The Last of Us Season 2, episode 1: Employee of the Month Easter egg, explained
The Last of Us is a particularly staunch lover of an Easter egg, with various references to the Naughty Dog games hidden within the episodes of the HBO series.
In Season 2, episode 1, there's a truly excellent subtle nod to one of the better puzzles in The Last of Us Part II, and it all comes down to a certain four-legged, top-tier employee.
In the series' first episode of the second season, when Ellie (Bella Ramsey) and Dina (Isabela Merced) are investigating possible Infected in Greenplace Market near Jackson, Wyoming, Ellie stops for a moment beside a board displaying the supermarket's "Employee of the Month". This is a direct reference to a moment in the second game when Ellie stumbles upon the exact display in the "Jackson Patrol" level. On a desk in a break room in the market you'll find a note written by a Greenplace employee called Mina to her colleague Kristen, promising a stash of goodies in the supermarket safe.
Mina's note reads:
Yo Kristen - left the real shit in the safe for you. Combo is the date my good boy got Employee of the Month. Don't fucking sell those or give them away. That's for your back, alright? Feel better — Mina
If you head back to the board, you'll figure out that July 2013's Employee of the Month was a dog, a very good boy indeed. It doesn't reflect too well on the human employees of Greenplace Market that they were all beat out by a canine, but it's cute. Typing in the code 07-20-13 into the safe will unlock a bunch of supplies, including crafting materials, supplements, and alcohol.
Including this moment in The Last of Us is just one of the many, many hidden references to the Naughty Dog games we're likely to encounter this season. We're glad this super pooch was honoured in both.