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'The Last of Us' Finale Easter Egg References

Everything happens for a reason

Cover Image Source: IMDb

There are many references to The Last of Us video games as we fully explore the Winter section of the narrative. We'll be talking about some of the most notable Easter eggs and references from Episode 8, "When We Are in Need," as usual. The penultimate episode of HBO's The Last of Us returns after last week's episode concentrated on Ellie's past with her friend Riley. As Joel continues his drawn-out recovery from the injury he received in Episode 6, Ellie is doing everything she can to stay alive.

Image Source: IMDb
Image Source: IMDb

The survival of Rabbit

Ellie is hunting a deer at the start of the episode, just before she meets David and James. There are some notable differences even though this is similar to how they first met in The Last of Us Part I. Ellie's rabbit escapes is the first. The poor bunny in the game takes an arrow to the head, but he manages to escape. The second modification is that Joel's rifle from Episode 6 is now being used by Ellie.

Image Source: IMDb
Image Source: IMDb

The Pittsburgh Quarantine Zone

David mentions that he is from the Pittsburgh QZ as he tells Ellie about his past. David continues to discuss his past, mentioning the FEDRA invasion and the hunters who retaliated. It occurs when Joel, Ellie, Henry, and Sam try to leave the quarantine zone in The Last of Us Part I. It is notable to see that in Episode 5 Kansas City was substituted for Pittsburgh as the setting for Henry and Sam's story. It appears that the game's events might have taken place even without the main characters.

Cover Image Source: IMDb
Image Source: IMDb

David’s characterization is modified to bring the worse out of him

The most abhorred character of the series David’s selfishness is apparent through many minute actions such as the portion of his plate as compared to others, or his treatment of young girls given that he was a school teacher earlier. David, the dreadful leader of a cannibal cult, is portrayed by Scott Shepherd. The show makes it abundantly clear that David's character was evil from the start. In The Last of Us Part I, David is merely the group's leader.

Ellie’s end with David leaves a nuanced character for the viewers

We are brought back to the tense stealth scene from the game as Ellie flees from David inside the restaurant. David is brutally murdered by Ellie in a manner similar to that in The Last of Us Part I. Joel shows up a little later than in the game. In the game, he enters the eatery as things start to go wrong in an effort to stop Ellie. But on the show, Ellie kills David before he can stop him. The revised ending pays tribute to the game's original while also introducing fresh scenes that give the characters more depth. Ellie stopping David on her own creates a more significant moment for her persona.