Fans of The Last of Us have spotted an apparent Easter egg in the finale of season one that may have lasting consequences for the show going forward.
The hit HBO post-apocalyptic drama opened with a sequence apparently revealing how Ellie (Bella Ramsey) came to be immune to the cordyceps fungus.
Ellie’s mother (played by Ashley Johnson, who played Ellie in the video game original) is seen hiding out in an isolated farmhouse when she gives birth to her daughter, while being attacked by an Infected.
However, viewers who are familiar with the 2020 video game sequel The Last of Us Part II seemed to notice something familiar about the house in which Ellie’s mother hides.
Very minor spoilers for The Last of Us season two follow.
As noted by many viewers on social media, the isolated farmhouse bears a strong resemblance to the house seen in Part II, when it is occupied by Ellie and Dina (a character not yet introduced in the series).
A second season of The Last of Us has already been confirmed, with creators Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann stating that they intend to adapt The Last of Us Part II over multiple seasons.
Neither the original game nor the 2020 sequel featured the scene with Ellie’s mother, so the family connection to the farm would be an entirely new plotline were the series to explore it in season two.
Fans noted the strange Easter egg on social media.
“Anna running to give birth to Ellie in what looks like the farmhouse Ellie and Dina live in in Pt II... ohhhhh the layers,” one person wrote.
“Is the farm house that Ashley goes into in the finale of The Last of Us the same farm house Ellie and Dina are gonna live in????” another asked.
“ANYONE ELSE NOTICED ASHLEY JOHNSON ENTERS THE FARM HOUSE ELLIE AND DINA GO IN THE LAST OF US II,” someone else excitedly wrote.
Elsewhere, The Last of Us has recently been the target of “review-bombing”, with online trolls apparently co-ordinating an attack on its LGBT-focused episodes.
The series is available to watch now in the UK on Sky and NOW.
