The Final of Us episode 7 landed on HBO and HBO Max on Sunday, following Ellie and Joel (Bella Ramsey and Pedro Pascal) after a nasty encounter with a marauder left Joel stabbed and close to demise.

It interrupted their quest to convey Ellie to the insurgent group often known as the Fireflies. They’re hoping to doubtlessly restore society by replicating her immunity to the fungal an infection that is turned a lot of the world into lethal monsters.

Earlier than that, Ellie’s gotta cease Joel from bleeding to demise. The scenario reminds her of a darkish second from her previous, one which sticks carefully to a memorable a part of the sport. Let’s soar into SPOILERS for HBO’s adaptation of the Sony PlayStation sport.

Strained friendship

A lot of the episode takes place within the time earlier than Ellie and Joel met, when she was residing (and never getting alongside) with different children within the custody of FEDRA, the Federal Catastrophe Response Company, which runs quarantine zones with the remnants of the US army.

After she will get in a tussle with one among her friends, a FEDRA officer presents her with various visions of her future within the zone: Proceed messing about, find yourself a grunt with crappy duties, and certain die in some random accident. Or… present slightly self-discipline, grow to be an officer, and reside a reasonably comfy life. She opts for the latter, however she does not appear wild about it.

After she stays up late studying a difficulty of Savage Starlight (a fictional comedian guide sequence you can acquire within the sport), her sleep is interrupted by runaway finest buddy Riley (Storm Reid). Seems Riley deserted FEDRA take care of the opposing Fireflies, however she is not visiting to recruit Ellie. 

“Include me for a number of hours and have the perfect night time of your life,” she orders her pal.

Hell sure.

’80s model enjoyable

After transient stops to take a look at a lifeless man, knock again slightly of the pre-apocalypse alcohol he left behind, and admire Riley’s sidearm (highlighting Ellie’s fascination with journey and demise), the pair head to — the place else? — the mall.

It seems FEDRA unknowingly restored energy to the mall, giving Ellie an opportunity to get a style of old-school consumerism. And run on an escalator to the tune of Norwegian synth-pop band A-ha’s ’80s traditional Take On Me. (Ellie has a duplicate of the group’s biggest hits in her quarters.) This tune makes a memorable look within the second sport. Its iconic music video additionally reveals a lady taking a comic book guide character’s hand and getting pulled into an journey — Ellie has a equally transcendent expertise after metaphorically taking Riley’s hand on this episode.

Bella Ramsey is so good right here, with Ellie’s awkwardness in regards to the Victoria’s Secret lingerie and stolen glances at Riley hinting at her emotions. These seems get longer because the alcohol takes impact.

Wonders of the mall

Seems the escalator was only a precursor to the true enjoyable. The pair hop on a carousel that performs a model of The Remedy’s Simply Like Heaven (particularly, one which sounds lots like Rockabye Child’s Lullaby Rendition). Songwriter Robert Smith stated this tune was impressed by the romance of a visit he took with girlfriend Mary Poole, who’d later grow to be his spouse.   

“The concept is that one night time like that’s price a thousand hours of drudgery,” he informed Blender journal in 2003, which is probably going how the present’s characters would expertise this journey.

Ellie and Riley’s night continues with a visit to the photograph sales space, the place they strike a number of poses and get actual cozy in shut quarters.

Flawless victory

Their subsequent vacation spot seems to be “essentially the most lovely factor I’ve ever seen” — a neon-drenched arcade. By means of some miracle, lots of the cubicles nonetheless work they usually hop on iconic 1993 fighter Mortal Kombat 2 (a poster for this sport can be seen over Ellie’s mattress, hinting at her fascination). HBO mother or father firm Warner Bros. Discovery additionally owns the Mortal Kombat franchise, synergy FTW.

Of their first battle, the extra skilled Riley opts for purple-garbed cannibal Mileena and Ellie opts for thunder god Raiden — it ends with Mileena’s glorious bone-spitting fatality.

Ellie’s vengeance is available in a later spherical, when she manages Baraka’s nasty impalement finisher. They expertise that traditional Mortal Kombat ultraviolence euphoria afterward and the sparks of romance get slightly stronger. (Be warned although: Watching too many cartoonish fatalities can have a bizarre impact in your mind.)

Extra traditional puns

Riley’s subsequent shock reminds us of Ellie’s penchant for dangerous jokes, as she presents her pal with a duplicate of No Pun Supposed: Quantity Too.

• What did the pissed off cannibal do? He threw up his palms.
• What did the triangle say to the circle? You are so pointless.
• How does a pc get drunk? It takes screenshots.
• What do you name an alligator in a vest? They’re interrupted earlier than Riley can learn the reply, but it surely’s “an investigator.”

Ellie is briefly reminded of the fact of their scenario when she discovers explosives Riley ready. Riley admits that the Fireflies are sending her away to the Atlanta quarantine zone, and she or he wished to spend this one final night time hanging out with Ellie earlier than departing. Ellie is not in any respect proud of this however in the end decides to proceed onto the ultimate surprise.

Halloween time

After sharing their emotions in a supercool costume store — because the outbreak occurred in late September 2003, it is nonetheless arrange for the spooky season — the pair don masks and dance to Etta James’ cowl of ’60s tune I Obtained You Babe (you may know the Sonny and Cher unique from the 1993 film Groundhog Day). The lyrics allude to younger folks defying their elders to pursue love — very like these teenagers are.

That is when the romantic rigidity peaks and Ellie decides to make her transfer, giving Riley a short however passionate kiss. With their emotional and sexual playing cards on the desk finally, Riley agrees to remain and it looks like issues are gonna be OK.

Till a horrible contaminated assaults. Ellie manages to shank it, however they each uncover they have been bitten. This can in the end result in Ellie discovering her mysterious immunity, however Riley is not so lucky. They each consider it is a demise sentence, however Riley desires to reside so long as attainable.

“We will simply be all poetic and shit, and lose our minds collectively,” she says tearfully earlier than they embrace.

We do not see what occurs after this, however presumably Ellie was pressured to kill Riley as soon as the an infection took maintain. It is doubtless Marlene discovered her afterward.

Leaping again to 2023, Ellie maintains the spirit of refusing to surrender hope — she’s decided to deal with Joel’s wounds moderately than abandon him. She finds a needle and thread, so she goes to work on stitching him up. 

Left Behind

The part coated on this episode wasn’t within the 2013 sport at launch, it was added the next 12 months within the Left Behind downloadable content material pack and got here included with remasters on PS4 and PS5. 

The present sticks carefully to the occasions of the sport, however the present-day part is far chunkier — it sees Ellie attempting to find meds in a shopping center as a wounded Joel lies unconscious. Avoiding contaminated and human marauders alongside the way in which, she discovers the meds in a army helicopter that is crashed by the mall’s roof.

In the course of the flashback scenes with Riley, you play fictional sport The Turning (which is mainly Mortal Kombat) within the arcade… sorta. The cupboard does not work, so Riley has Ellie shut her eyes and place her palms on the controls, after which Riley describes the motion. Theater of the thoughts, certainly.

Additionally they battle with water weapons (a line within the present alludes to this) and share a short kiss within the sport. The flashback ends with Ellie and Riley fleeing the mall as hordes of contaminated chase them. Each find yourself bitten and resolve to await their deaths collectively. Riley succumbs to the fungus, however Ellie’s survival reveals her immunity.

Mom’s love

You may as well learn a notice from Ellie’s unseen mother on this chapter (one given to her by Firefly chief Marlene):

Ellie, 

I will share a secret with you, I am not an enormous fan of children and I hate infants. And but… I am watching you and I am simply awestruck.

You are not even a day previous and holding you is essentially the most unbelievable factor I’ve completed in my life — a life that’s about to get minimize slightly brief. 

Marlene will take care of you. There is not any one on this world I belief greater than her. When the time comes she’ll let you know all about me. Do not give her an excessive amount of of a tough time. Attempt to not be as cussed as me.

I am not going to lie, it is a fairly tousled world. It will not be simple. The factor you at all times have to recollect is that life is price residing! Discover your goal and battle for it.

I see a lot energy in you. I do know you may turn into the lady you are meant to be.

Without end… your loving mom

Anna

Make me proud, Ellie!

Episode 8 of The Final of Us hits HBO Max subsequent Sunday, March 5.