When The Last Of Us Episode 7 Takes Place In The Show’s Timeline

The Last of Us episode 7 tells a flashback-heavy story, which takes place at a specific point in the HBO adaptation’s expansive timeline.

Warning! This episode contains spoilers for The Last of Us episode 7 and the original game.The Last of Us episode 7 tells the story of Ellie and Riley, which occurs at a certain point in the show’s timeline. Despite this, the opening of the episode picks up directly from The Last of Us episode 6’s cliffhanger ending with Ellie attempting to get Joel to safety. Shortly after this though, the episode switches focus to Ellie’s backstory which has been hinted at throughout The Last of Us thus far.

That backstory features the character of Riley, a girl who was Ellie’s best friend in FEDRA school until she ran away to join the Fireflies. Much of The Last of Us episode 7 centers on Riley and her connection with Ellie, exploring the plot point hinted at in The Last of Us episode 2 with Ellie breaking into a mall in the Boston QZ. With this episode being clearly set before The Last of Us episode 1, the question remains when exactly it takes place and how the seemingly self-contained story will affect the show’s story going into The Last of Us season 1’s final episodes.

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The Last Of Us Episode 7 Takes Place 3 Weeks Before Episode 1

Specifically, the flashbacks centering on Riley and Ellie in The Last of Us episode 7 take place around three weeks before the series premiere. In The Last of Us episode 1’s ending, Ellie explains that she was bitten three weeks ago to Tess and Joel after showing up positive for The Last of Us‘ Cordyceps infection. Given how The Last of Us episode 7 shows exactly when Ellie got bit, it’s safe to assume it takes place three weeks before she is sent with Joel and Tess, give or take a few days.

It was also established in The Last of Us episode 1 that the Fireflies had kept Ellie locked up for days on end, testing to see whether she would turn. This hints that Marlene and the Fireflies found Ellie and Riley in the mall. As Riley was stationed there to guide the Fireflies’ gear, it is assumed they went looking for Riley or to obtain their weapons, only to find Ellie immune and Riley tragically dead or infected.

Last Of Us Episode 7’s Timeline Sets Up Episode 8

With The Last of Us episode 7’s timeline being dually set before episode 1 and shortly after episode 6, it actually sets up The Last of Us episode 8 in a big way. Including the story between Riley and Ellie in this episode provides increased depth to Ellie’s character, by showing the defining event which caused both her fear of ending up alone and her survivor’s guilt over her immunity to truly start affecting her. Showing this, combined with the losses of Tess, Henry, and Sam shown throughout The Last of Us, makes the audience truly understand Ellie’s fears and guilt.

In doing so, the sections of The Last of Us episode 7 which focus on Ellie desperately trying to save Joel’s life are much more impactful. Through Ellie’s loss of Riley, the audience feels the sheer desperation of Ellie’s plight as she tries to prevent Joel from leaving her, something everyone else in her life has done. This sets the stage for The Last of Us episode 8, which will showcase the biggest turning point in Joel and Ellie’s relationship. With episode 8 set to introduce David, Joel and Ellie’s relationship will flourish into what the show has hinted at, all benefited from The Last of Us episode 7’s flashbacks.

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

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