1 The Last Of Us Episode 7 Song Sets Up Major Season 2 Ellie Moments

The Last of Us episode 7 features two big references to A-ha and “Take On Me”, setting up some major moments for Ellie in The Last of Us season 2.

Warning! This article contains spoilers for The Last of Us episode 7 and The Last of Us Part II.The Last of Us episode 7 foreshadows some major Ellie moments for season 2 through the use of A-ha’s “Take On Me”. In The Last of Us episode 7, Ellie’s backstory with Riley is fleshed out in a flashback-heavy episode that serves as context for the aftermath of Joel’s injury. Riley has been hinted at throughout The Last of Us season 1 up to this point, with episode 7 finally revealing the truth about hers and Ellie’s backstory together.

The Last of Us episode 7 primarily takes place in a mall in the Boston QZ, with Riley showing Ellie what the mall was like pre-outbreak in what is to be their last night together. Shortly after entering the mall in The Last of Us episode 7’s flashback timeline, A-ha’s 80s smash hit “Take On Me” blares out as Ellie and Riley play on the escalators. While this could seem like a meaningless song selection that simply emulates the fun vibe of the escalator scene, it actually holds much deeper importance to the world of The Last of Us when concerning the set-up of season 2.

Related: 5 Ways The Last Of Us Episode 6 Foreshadows Season 2

A-ha’s “Take On Me” Sets Up Season 2’s Tragic Joel & Ellie Story

Warning! This article contains spoilers for The Last of Us Part II from this point forward.In The Last of Us Part II, which will undoubtedly be the basis of HBO’s The Last of Us season 2, Joel is tragically killed at the beginning of the game. This causes Ellie to go on a revenge quest against Joel’s murderers, taking her to Seattle. At one point in Seattle, players can explore a music store in which Ellie finds a guitar. Ellie then performs a full acoustic cover of A-ha’s “Take On Me”, in a much more somber version than is played in The Last of Us episode 7’s Riley-centric story.

This scene is used as a way to remind the player, Ellie, and Dina – Ellie’s companion and girlfriend – of Joel, as the game opens with Joel playing Ellie a song on guitar. By including “Take On Me” in The Last of Us episode 7, writer Neil Druckmann is subtly planting the seeds of this sequence. This, combined with the A-ha tape that can be seen on Ellie’s bedside drawer earlier in the episode, is a smart way of subliminally linking the song to Ellie, which will eventually make the scene of Ellie’s cover of the song more impactful after Joel’s eventual death.

“Take On Me” Connects Ellie To Both Of Her Major Last Of Us Love Interests

Another interesting element of “Take On Me” after The Last of Us episode 7 is that the song now connects Ellie to both of her love interests throughout the story. The song initially plays over a sequence of Ellie and Riley bonding, showcasing the strength of their relationship. With The Last of Us episode 7 ending with a kiss between Riley and Ellie, the song serves as a way of connecting the two together in the minds of the audience.

In The Last of Us Part II, Ellie plays the song on guitar to Dina, her girlfriend. The scene therefore not only reminds the player and Ellie of Joel but serves as a way to bring Ellie and Dina closer together. This means that “Take On Me” now serves as a symbolic reminder of Ellie’s two major love interests: Riley in The Last of Us episode 7 and Dina in the eventual The Last of Us season 2.

New episodes of The Last of Us release every Sunday on HBO.

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