You did it again, The Last of Us. You introduced another queer love story, continuing its trend of being the gayest and best thing on TV right now, then took a big ol' bite out of hearts — and we may never recover, even though we loved it.
Spoilers for The Last of Us episode 7 “Left Behind” follow.
Last night’s episode of TLOU picked up in the aftermath of Joel’s (Pedro Pascal) seemingly fatal stabbing, with Ellie frantically looking for some way to save her protector and proxy father. The experience and the impending monumental loss led her to think back on the beautiful and painful events of a previous one. Or as fans of the game know it, the original video game's stellar add-on content called Left Behind.
In a flashback, we meet Ellie as we haven't ever seen her before, in a time when she is training with FEDRA, unaware of her immunity, and mourning the mysterious absence of her friend (and crush) Riley (Storm Reid). However, in the middle of the night, Riley makes a surprise return and the two head for an adventure at the local mall. It’s both the sweetest date and Riley’s attempt to say goodbye, as she has joined the ranks of the rebel Fireflies.
The two giggle, stare longingly at one another, play video games in an arcade, and eventually, tearfully, kiss. Upon realizing they both share those feelings, for one achingly brief moment they agree to stay together before an infected zombie crashes the party and changes everything. Both girls end up bitten and choose to spend the little time they have together. Unbeknownst to them both, this is just the beginning of a new world for Ellie.
Courtesy of HBO
Last of Us, why you gotta do us like this? Once again, the series delivered an emotionally wrenching and rewarding episode, enriching the character of Ellie, whose performance by Bella Ramsey is truly something to behold, and whose chemistry with Reid’s Riley perfectly encapsulates the anxiety and joy of first queer love.
No surprise, the episode left Twitter absolutely in shambles.
