In 2020, HBO announced that it was adapting Naughty Dog's popular video game, The Last of Us, into a television series at HBO. However, outside of a director change, there is very little known about the series and its plot. While HBO is sure to comb over every inch of the games to develop the story for the show, it's important that the adaptation doesn't gloss over the significance of the first game's DLC, Left Behind.
Left Behind acts as both an extra chapter of The Last of Us and a prequel. In the present, Ellis is on the hunt for medicine and supplies to help an injured Joel following the events in Salt Lake City, while the flashbacks follow a slightly younger Ellie and her friend Riley in Boston. The premise of the DLC may seem mundane on paper, but Left Behind's impact shouldn't be understated.
Series creator Craig Mazin is already on record stating that the HBO adaptation will explore Ellie's sexuality as a lesbian, but Left Behind is the place that all began. For most of the DLC's story, there is an unspoken tension between Ellie and Riley as the two have fun exploring an abandoned mall in Boston. It isn't until Ellie convinces Riley not to leave with the Fireflies that the two admit their feeling and embrace. Much of The Last of Us is emotionally and physically exhausting, so these rare moments of joy are vitally important to Ellie's character, acting as a reminder of who she was before taking off with Joel.
In addition, while Riley's character brings out a youthful joy in Ellie, she is also a deeply tragic figure that should be explored in the series. As a child in Boston, Riley begins working with the Fireflies and is forbidden to see Ellie after she becomes a full-fledged member. She disobeys this order in order to see her friend, and the two girls reunite. But while this adventure sees them embrace their feeling, it also results in both girls being bitten by infected. Unfortunately, Riley isn't immune to the disease like Ellie is, so she succumbs to it as her friend learns the truth about herself.
Ellie's experience with Riley is important for the series to explore, but just as important is the story that occurs as Ellie attempts to save Joel from his injuries in the present. Left Behind sees Ellie forced to return to a mall in order to save her partner from certain death. While Joel is more of a father figure than a romantic interest, the parallels between Ellie's flashbacks with Riley and the present with Joel are not only interesting story beats but also round out Ellie's character before the events of the second game.
The Last of Us is primarily a story about Joel. Sure, Ellie has her own moments, but it's still predominantly Joel's story. However, by including the content of Left Behind, the series will bring a balance between its two lead characters. In truth, it will transform it for the better into a duel-lead story, as opposed to the Joel story featuring Ellie.
Written by Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann, HBO's The Last of Us is a co-production with Sony Pictures Television. No casting announcements nor a release date have been announced yet.