Flashbacks are tricky to pull off because they either help or hinder the story.

On The Last of Us Season 1 Episode 7, Ellie's plight to save Joel puts her in a reflective mood, delivering the HBO hit's take on the "Left Behind" DLC from the first video game in the series.

The flashback to Ellie's time in the quarantine zone enhanced the source material in many ways because there's still much we don't know about how Ellie wound up in Marlene's care.

Are we to assume Marlene showed up at the mall before or after Riley died?

That's the most plausible scenario.

Ellie's life in the quarantine zone was far from spectacular. For many children, having a roof over their heads and proceeding with whatever career Fedra offered them was enough.

But for Ellie and Riley, that wasn't enough, and it explains why Riley departed and how Ellie was so frustrated inside this supposed haven from the perils of the outside world.

Riley brought up a lot of great reasons for joining the Fireflies, but watching the change in Ellie's perspective as the hour progressed was intriguing.

She went from being against them to understanding why her friend chose this lifestyle that felt foreign to her.

Fedra also wanted the children to believe the Fireflies are the worst people on earth, so Ellie understandably had some feelings about what Riley was doing.

Storm Reid was flawless as Riley, and it's a shame we won't see her again, given the events that ended the night at the mall.

Riley cared deeply for Ellie and planned this excellent day out for them. It's a shame she didn't scour the mall for the infected because these events could have been prevented.

Riley and Ellie's despair when they both realized they were bitten was unnerving.

They were both on top of the world after a great day, only for the infected to ruin everything for them.

Despite being bitten, Riley remained witty, and it made me wonder whether she tried to mask her fears to make sure Ellie was less worried about turning into the infected.

It's hard to compute what was going through their minds during those closing scenes. No one should have to consider killing themself to prevent a virus, but it was even more harrowing watching teenagers do just that.

The Last of Us universe is harsh and unforgiving, so even the people who didn't play the games probably knew this was coming.

In essence, those events shaped the Ellie we've come to know on her journey with Joel to find what remains of the fireflies.

Ellie has struggled with abandonment issues, as evidenced by her reaction to Joel telling her to leave him and return to his brother.

Ellie has also been vocal about everyone she knows dying, making her mission to save Joel even more desperate.

Joel has been in control of this journey throughout the first six episodes, but he recognized that Ellie was the only possibility of him surviving the stabbing.

Ellie's desperation as she ransacked the house to find something, anything that could close Joel's wound, was frantic. It also makes me wonder whether Joel will be up and moving soon.

There could be complications associated with the wound because, when you think about it, the house was in a state of disrepair, so there's no telling whether the needle Ellie used to close up the wound was even clean.

If anything, this has bonded Joel and Ellie like never before. Yes, they've had their issues while on the road, but they have saved each other several times.

What will that mean if he has to hand Ellie over to the Fireflies? There are so many possibilities here, and the series has done an excellent job of making us think something will go one way and then switch it up.

One of my biggest fears when the series adaptation was announced was that it would be too faithful to the source material. In many respects, it has, but the fact that we're getting much more backstory for the characters makes it worthwhile.

There have been some deviations, and I expect there will be more before the season is over, but it wouldn't hurt the series to take more risks.

Witnessing Ellie and Riley's bond made for a nice change of pace, but the placement of the backstory felt like it belonged earlier in the season.

With us fast approaching the finish line, we should be spending all of the time in the present.

A broader concern for the future of the series is that, thus far, it's been very much a road show. Will that continue into the second season, or will Joel and Ellie find a place to call home?

What are your thoughts on HBO's take on Left Behind? Do you think the adaptation did the story justice?

What do you think of Ellie and Riley having the best day, only for it to fall apart at the last second?

Do you feel like the story should have happened earlier in the season?

Hit the comments below.

The Last of Us airs Sundays at 9 p.m. on HBO and HBO Max.

Paul Dailly was an Associate Editor for TV Fanatic.Follow him on X.