HBO’s take on The Last of Us prequel story arc “Left Behind” has finally hit our television screens, and as has become a tradition for the last seven weeks, we’re picking up pieces of our hearts off the floor in the aftermath.
As has also become commonplace, the episode made little additions and embellishments to flesh out the fan-favorite characters from the videogame, and there was one specific conversation between Ellie and Riley which caught our attention – that being the “7-Eleven Situation.”
On HBO’s The Last of Us Podcast, showrunners Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann offered up a few hints as to what exactly went down in the convenience store which supposedly survived the apocalypse:
ND: “Things can go wrong. Someone can get hurt. I get this question so many times, ‘How did Ellie get her scar on her eyebrow? And then Craig and I discussed it and I told him just some thoughts I had about it, though I honestly don’t want to answer that, at least not yet. And [he was] like okay, let’s just hint that there’s a story there.”
CM: So, something happened in a 7-Eleven that obviously is in the QZ and abandoned, where, in my mind, it happened together – right – Ellie and Riley must’ve been together, they must’ve broken in, they must’ve had to run out fast, there was some glass [while] going through a window – something happened.”
While the pair remained cagey about the exact nature of the mysterious incident, the show has given us a sliver of insight into the origins of Ellie’s facial scar, which certainly appeals to both fans of the game and the show.
The Last of Us will return to HBO Max next Sunday for its penultimate episode.