I've just finished a rewatch of the series and the events of 1x07 are referenced by Ellie in every single episode. This was clearly a massive moment in her short life and is shaping her entire approach to her continuing existence. Not wanting an expansion on those references is indicative of folks not caring about character development! Or, of course, "filler" could just be the term a lot of people have decided to hide behind rather than coming in mask-off with their bigotry.
This episode was a beautifully shot, gorgeous look at two children of the End of the World who managed to connect with each other in a world where holding onto humanity is easily one of the hardest things to do. I loved the simple things we take for granted being so THRILLING to Ellie and that Riley knew they'd be thrilling to her. I also loved that I totally believe that Bella Ramsey had never seen an escalator before; solid acting going on there!
These "slower" episodes are strategic. The show is called The Last of Us but it doesn't just mean the last humans, it's talking about our humanity. Humanity is arguably the main character and to be able to see the things that have tested people's humanity and how they evolve after each of those tests is the point of the show. The mall was the biggest test of Ellie's humanity. To face death bravely after you've just touched love for the first time and then to survive while your best friend and strongest connection not only dies but dies at your hand? This episode has already informed every move we've seen Ellie make so far and now that Left Behind has brought us all in to the fold we'll be very aware of what is influencing Ellie's moves in the episodes to come. In my opinion this episode is one of the most important ones we've seen so far.
This episode was a beautifully shot, gorgeous look at two children of the End of the World who managed to connect with each other in a world where holding onto humanity is easily one of the hardest things to do. I loved the simple things we take for granted being so THRILLING to Ellie and that Riley knew they'd be thrilling to her. I also loved that I totally believe that Bella Ramsey had never seen an escalator before; solid acting going on there!
These "slower" episodes are strategic. The show is called The Last of Us but it doesn't just mean the last humans, it's talking about our humanity. Humanity is arguably the main character and to be able to see the things that have tested people's humanity and how they evolve after each of those tests is the point of the show. The mall was the biggest test of Ellie's humanity. To face death bravely after you've just touched love for the first time and then to survive while your best friend and strongest connection not only dies but dies at your hand? This episode has already informed every move we've seen Ellie make so far and now that Left Behind has brought us all in to the fold we'll be very aware of what is influencing Ellie's moves in the episodes to come. In my opinion this episode is one of the most important ones we've seen so far.