The Last of Us has finally arrived and the premiere episode delivered the goods for both fans of the games and newcomers alike.
If you're a newcomer to this post-apocalyptic world, then everything will be a surprise. However, fans of the games will have spotted nods to future storylines that will likely be covered in the first season, given that we know it'll tell the story of the first game.
One particular reference to a name from Ellie's past will have excited fans, but also left any newcomers scratching their heads as to whether they missed a key part in the episode that explained it all.
So we're here to help: just who is Riley and why is she important to Ellie? (Major spoilers for the video game series ahead, which will probably end up being spoilers for the TV show too.)
Who is Riley in The Last of Us?
The episode's sole reference to Riley comes during Ellie's first conversation with Marlene who, at the time, is technically holding her captive. Ellie, unsurprisingly, isn't happy with Marlene, despite Marlene thinking she should be grateful as she saved her life.
During the heated conversation, Marlene reveals to Ellie that it was actually her who placed her at the FEDRA military school. She did it to keep Ellie safe, but Ellie was unaware and just assumed she was sent there as a baby because she was an orphan.
Ellie calls Marlene a "terrorist" as she's part of the Fireflies resistance movement, which she doesn't take kindly to. "Terrorist? Was Riley a terrorist?" Marlene retorts and Ellie is shaken by the reference.
Even if you aren't familiar with the games, the pause that follows and Ellie's reaction to Riley's mention shows that the name is important to Ellie. We know that Storm Reid has been cast as Riley, so she'll appear later in the season although it's not clear when.
Right now, we don't know if The Last of Us TV show will tell Riley's story the same way as the games did, but if they do, then you better be prepared for heartbreak.
In The Last of Us: Left Behind, a DLC add-on story released after the first game, we were taken back to three weeks before Ellie met Joel. Riley comes to see her at the military school that they both used to go to, and persuades Ellie to go to an abandoned mall together.
Riley has joined the Fireflies in the time since she last saw Ellie and after they spend a delightful time together, Riley reveals that she came to see Ellie one last time before she is sent to a different city with the Fireflies.
Ellie begs her not to leave and Riley agrees, which leads to a kiss between the two. It's a moment that was widely praised back in 2014 when Left Behind was released, noted by many as a breakthrough moment for video games.
Unfortunately for the fledgling couple, the music they were playing in the mall attracts the Infected. They manage to fight them all off, but not without both of them being bitten as a result. (The injury is in the same place as the scar we see in the first episode.)
Riley tells Ellie that they could take the easy way out and shoot themselves, but she prefers it if they just spend what time they can with each other: "We fight for every second we get to spend with each other. Whether it's two minutes or two days, we don't give that up."
We don't see Riley die in Left Behind, but we already knew her fate from a conversation in The Last of Us. Ellie talks to Joel about the people they've lost and tells him that Riley was "the first to die".
As mentioned before, we don't know if this is exactly how this will play out in the TV show and Riley's fate could well be different. However, if the show is faithful to the game canon, you better start emotionally preparing yourself.
The Last of Us on HBO in the US and on Sky Atlantic and NOW in the UK.
