After another emotional episode of The Last of Us on HBO, fans are wondering if Ellie’s love interest Riley is dead. Unfortunately, like in the game, she dies before the main story even takes place. However, fans did get the chance to see her in Episode 7 of the show, which was named after the Last of Us DLC, “Left Behind.”
Is Riley dead in The Last of Us TV show?
Riley is dead in The Last of Us series on HBO. We got an early hint that Riley was dead when Marlene freed Ellie and revealed that she knew her. Ellie spoke about the Fireflies being “terrorists,” to which Marlene asked, “Was Riley a terrorist?” It was a subtle conversation, and those who haven’t played the game wouldn’t have picked up on the reference. Now though, it makes sense for everybody. Using the past tense to refer to Riley also confirmed her fate.
Storm Reid, who played Riley in the Last of Us TV show, is credited for just one episode of the series. This means that after watching “Left Behind,” she won’t be featuring in any future installments, unless writers have a surprise up their sleeves. Her passing will likely only be mentioned in the present day from this point on, so she has no need to return in-person.
The Last of Us hasn’t shied away from exploring trauma. Not only has Ellie’s been delved into, but showrunners decided to add another layer of distress for Joel, who has been experiencing panic attacks in recent episodes due to the pressure he feels in escorting Ellie across the country. Though he feels everything he does ends in failure, she wants to stick with him, but now that he is injured, they could be facing their most challenging days ahead.
