Movies - TV
Why Pearl Jam Was Chosen As Ellie’s Theme For The Last Of Us Episode 7
By JEREMY SMITH
Spoiler Warning!
This story contains spoilers for
“The Last of Us.”
Throughout HBO’s “The Last of Us,” Ellie reveals small details about her past, but this comes to a head in Episode 7, “Left Behind,” where viewers see how the heroine contracted her non-fatal infection. Following the flashback sequence, the episode draws to a close as a weeping Ellie begins patching up Joel, and the screen fades to credits accompanied by a Pearl Jam track.
During the show’s official podcast, creators Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann were asked why they chose Pearl Jam’s “All or None” as Ellie’s theme for Episode 7. Druckmann explained, “[W]hen you grow up, you have like a handful of songs that are like an escape when things are getting hard, or when you’re down on yourself for whatever reason. And to me this was one of those songs.”
He continued, “There’s a certain feel, a mood, a tone [...] capturing where Ellie’s at right now. That she’s alone, she’s at a place she doesn’t want to be, and there’s kind of nothing going on for her.” The song accentuates Ellie’s anguish in the hopelessness of not only being at the FEDRA orphanage but, as Mazin added, “It’s hopeless because someone’s gone missing.”