Original air date: February 27, 2023
Ellie and an injured Joel shelter in an abandoned house. As Joel approaches death, he urges Ellie to leave him. She remembers her time in FEDRA military school, which she attended with her best friend Riley Abel. While Ellie causes trouble and fights with her peers, Riley ran away and has been missing for three weeks. Riley sneaks back into their dorm room and reveals to Ellie she has joined the Fireflies. She brings Ellie to an abandoned mall, where they explore a photo booth, an arcade, and a carousel. Riley tells Ellie the Fireflies have assigned her to a post in Atlanta, and it is her last night in Boston. While Ellie is initially upset, she convinces Riley to stay, and they kiss. An infected attacks them and Ellie manages to kill it, but both get bitten during the struggle. Tearfully, they decide to stay together and wait for the infection to take hold. In the present, Ellie finds a sewing needle and begins to stitch up Joel’s wound.
* * *
(pensive theme music plays)
♪ ♪
(wind blowing)
(bird cawing)
(uneasy music playing)
(bird chirping)
(horse grunting)
(Joel screams)
(winces)
Ah, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck. Come on, you gotta help me. Come on.
Joel: Leave. Leave.
Shut up, Joel.
Joel: Take the gun.
Joel, shut the fuck up!
Joel: You go. You go. You go north. You go to Tommy. You go.
(shallow breathing)
(melancholy music playing)
(“All or None” by Pearl Jam playing)
♪ It’s a hopeless ♪
♪ Situation ♪
♪ And I’m startin’ to believe ♪
♪ That this hopeless ♪
♪ Situation ♪
♪ Is what I’m tryin’ to achieve ♪
(music stops)
Ellie: Give ’em back!
Bethany: Then pick up your pace. I’m not running doubles again because of your shitty attitude.
Ellie: I don’t wanna fight about it.
Bethany: Fight about it? You don’t fight. Your friend fights. She’s not here anymore… is she?
(song continues)
(grunts)
(sighs)
(door opens, closes)
Cpt. Kwong: What’s goin’ on? You’ve never been what I’d call well-behaved, but the last few weeks?
Ellie: Bethany started it.
Cpt. Kwong: Well, Bethany’s in the infirmary with 15 stitches.
Ellie: Good.
Cpt. Kwong: Okay.
Ellie: Just put me in the fuckin’ hole.
Cpt. Kwong: I put you in the hole three times. It doesn’t work. So I’m gonna try something new.
Ellie: What?
Cpt. Kwong: I’m gonna tell you the truth. You’re smart, Ellie. You’re so smart, you’re stupid. You can’t see where this is going? Let me help you out. Two paths ahead of you. First path. You keep acting like a grunt, so you get the life of a grunt. Up at dawn. Walk the streets, walk the wall. Ya eat shit food, ya do shit jobs, ya take shit orders from your patrol leader, who’ll probably be Bethany. And that’ll be your life from now until ya catch a bullet from a Firefly, or fall drunk off a roof, or get your hair caught in a moving tank tread.
Ellie: Hm.
Cpt. Kwong: There’s the other path. You swallow this pride of yours. You follow the rules. You become an officer. You get your own room. You get a nice bed. We eat well. We don’t go on patrol. We’re cool in the summer. We’re warm in the winter. And best of all, when you’re an officer, you get to tell the Bethanys of the world exactly where to shove it.
Ellie: Why do you even care?
(light music playing)
Cpt. Kwong: I care because no matter what anyone out there says or thinks… we’re the only thing holding this all together. If we go down, the people in the zone will starve or murder each other. That much I know. There’s a leader in you. And one day, it could be your turn. Or not. So which way?
Ellie: Keys.
Cpt. Kwong: Good.
Ellie: Is that it?
Cpt. Kwong: (sighs) That’s it.
Ellie: Can I have my Walkman back?
(thundering, raining)
(thunder continues)
Dorm Guard: Lights out, ladies!
(bangs on door)
Dorm Guard: Turn ’em off!
(soft snoring)
(ominous music playing)
(Ellie grunting)
(both grunting)
(heavy breathing)
Riley: Ow.
Ellie: Riley! Where have you been?
Riley: Shh!
Ellie: What the fuck is wrong with you, sneaking up on me like that?
Riley: It was a joke, okay? I thought it would work better. In my mind, you loved it. So… how’s it going? Okay, it’s bad.
Ellie: I thought you were dead. You’ve been gone for three weeks. I should fuckin’ stab you.
Riley: No, I appreciate your mercy.
Ellie: Are you okay?
Riley: I’m fine. I just ran away for a bit, that’s all.
Ellie: If you’re going through some shit, you’re supposed to, I don’t know, talk to your best friend about it?
Riley: I came back. Wait, who gave you the black eye?
Ellie: Tell me where you were.
Riley: Gimme a name and I’ll fuck ’em up.
Ellie: It was Bethany and I already fucked her up. Where were you?
Riley: I joined the Fireflies.
Ellie: Oh, fuck you. I’m not in the mood for this, Riley. I’m really not in the mood. You’re a Firefly?!
Riley: Jesus! I told you I’d fuckin’ do it.
Ellie: Talking about “liberating the QZ” is not the same as… Fuck. Where did you even…
Riley: Slow down, slow down. I will tell you everything. But first, you have to promise me something. Sort of crazy, and you’re gonna say no, but then you have to say yes. Come with me for a few hours, and have the best night of your life.
Ellie: No.
Riley: Okay, now say yes.
Ellie: I’m not going anywhere with you. It’s… Great. It’s 2:00 AM. And in a few hours, I have drills where we learn to kill Fireflies.
Riley: Get dressed.
Ellie: So stupid. Turn around.
Riley: You’re so weird about that.
(light guitar music playing)
Ellie: If you’re thinking about hanging in the park, we can’t go there anymore. There’s a new patrol that they just put in.
Riley: Well… we’re not going to the park.
Ellie: Okay. So where are we going?
Riley: Secret. Trust me. You trust me, right?
Ellie: I don’t know. Should I trust you?
Riley: Of course, you should. With your life.
Ellie: Guards?
Riley: No, ’cause FEDRA’s fucking stupid. Ready?
Ellie: This better be good.
(vehicle approaching)
Ellie: Not that fuckin’ stupid, are they?
Riley: Okay, rocky start. Could’ve been worse, though. Could’ve been a 7-11 situation.
Ellie: No thanks. I’d like to keep my other eyebrow in one piece.
Riley: Well, since you’re so interested in self-preservation all of a sudden, maybe you should stop fucking with Bethany. What’s that about?
Ellie: Nothing. It’s stupid. She had to get 15 stitches.
Riley: Maybe you shouldn’t mess with people like that.
Ellie: I-I’m sorry. Are you, are you telling me not to beat people up? You put Carol in the infirmary for a fuckin’ week.
Riley: I’m just saying, you can’t fight everything and everyone. You can pick and choose what’s important.
Ellie: Oh, are they teaching you this at Firefly University?
Riley: Kinda, yeah.
Ellie: Hm.
Riley: And fuck Carol.
Ellie: (chuckles) Uh-huh. Fuck Carol… Fucking Carol. Where are we going?
Riley: Through a damn window.
(Ellie chuckles)
Ellie: Wow. Look at how that water trickles down those rusty mailboxes. This really is the best night of my life.
Riley: See?
Ellie: Yeah.
Riley: Oh… Firefly lights are better.
Ellie: Congrats. One point for the anarchists.
Riley: We prefer freedom fighters.
Ellie: (laughs) Whatever. How many floors?
Riley: Uh, like two.
Ellie (breathing heavily): What the fuck?
Riley: Okay, I’m sorry.
Ellie: Two floors. Fuck you.
Riley: I was a tad bit off.
(both laughing)
Ellie: Oh, shit. Is he dead?
Riley: Yeah.
Ellie: Is, is this the big surprise?
Riley: No. No, this-this guy wasn’t here yesterday.
(floor creaking)
Ellie: So disgusting.
Riley: Is that real?
Ellie: Bottle’s real.
(sniffs)
Ellie: This isn’t moonshine either. It’s, like, from before. This guy must’ve spent every card he had to get this.
Riley: No one told him he couldn’t mix pills with that shit?
Ellie: I think he knew what he was doing.
(floor cracks)
(both yelling)
(Ellie laughing)
Riley: You’re sick. You know that, right?
Ellie: You laughed, too. You’re laughing.
Riley: Okay, we drinkin’ it or what?
Ellie: Yeah.
Riley: Oof. Yum.
Ellie: Uh-huh. Gimme.
Riley: Oh, okay.
Ellie: (raspy) It’s great.
(laughs)
Ellie: Was that the first dead body you ever saw?
Riley: No. My parents.
Ellie: Yeah. Sorry. I-I know… I mean, I knew that.
Riley: No, it’s fine. (chuckles) It’s fine. Gimme.
Ellie: Can I hold your gun?
Riley: Um, they kinda made me swear not to let other people handle my sidearm.
Ellie: (mockingly) “Not to handle my sidearm ’cause I’m such a fuckin’ Firefly.” Give me your gun.
Riley: All right, fine.
Ellie: It’s heavy.
Riley: Mm-hmm.
Ellie: ‘Kay.
Riley: Thank you.
Ellie: So what happened? You started dating some Firefly dude, and was like, “Oh, this is cool. I think I’ll be a terrorist.”
Riley: Yup. That’s it. We’re getting married.
(both chuckling)
Ellie: Mm-hmm. But really. Why?
Riley: Okay, um… one night, you were in the hole. I got bored, so I snuck out. I was on my way back, being stealthy like I am. And this chick popped outta nowhere.
Ellie: Chick, like our age?
Riley: No. Like, 40. Or 50. Whatever. Anyways, old. She said she was impressed watching me sneak around…
Ellie: Uh-huh. Mm-hmm.
Riley: …avoiding guards, and she asked what I thought about FEDRA. So I told her the truth. They’re fascist dickbags, and they’re the ones that should be getting hanged for their crimes, not the people. She’s like, “All right. If you want in, you’re in.”
Ellie: That’s it? No weird initiations?
Riley: Nope. I said yes, and now I’m a Firefly.
Ellie: That easy to give up everything, huh?
Riley: By “everything,” you mean becoming a fascist dickbag?
Ellie: I mean, I don’t know if it’s that simple. Like, in a way, FEDRA kinda holds everything together.
Riley: Ya know, as much as I love arguing with your stubborn ass… we’re on a mission here.
(exhilarating music playing)
(heavy breathing)
(both laughing)
Ellie: (grunts) Okay, stop, stop. (exhales) Gimme a second.
Riley: Okay.
Ellie: (breathing heavily) Those lights are new.
Riley: Yeah, they wired up the block a couple weeks ago. You know, more people in the QZ, so more apartments.
Ellie: Ah, so FEDRA’s not entirely bad.
Riley: Mm, fascist dickbags starving their own population.
Ellie: Uh, Fireflies blowing up the storage depot didn’t help.
Riley: Propaganda bullshit.
Ellie: Yeah? So you don’t bomb stuff anymore?
Riley: Not when civilians are around.
Ellie: That’s propaganda bullshit. … What?
Riley: One… it’s okay you don’t know everything.
Ellie: Agree to disagree.
(Riley chuckles)
Riley: And two… we’re here.
Ellie: The mall? You out of your fuckin’ mind? They sealed that place off for a reason. It’s full of Infected.
Riley: If it’s sealed off, then… why isn’t it sealed off?
(tense music playing)
Ellie: Oh, it’s slimy.
Riley: Yeah. I mean, it’s been exposed for a few years. So, turns out when FEDRA connected that block up to the grid, this place got connected, too. Not that they know.
Ellie: So what are we doing here? Trying to get electrocuted, or… Ow.
Riley: Pay attention. You’re gonna go through there… then turn right. You’ll see a door. Go through it. Wait.
Ellie: No.
Riley: Fucking turn right, open the door, tell me when you’re there. Go.
Ellie: Fine. Are you gonna kill me? This seems like a perfect place to do it.
Riley: Oh, I’m aware.
(water dripping)
Riley (shouts): Are you there?!
Ellie: I’m here! Now what? Oh, you fucking piece of shit. Come on.
(machinery whirring)
(light music playing)
Riley: So… what do you think?
Ellie: It’s… it’s fuckin’… Wait. The lights.
Riley: We’re fine. You saw outside. It’s like a big bunker. No one can see shit but us. Just me and you. And you ain’t seen nothin’ yet. Tonight, I’m gonna show you the four wonders of the mall.
Ellie: You planned stuff?
(Ellie chuckles)
(“Take On Me” by A-ha playing)
Ellie: No way! Electric stairs?!
Riley: Escalator.
Ellie: Escalator?
Riley: Go ahead.
♪ ♪
Ellie: No way! Check me out, man! This is so cool! Look! Backwards. Forwards! And backwards!
Riley: (laughing)
Ellie: And now I’m not goin’ anywhere. I’m not moving! So this is the first wonder, right?
Riley: Uh, yeah, sure. There can be five wonders in this mall.
♪ Take on… ♪
Ellie: Whoa!
Riley: Be-be-be careful!
(Ellie laughing)
Ellie: I’m coming for you. Woo!
Riley: What are you doing? Oh!
Ellie: Ooh, shit.
Riley: Je-Jesus, Ellie.
Ellie: No, I’m good.
Riley: Are you okay?
Ellie: Yeah, yeah, I’m fine. I just tripped.
Riley: Okay.
Ellie: See? (laughs)
Riley: Oh.
Ellie: Ta-da.
Riley: You are just a graceful ballerina. But chop, chop. We’re on a schedule.
Ellie: Okay.
(music ends)
(footsteps approach)
Riley: Not exactly “full of Infected,” is it?
Ellie: Okay, you were right. Can we, like, stop and check some of it out?
Riley: Nope. Time is of the essence.
Ellie: Why are some of these stores empty and some not?
Riley: My mom said when the outbreak happened, people started looting until the military shut it down, so the stuff that’s gone is the stuff that people needed the most, or wanted, I guess.
Ellie: Right. So… sneakers… and not soap.
Riley: Or that shit. I mean, I don’t get why people back then wanted all this stuff.
Ellie: Do you need me to explain it to you?
Riley: Ha-ha, no. I know why. It just… looks uncomfortable.
Ellie: Yep.
Riley: (chuckling)
Ellie: What?
Riley: Nothing. I was just trying to imagine you wearing that.
Ellie: Shut up.
Riley: (laughing) All right, come on. We’re almost there. … Ellie!
Ellie: Uh-huh, I’m on my way!
Riley: Ah, ah. Stop right here. Close your eyes.
Ellie: What for?
Riley: Close. Do you trust me?
Ellie: With my life, apparently.
Riley: Oh, well then, give me your hand. Come on.
(light music playing)
Riley: Almost there.
Ellie: Now?
Riley: Almost. I said almost. Okay. Open your eyes.
Ellie: Shit.
(carousel powers on)
(carousel music plays)
Ellie: What?
Riley: Mm-hmm.
Ellie: No way.
Riley: Yep.
♪ ♪
Ellie: What?
Riley: (laughs) Nothing.
Ellie: You’re drunk.
Riley: No.
Ellie: Yes.
Riley: Not yet. Gimme.
(laughing)
♪ ♪
Riley: Ya need help?
Ellie: No.
(both laughing)
Riley: Whew. Yeah.
(Ellie chuckles)
Riley: Oh.
(laughs)
Ellie: Ah.
♪ ♪
(carousel stops)
(music distorts, stops)
Riley: Oh, come on. Damn it. Let me see if I can fix it.
Ellie: Wait. Did you really leave because you actually think you could liberate this place?
Riley: Don’t say it like it’s some type of fantasy, Ellie. They’ve done it in the other QZs. Set things right, the way they used to be.
Ellie: Yeah, we could do that, too. If you come back, I mean. We’re… we’re, like, the future. You know, we could make things better. We could be running things.
Riley: You… could be running things. I turn 17 next month. That’s when you get your assignment. You know what Kwong gave me? Sewage detail.
Ellie: Fuck.
Riley: Standing guard while people shovel shit. That’s what they think of me.
Ellie: Why didn’t you tell me any of this?
Riley: I don’t know. I-I just… I panicked. And I ran… and the longer I was away, the harder it was for me to come back. Is that making sense?
Ellie: No, I get it. I would’ve gotten it back then, too, ya know?
Riley: You know, you’re the one thing I missed from that fucking place… if that makes a difference. … No?
(chuckles)
(light music playing)
Riley: You know what? We’re two wonders down… three more to go, if you wanna keep going.
Ellie: I mean, I’m on a magic horse with, like, a million lights. I don’t know how it’s supposed to get better.
♪ ♪
Ellie: Is that a time machine?
Riley: Come on.
(Ellie chuckles)
Bunny (on screen): Can you be cool like me? Strike your best pose!
(console beeps)
Riley: Hey, being cool ain’t free. Please insert five dollars.
Ellie: Oh, fuck you.
Riley: Well, look at that. I came prepared.
Ellie: Have you done this before?
Riley: No, idiot. I was waiting to do it with you.
Bunny: Remember, strike your coolest pose!
Ellie: Let’s go, bunny.
(Riley chuckles)
(console beeping)
Ellie: Oh shit!
Riley: Oh, uh, um.
Ellie: Uh, what should we do?
(camera clicks)
Riley: Oh f…
Bunny: Lookin’ great.
Riley: Um, okay, bunny ears?
Ellie: (laughs) Wait.
Bunny: Say “cheese.”
(camera clicks)
Riley: Find another pose.
Ellie: Oh, uh…
Riley: Oh. Uh, back-to-back?
Ellie: Yeah.
(camera clicks)
(Riley laughing)
Ellie: Uh, do scary, do scary.
Riley: Okay.
(growls)
(camera clicks)
Bunny: Time’s up. Thanks for all your cool poses.
Ellie: Okay, yeah. Get off of me.
Riley: Okay, okay, sorry. I gotcha.
Bunny: Your photos are almost done. Let’s see how ya did.
(photos printing)
Riley: Oh, yeah.
Bunny: Thanks for hoppin’ on by.
Riley: There we go. Oh, fuck.
Ellie: That one’s not bad.
Riley: Hm… If you like it, it’s yours.
(Ellie chuckles)
Riley: Come on. We got places to be and wonders to see.
Ellie: Are we going to whatever number we’re up to?
Riley: Fourth wonder of the mall, and I hope you’re prepared because it’s pretty dang awesome, and it might break you.
Ellie: Uh, don’t oversell, man.
Riley: Oop. Listen.
(distant arcade machines beeping)
Ellie: Riley?
Riley: Yeah?
Ellie: This is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.
Riley: Yeah.
Ellie: Yeah.
♪ ♪
(Ellie chuckles)
Voice (in game): This is an emergency broadcast. The Earth is being invaded by flying saucers from Mars!
Ellie: Ohh, yeah.
Voice 2 (in game): Select a racehorse.
Ellie: Cool. (imitates driving car) Do you have any money? No, not that useless shit. Coins. We can’t even play once. … You asshole. (laughs)
Riley: Yeah, I’m the same asshole that spent an hour yesterday breaking this fucker open. … Thank you.
Ellie: Dude.
(Riley chuckles)
Ellie: Dude.
Riley: Yeah.
Ellie: Oh, my God.
Riley: Ya ready?
Ellie: Yeah.
(game chimes)
(both chuckling)
(game chimes)
Ellie: Ohh! Oh, my God.
Riley: Raiden. Fuck yeah!
Voice (in game): Mileena.
Riley: Mileena. Woo-hoo.
Ellie: (deep voice) Dead Pool.
Voice: Round one. Fight.
Ellie: Uh, wait, how do I play?
Riley: Smash the buttons.
Ellie: There’s so many of them.
(characters fighting)
Riley: Ooh! Boom.
Ellie: Ow!
Riley: Use the joystick more.
Ellie: Okay.
Aha.
Uh-huh.
Ellie: Ooh!
Riley: Mileena wins.
Agh!
Ellie: That is such horseshit.
Riley: Flawless horseshit. You ready?
Voice: Round two. Fight.
Ellie: No! I’m… Shit. Okay. Joystick.
(characters fighting)
Riley: Ooh! Oh!
Ellie: Ah!
Riley: You’re doin’ so good!
(laughs) How am I doing that?!
Voice: Finish him!
Riley: Finish him!
Ellie: Do not finish me.
Riley: But then you wouldn’t get to see this.
Ellie: Ah, fuck!
Voice: Mileena wins.
Fatality.
Fatality.
Ellie: Okay, that was pretty cool.
Riley: Yeah, I know.
Ellie: How many times have you played this?
Riley: I mean, I’ve… been here a few times.
Ellie: Ah, so you don’t wait to do everything with me.
Riley: Go again?
Ellie: Goddamn right.
(game chimes)
Riley: Ready?
Ellie: (deep voice) Round one. Fight.
Ellie: Uh-uh-uh, not for long.
Riley: Oh. Oh shit. You’re cheating!
Ellie: I’m not cheating. You’re just losing.
Riley: Okay. Just for that. Boom!
Ellie: Oh.
Riley: Oh. Boom!
Ellie: Here we go.
(bantering continues)
Riley: Oh. (squeals) Ooh!
(ominous music playing)
(bantering continues)
(gasps)
(indistinct chatter)
Riley: That was a good punch. I can’t lie… Oh!
Yeah! Gotcha.
You are beating my ass.
Ellie: (yells)
Riley: Oh! Jesus! Oh!
Ellie: Okay! Now, what do I do?! What do I do?!
Riley: Okay, um, back, forward, down, forward, low punch!
(yelling, laughing)
Riley: Oh. Come on. Next thing.
Ellie: Uh, it’s getting late. I have to wake up and make my bed soon. So…
Riley: We-We still have a few hours left, though.
Ellie: Yeah, I-I just can’t get in trouble again. But I’ll meet you here tomorrow.
Riley: I got you a gift.
Ellie: Oh. I mean… I do like gifts. … Is it a spider?
Riley: No.
Ellie: Is it a new shirt?
Riley: No.
Ellie: Is it a water pistol?
Riley: Better.
Ellie: Better?! Is it a dinosaur?!
Riley: Possibly.
Ellie: I mean, I’ll be your best friend again if it’s a dinosaur.
Riley: Oh, really, my best friend again? Ellie, you are already my best friend.
Ellie: Oh, wait, wait. Is it tacos? … Okay… not tacos.
(Riley chuckling)
Ellie: Is this where you’ve been staying?
Riley: Mostly. Ta-da! “Volume Too.”
Ellie: Shut up! They made a second one?!
(Riley laughing)
Ellie: Where did you get that?
Riley: “What did the frustrated cannibal do?”
Ellie: Lay it on me.
Riley: “He threw up his hands.”
(both laughing)
Ellie: Gimme. I wanna go. Okay. Okay.
(laughing)
Ellie: Uh… (clears throat) “What did the triangle say to the circle?”
Riley: Oh.
Ellie: “You’re so pointless.”
Riley: (laughing)
Ellie: Okay. Okay, um, “How does a computer get drunk?” “It takes screenshots.”
Riley: What are screenshots?
Ellie: I don’t actually know.
Riley: Okay, gimme. (laughs) Give me a second. Oh, here we go. “What do you call an alligator in a vest?”
Ellie: Did you make these?
Riley: Yes, Ellie, put it down.
Ellie: To kill soldiers? … You didn’t find this mall, did you? They posted you here. A new recruit guarding their stash?
Riley: We would never use them on you or anywhere ever near you. I would never let them do that.
Ellie: You would never let them? Right, and you think they’re gonna listen to you? … I mean, I guess we’ll find out.
Riley: Ellie.
Ellie: It’s okay. I’m going.
Riley: Ellie! Ellie?! Ellie!
Ellie: None of this shit was even about me!
Riley: Would you stop?
Ellie: Fuck you!
Riley: Ellie! Ellie, I’m leaving. They’re sending me to a post in the Atlanta QZ. I asked if you could join so we could go together. But Marlene said no.
Ellie: Who the fuck is Marlene?
Riley: Marlene is the lady that helped me get… It doesn’t matter. Ellie, I tried. Tonight’s my last night in Boston.
(melancholy music playing)
Ellie: Why did you bring me here?
Riley: Because I wanted to see you.
Ellie: And?
Riley: And…
♪ ♪
Riley: (sighs) …and I wanted to say goodbye. This isn’t easy, Ellie.
Ellie: It actually is. You just did it. Goodbye.
♪ ♪
(door closes)
Ellie: (muttering)
(ominous music playing)
(distant screaming)
Ellie: Shit. (shouts): Riley?!
(screaming)
Ellie: Riley!
(skeleton screaming)
Ellie: What the fuck?
(spooky store music playing)
Riley: Surprise. The fifth wonder. I thought you’d like this one the best, so I saved it for last. I guess that was stupid. I’m fucking stupid.
Ellie: Gimme the book. … So you leave me. I think you’re dead. All of a sudden, you’re alive. And you give me this night… this amazing fucking night. And now you’re leaving again. Forever. To join some cause I don’t even think you understand. Tell me I’m wrong.
Riley: I think… that you don’t know everything. You don’t know what it was like to have a family. To belong. I mean, I didn’t have them for long, but I had them. I belonged to them. And I want that again. Maybe the Fireflies aren’t what I think they are, but they chose me. I matter to them.
Ellie: You mattered to me first. Goddamn it, I wanna punch you so bad.
Riley: If it makes you hate me less.
Ellie: And you’re sure about this? About leaving?
(somber music playing)
Riley: Yeah.
Ellie: Okay. And I’m not saying it all pissy and shit.
♪ ♪
Ellie: You’re my best friend… and I’ll miss you.
Riley: Well… night’s not over yet. One last thing?
Ellie: Sure.
(chuckles)
Riley: Hey.
Ellie: Mm-hmm? … What am I supposed to do with this?
Riley: Put it on, stupid.
Ellie: But why?
Riley: ‘Cause it’s fun. And this music sucks.
Ellie: You little thief! (chuckles)
Riley: I was definitely, mm, probably gonna give it back.
Ellie: Uh-huh. Right.
(“I Got You Babe” by Etta James playing on Walkman)
♪ People say that we don’t know ♪
♪ What love is or how to make it grow ♪
Ellie: Really?
Riley: Come on.
Ellie: I don’t…
Riley: Get your ass up here.
(Ellie sighs)
♪ ‘Cause you got me, and, baby, I got you ♪
♪ Oh, babe ♪
♪ I got you, babe, I got you, babe ♪
Riley: Come on.
♪ They say our love won’t pay the rent ♪
♪ Before it’s earned, our money’s all been spent ♪
(both laughing)
♪ Guess that’s true, we don’t have a lot ♪
♪ But at least I’m sure of all the things we’ve got ♪
(laughing)
♪ Oh, babe ♪
Riley (sings along): ♪ I got you, babe ♪
(Ellie laughs)
Ellie (sings along): ♪ I got you, babe ♪
(both laughing)
♪ I got flowers in the spring, yeah ♪
♪ I’ve got you, I’ve got you to wear my ring ♪
♪ And when I’m sad, you’re a clown ♪
♪ And when I get scared, you’re always around ♪
♪ Ooh ♪
(heavy breathing)
Riley: What?
(song continues)
Ellie: Don’t go.
Riley: Okay.
♪ Oh, babe ♪
♪ I got you, babe, I got you, babe ♪
Ellie: I’m sorry.
♪ I got you to hold my hand ♪
♪ I got you to understand ♪
Riley: For what?
♪ I got you to walk with me ♪
♪ And I got you to talk with me ♪
(both laughing)
♪ I got you, hold me tight ♪
♪ I got you, I won’t let go ♪
(chuckles)
♪ I got you to love me so ♪
Ellie: Uh… what do we do now?
Riley: We’re gonna figure it out.
(clanking)
(Ellie gasps)
(tense music playing)
Riley: Get ready to run.
(roars)
(gunshots)
Riley: Go! Go! Go!
(roars)
(Ellie grunts)
(heavy breathing)
(roars)
(Ellie grunts, yells)
(roars)
(Ellie grunts)
Ellie: Get the fuck off of me!
(roaring)
(yelling)
(Riley screaming)
♪ ♪
(Ellie screams)
(heavy breathing)
(Riley coughs)
Ellie: (laughs) Holy shit! (heavy breathing) No.
(Ellie yells): No, no, no, no, no! No!
(somber music playing)
(shivering)
♪ ♪
Ellie: Come on, come on, come on, come on.
(Ellie screams): You motherfucker! Fuck you! Fuck!
(glass shattering)
Ellie: You mother… Fuck!
(unintelligible screaming)
Riley: There’s more stuff over there you can break.
(Ellie breathing heavily)
Ellie: What are we gonna do?
Riley: Way I see it, we got two options. One… we take the easy way out. It’s quick, painless. … No… No, I don’t like option one. Option two… we just keep going.
Ellie: What are you talking about, Riley? It’s over.
Riley: It will be… but not yet. It ends this way for everyone sooner or later, right? Some of us just get there faster than others. But we don’t quit.
(Ellie sniffles)
Riley: Whether… it’s two minutes… or two days… we don’t give that up. I don’t wanna give that up. (cries) We can just be all poetic and shit and lose our minds together.
Ellie: What’s option three?
Riley: I’m sorry. I’m sorry.
♪ ♪
(both crying)
(heavy breathing)
(light guitar music playing)
(Joel groaning)
Ellie: Okay, okay.
(music intensifies)
♪ ♪
♪ ♪
