I feel like this show is at its best when it is doing these type of self-contained flashback episodes. This time we focus on Ellie, and we learn how she came to be bitten.
I cannot even imagine how emotionally scarring it must be to have your first kiss (I am assuming it was her first) end with getting attacked by an infected and both partners receiving a death sentence. Sadly, we know how this ends. Riley will die, but Ellie does not. She gets locked up and the Fireflies realize what they have in their possession.
Bella Ramsey is excellent in this episode. She does the awkward love-struck teen thing so well. You can sense her crush on Riley early on, but also the struggle Ellie is having about her future in FEDRA. There are moments where it is hard to tell if the feeling is mutual (is Riley just trying to recruit her, is she just trying to give her best friend a great gift, or does she feel the same?).
I enjoyed the Dawn of the Dead homage with the setting at the mall. Kids getting a taste of the pre-zombie life. You knew it would not last, but it was nice to see them enjoying themselves for a bit. I guess I need to ask, was this backstory in the game, or is this an original for the show?
