The Last of Us Episode 7 is a Beautiful Detour

I actually really enjoyed that they DIDNT show Ellie having to kill Riley. We already got a scene of someone having to kill a loved one because they got infected, and if you include Tess, then we got two. I like that it's merely stated that it happened, but it's for us to imagine how rough it was.

The whole point of the flashback was to inform Ellie’s decision to stay and fight to keep Joel alive, even though he seems like a lost cause. Ellie is remembering what Riley says after they’ve been bit. Riley essentially says to never give up and to keep going till the end and so Ellie doesn’t give up. I think they didn’t show what happens after the bite because that isn’t the point of the flashback. Plus it would’ve felt too similar to Sam and Henry’s episode.

When she takes off her wolf mask. Whew. The look on her face. You could sense all of her emotion. Happiness, fear, love, sadness. Such a great show.

When Ellie touches the door knob, she is considering leaving Joel and going back to find Tommy. In the moment she touches the door, she thinks about Riley. We see the flashback, which to Ellie happens in a moment or two. She remembers what Riley said and decides to try to save Joel no matter what. It's fair to disagree with this story device, but I can at least understand it as a vehicle to experience the flashback, and understand why Ellie stays with Joel.

The only thing I didn’t like about the episode was that it stopped right after they got bitten. I really wanted to see Ellie start to realize she’s immune. I wouldn’t mind if they skipped Riley’s death - but i really did expect and want to see the how Ellie realized that she’s immune. Did Marlene discover Riley and Ellie alive together ? How did Ellie get to Marlene ? That’s my only gripe, I really want to see Ellie realize she’s immune, it could’ve added so much to her story that we ( players of the game ) don’t know already.

To your point about seeing Ellie waking up and shooting Riley, it would have been a major bummer to end on… Ending with Ellie remembering Riley telling her to never give up on life and the time they have left, and then her doing everything in her power to save Joel was impactful… It ends the episode on a hopeful note which is much appreciated considering the depression bombs that are dropped on us at the end of most episodes. From Ellie’s conversation with Joel in ep4 and Riley’s fate we can assume Ellie did end up killing Riley. Overall, it was not the best episode so far but i think that is a testament to how good the other episodes are!

This episode was for me a short rollercoaster of emotions. I loved seeing the wonder in Ellie at seemingly benign things like an escalator, or seeing her reactions to the mall being lit up and seeing the arcade. It was pretty soul-crushing at the end. But that's what this show really excells at. You know it's good if it makes you feel (bad).

I love how the have handled the infected and how they dont overuse them.

I absolutely LOVED this episode. There's nothing that has ever made me feel that same abashed joy, the butterflies in the stomach, the terror that maybe someone I love won't love me, or maybe they will... Incredible episode, top two for sure.

This was my favorite episode. Bella Ramsey is a force. It’s nice to see another great actor like Storm elevating her performance on this show even more. This show confirmed for me that Bella will absolutely be able to pull off future seasons as THE main character.

I don't need zombies relentlessly attacking the characters, i need a good story line, development and growth This episode fleshes out the world and helps with my understanding of it This episode delivered that in spades 8/10

The episode also gives context to the statements made by Ellie in episode 6 where she tells Joel that she has lost people too. With Joel replying she had no idea what lost meant. Showing Ellie and that loss of hers being the one person she loved the most in Riley, losing her in the way that she did was heartbreaking. Then cutting to her in the present trying so desperately to find a way to save Joel spoke volumes. Not wanting to feel that loss ever again. As for the ending & wanting to see the aftermath. In the dlc we didn't get to see what happens after Ellie & Riley get bit. It basically ends with their conversation. We already know what happens to Riley as it has been hinted throughout the episodes. We don't need to see Ellie potentially having to kill her as that is just violence for the sake of violence. Besides we already got a similar scenario with Sam & Henry. Something that maybe the Walking Dead would do, instead here it leaves it up to the audience to make their own thoughts on what happens.

Since ep. 3 had a long "flashback", I was perfectly fine with this one not being cut back and forth too much, either. It felt consistent to the show's style and the suspenseful moments within the flashback stayed in that narrative frame. It is subjective, but I liked the smaller and somewhat disconnected scale of this episode's storytelling.

I actually liked how it didn't intercut between the past and the future. because when it cuts back to the past, Ellie has her hand on the door, and then we get everything with Ellie and Riley. then when it cuts back to the future, we see Ellie tear the house apart trying to find something to help Joel with. We see the impact of Ellie remembering one of the last things Riley ever said to her.

There’s a moment where Riley is talking and Ellie just looks at her. You can tell she’s trying not to be obvious, looking longingly at Riley for extended periods of time

This episode honestly broke me more than Bill and Frank. Episode 3 was sad but much more wholesome with a fairly happy ending. You honestly couldn't really hope for a better outcome between them. They lived full and happy lives with each other, and went to drift away together in each others' arms. I think this episode needed to focus even more on Ellie and Riley's relationship. I get that they needed to rip it away from them just as it happened, but I just wanted more. They were so cute and sweet and it was beautiful. I also wish we got to see a little more of them after they got bit, spending their final moments together, and Ellie starting to wonder why nothing's happening to her, and that she's immune. I'm glad we didn't have to watch Riley die but I just wanted to see more of them. But I guess they needed them to have their one happy moment only for everything to be ripped away immediately after.

I didn't realize people disliked this episode, it's personally my favorite ep yet from season 1. But I guess people just have different tastes.

The DLC ends with a closeup of Ellie and cut to black with the credits song. There is no "Riley turns into an infected" sequence in the DLC either. It's open to our imagination if Ellie kills her or not.

I like the moment where joel tells her to go back to tommy, even pushing her. He realizes he failed her and doing his best to get her to safety.

The point you brought up about how the episode could've used a stronger connection to the present is actually the whole theme of the DLC, in which we switch between present Ellie searching for medical supplies for Joel in a mall, and past Ellie venturing the mall with Riley. It's a bummer that we didn't get that for the show since it really shows the lengths Ellie went through to save Joel at that point, but they probably had to leave it out for budget reasons. But the part they did adapt ended up being faithful and fun. Still, play the DLC if you can! It's really good