The Last of Us S1:E7 “Left Behind” Review

By Ben Wright (@iamzavagno | www.xgeeks.co.uk)

This review is spoiler-free.

After last week’s jam-packed episode, we were left with Joel potentially mortally wounded and in the hands of Ellie, who appeared to sink into the situation she was forced into. Will she be able to come up for air and take control of events? Or is this latest setback a step too far? I also mentioned last week, that I fully expected this to feature a flashback, and I was proven right but I didn’t expect it to feature so prominently in regard to the episode as a whole.

This flashback episode sees the introduction of Storm Reid (Riley), and they could not have cast this role any better. Reid was incredible, and her chemistry with Ramsey was phenomenal. Both performers portrayed their relationship so well! They felt natural and genuine. The subtle looks and glances, the coy smiles, all of these elements sold their dynamic instantly, which made the highs even higher and the lows hurt twice as hard. This was a real showcase of friendship and the desire for more. The episode also features a small cameo by Terry Chen (Captain Kwong), who I thought was another solid addition to the cast. There wasn’t much for Pedro Pascal (Joel) to do this week, other than lie back and do his best to look in pain which, to his credit, he did well! 

As previously mentioned, most of the episode is set in the recent past. With Joel hurt, Ellie has to take charge and have the Reaper circle another person she has become very close to. Most of the story and a fair amount of the key dialogue is taken straight from The Last of Us Part I DLC “Left Behind” – which is also the title of this episode. They did a solid job of adapting the video game material, although if you are being overly critical, you could argue that it is a little too similar to the DLC. With that said, the ending of the episode, if they leave it there, I think works a lot better for the TV show. Less is more in this instant. The trauma of Ellie’s past informs the decisions she has to make in the present. Instant action is required and she has to sink or swim.

Armed with the knowledge of what happens next, in the game at least, Ellie is just getting started on this path of fending for herself and looking after others. I am very excited to see the events unfold next week, which should also see the arrival of Troy Baker, the voice of Joel from the games, in a small cameo role, similar to Tommy’s video game voice actor Jeffrey Pierce (Perry). It’s all set up to be a really big episode – but also a little sad, knowing that it will be the penultimate episode of this first series of The Last of Us.

What did you think of the latest episode of The Last of Us? Let us know in the comments or find us on social media.