The Last of Us HBO Episode 7 included a blink-and-you-miss-it Easter Egg, that saw the Naughty Dog paw logo shown for just a moment. It’s the latest in a long line of nods to the audience who have also played the critically-acclaimed video games on which the show is based, developed by Naughty Dog.
Naughty Dog paw logo appeared in The Last of Us Episode 7 on HBO
While being reprimanded for getting into a fight, Ellie was told she had two paths that she could take by FEDRA official, Captain Kwong. Using his keys to represent the second path, Naughty Dog fans may have spotted the red paw logo etched upon what looked to be a lighter or small tin attached to his key chain. It was shown for just a moment on Kwong’s desk, before the camera angle of the scene changed.
This may have been done in this episode in particular, because it is the only episode of the first season that is written solely by Naughty Dog Co-President, Neil Druckmann. As the co-creator of The Last of Us, he is somebody that is integral to the series’ development, and has served as creative director on both of the Last of Us video games, including the DLC on which this episode is based, Left Behind.
A little later in the episode, another Easter Egg from the video games is shown. This time, it’s a movie poster for Dawn of the Wolf Part 2. These are just the latest in a long line of throwbacks for fans, which have been scattered throughout the seven episodes of the show to-date. Others include Tess’ lighter in Episode 2, the No Pun Intended joke book in Episode 4, and the Savage Starlight comics enjoyed by Ellie and Sam in Episode 5.
The Last of Us continues Sundays on HBO, and is available to stream on HBO Max.
