What happened to Riley in episode 7 of 'The Last of Us' on HBO is a huge turning point in the series, forcing both Ellie and the audience to use our imaginations. HBO. The Last of Us episode 3 aired on HBO and HBO Max last Sunday, picking up with Ellie and Joel ( Bella Ramsey and Pedro Pascal) as they took steps following last week's tragic loss. Their Spores. Video Game: In the game, an airborne version of the virus called “spores” is a big challenge for both Joel and the players in their quest for survival. In the games, Ellie’s ability Does Joel die in The Last of Us episode 6? Photo: Liane Hentscher/HBO. To answer this, I’m going to have to spoil what happens to Joel in The Last of Us Part 1: Joel doesn’t die in The Last of Because the first season of The Last of Us on HBO covers the first game and the Left Behind expansion pack, we can intuit that Joel won’t die this year, as he does not die in those games. But What these photos strongly suggest, though, is that The Last of Us series’ story will likely play out roughly as it does in the original game at least up until the point that Joel and Ellie 1 Sarah. Image via HBO. The most devastating death of the show comes as a shock in the series premiere when Joel's daughter teenage Sarah ( Nico Parker) is shot and killed when the spread of the e59u.