In episode 8 of The Last of Us, Ellie meets David, the leader of a small village called Silver Lake. David is a preacher who reads from the Bible to calm his people, including Alec’s daughter, after Joel killed one of his men, Alec. Ellie is out hunting deer when she encounters David, who tells her the full story of how Alec died.
Ellie doesn’t trust David and his friend James, but she offers to give them half of the deer she has hunted in exchange for medicine. David stays with Ellie while James goes to get medicine. He shares his history with Ellie, explaining that he believes there’s a meaning behind every event. Ellie thinks David’s explanation is ludicrous, but she lets him continue.
David reveals that he and his neighbors have had a difficult winter and have transferred four of their employees to adjacent towns in search of supplies. Only three of the four returned, and Alec, the father of a little girl like Ellie, didn’t. It was revealed that a crazed man was responsible for Alec’s death, and this individual was also accompanying a little girl on their journey. Ellie figures out that David is referencing the man Joel murdered.
In episode 6 of The Last of Us, Joel and Ellie search for the Fireflies at Eastern Colorado University but find nothing but monkeys when they arrive. A route chart suggests the Fireflies are on their way to Salt Lake City. As David’s group arrives, Joel and Ellie have already left to do the same. The presence of bats and other weaponry leads Joel and Ellie to conclude that these people are pirates.
While David’s crew makes a circuit around the campus, Joel and Ellie make a hasty exit through the building’s hidden exit. Ellie and Joel are walking to their horse when suddenly Alec jumps out and assaults Joel. Joel strangles Alec with a firm grip around the neck, and Alec was still able to stab Joel in the struggle. David’s other followers arrive to save Alec; they attack Joel and Ellie, who flee on horseback.
James’s desire to kill Ellie was fueled by his realization that she and Joel are to blame for Alec’s death. Nonetheless, David had compassion for Ellie because he recognized aspects of himself in her. As David let one of Alec’s killers go free, the residents of Silver Lake became cold to him. David promised them that they would investigate Ellie’s tip and find the killer of Alec.
Alec was mid-sentence when his daughter cut him off with a demand that he kills Joel and Ellie. David hits her and tells her that he is like her father and that she should listen to him and treat him with respect even if she no longer has her father. A little while later, David’s crew manages to round up Ellie.
Some of his men are returning Ellie to Silver Lake, while others are still on the lookout for Joel. After finally defeating them, Joel travels to Silver Lake, where David continues his dogged pursuit of Ellie’s allegiance. After learning that David and his people engage in cannibalism, Ellie takes advantage of any opportunity to flee. In the end, Sarah and David are fighting in a burning steakhouse, and she murders him by slicing off his throat with a butcher knife.
In conclusion, episode 8 of The Last of Us introduces us to David, the leader of Silver Lake, who tells Ellie the full story of how Alec died. Despite not trusting David and James, Ellie offers them half of her hunted deer in exchange for medicine. David shares his history with Ellie and reveals that he believes there’s a meaning behind every event. The episode ends with Sarah killing David in a burning steakhouse after learning about his group’s cannibalism practices.