelief. There are simply two choices left for the duo, Riley says: take the “straightforward manner out” or “be all poetic and lose our minds collectively.” Riley says they need to commit to maintain going, regardless of how lengthy it takes. Though we don’t see it, we all know because the viewers that Ellie needed to kill Riley earlier than realizing her personal immunity.
We in the reduction of to the current. Ellie doesn’t depart Joel. As a substitute, she frantically searches the home they’re hiding out at for something that might save him. She finds a needle and thread, and sews up Joel’s wound earlier than we lower to black. Ellie isn’t going to go away Joel behind.
Some notes and observations:
- This complete episode is a retelling of a chapter that wasn’t within the unique launch; it was launched later, as downloadable content material. It’s an essential one because it confirms Ellie as homosexual, and lays out her foundational trauma, very like the present did with the demise of Joel’s daughter. That is in all probability additionally the episode that the majority mimics the online game model, because the “Left Behind” gameplay consisted largely of strolling and speaking. It’s a method of gameplay generally known as a “status tour,” popularized by developer Naughty Canine of their efforts to inform online game tales past violence.
- The arcade sport sequence underscores an enormous distinction in how efficient online game storytelling might be. Within the present, the machine simply works and the 2 women truly play the sport. Within the online game, the arcade machines are busted, and as a substitute Riley asks Ellie to think about the online game in her head. The sport tries to re-create this expertise for the participant with button prompts whereas the digicam is zoomed in on Ellie’s face, as she reacts to her digital desires. This was a stunning, heartwarming sequence that lifted up Ellie’s head area as the middle of this universe. Sadly, it couldn’t be re-created for the present.
