Explained end of episode 1×08 of ‘The Last of Us’: David’s dark intentions with Ellie

— SPOILERS of episode 1×08 of ‘The Last of Us’ —

After the emotional chapter in the form of flashback Focusing on Ellie’s past and her relationship with Riley, ‘The Last of Us’ returns to the present to answer her most important question: Will Joel survive?

Ellie goes out alone to try to get food and medicine for her partner and ends up running into David (Scott Shepherd), the leader of a religious community who seems nice at first, but ends up revealing himself as a manipulative tyrant, blinded by power and even… Cannibal. But let’s not anticipate events. Ellie’s determination and loyalty is marked by her life experience, so If you think that ‘The Last of Us’ 1×07 is a “filler episode”, you are not understanding anything.

Ellie points her rifle at David and his henchman James (played by Troy Baker, the voice of Joel in ‘The Last of Us’ video game) and gets penicillin to treat Joel, but discovers that the assailants who stabbed him were from David’s group and that they seek revenge for the death of one of them.

David follows Ellie’s trail along with four armed men and they find her whereabouts. Ellie tries to escape on horseback but is shot down and, although James is about to give him the coup de grace, David interrupts them. he wants her alive. So they take Ellie back to town and begin a door-to-door search for Joel.

But, Why does David want to keep Ellie alive by taking on his community?

David insists that so just want “a friend”and reveals that he sees himself reflected in her since they both have “violent hearts”. He mentions that since he is the only leader of a community that looks up to him, he needs someone he can see as an equal. David insists that Ellie is that person, and that the two of them can do amazing things by running the community together.

Let’s remember that Ellie is 14 YEARS OLD and the actor who gives life to David, 56.

If this were not enough, Ellie discovers that David has been serving human meat to his people. unbeknownst to them, and that their options are reduced to: either it is given to David, or it ends up being cut up and roasted for dinner. But David was right about one thing. Ellie has a “violent heart”, and manages to escape from the cell in which she was held captive, kills James and has a final battle in a fire with Davidwhich ends up revealing his dark and disturbing intentions.

“You don’t know how good I am. You don’t know what I could have given you if you had let meyells David. “I’ve decided that You need a father, so I’ll support you. and i will teach you“He continues, making it clear why he was so insistent on keeping her alive.

Although the original video game hinted at David’s pedophilic inclinations, in the HBO Max series it is much more evident and leaves no room for doubt. David’s last sentence before being savagely murdered by Ellie is defining: “That they resist is the part I like the most. There is no need to fear love.“

Finally, Ellie manages to reach David’s knife and brutally murders him.letting out all his rage. Escaping from the building, meets Joel againwho has managed to find her thanks to equally brutal “interrogation methods”, showing a lack of mercy and violent animal instincts that have come to frighten us. But what is coming can be even more shocking…

Next week we will reach the end of season 1 of ‘The Last of Us’, and the last episode promises to live up to it. one of the best, if not the best, series of the year.