The Last of Us Episode 2 review: Tess takes drastic action to save Ellie

If The Last of Us premiere was all about introducing us to Ellie and Joel, then The Last of Us Episode 2 is focused on expanding the world and showcasing just what a post-apocalyptic 2023 would look like.

When I heard that The Last of Us was on the way to becoming one of the most expensive HBO shows ever, even surpassing Game of Thrones, I had my doubts. How could a zombie show be pricier than a show with massive CGI dragons? But this episode proves HBO invested every cent in ensuring The Last of Us looks as incredible as its video game counterpart.

Even if everything else were terrible, it would still be worth watching this series to see the beautiful production design. Without people running amok, nature runs its course. Ivy, moss, decay and fungus have overtaken cars and buildings, laying claim to the wreckage. Using a mixture of broad sweeping camerawork and crane shots, The Last of Us Episode 2, “Infected,” takes time to show off the details of this gorgeous and terrifying new world.

SPOILERS ahead for The Last of Us Episode 2

Similar to the premiere episode, the second installment opens in the past, setting up background information about the fungal outbreak. In Indonesia in 2003, a scientist (Christine Hakim) is called in to investigate a strange case of cordyceps infecting a human.

Once she sees the aftermath of the infection, she tells the soldiers that the only choice moving forward is to bomb the cities where the infected were found; 14 at the time. There’s no other possible cure. I loved this opening scene. It was ominous and tense, effectively establishing the stakes and setting the stage for what follows.

Most of “Infected” is spent following Ellie, Joel, and Tess as they trek through the biohazard zone toward the meet-up point with the Fireflies. We see what the city looks like outside of the quarantine zone for the first time, and it exceeds expectations. There’s also a reference to the cold open, as Ellie comments on a crater left behind by one of the bombs. Clearly the military took the scientist’s advice, but it wasn’t enough to save humanity.

As the trio navigates through streets, fallen buildings, and an old museum, we get more recreations of great moments from the video game. “Infected” features the introduction of the Clickers, one of the most horrifying breeds of zombies in this world. Clickers differ from other Infected in that they cannot see but instead track their prey by sound.

Sneaking past a horde of Clickers in the game is a unique kind of terror. As the creative director and writer of the games, Neil Druckmann was the perfect person to direct this episode.

As video game fans know, the resulting skirmish with the Clickers leads to Tess’ death. She gets bitten during the fight. Ellie does too, but the drastic difference between their wounds is enough to convince Tess and Joel that Ellie really is immune. Unfortunately, all the Fireflies are already dead by the time they arrive at the meet-up.

Before digging into the climactic ending of The Last of Us Episode 2, I want to use a little aside to explain why I love the show-specific cordyceps tendrils. Many people online are debating whether the series made a mistake by changing the primary method of infection from spores to tendrils, but I think it was a great decision.

The Last of Us subs in tendrils for spores, and it’s a great choice

The sequence of all the Infected writhing together on the ground, connected by an underground system of fungal tendrils, was so disturbing. It was like a Junji Ito manga coming to life in live-action. It might be controversial, but the tendrils are more frightening than the spores. And the logic of not wanting to hide Pedro Pascal’s beautiful face behind yet another mask also holds up.  And the tendrils result in the most spine-tingling scene on the show so far.

After arriving at the meeting location full of dead Fireflies and realizing they won’t be making the trade for Ellie, Tess makes a drastic decision to ensure Ellie can get where she needs to go and potentially save the last of humanity. While the trio investigate the deaths, they disturb a clump of fungus, meaning every member of the Infected connected to that specific network of tendrils wakes up and comes charging toward the building.

Knowing she’s going to die anyway, Tess pleads with Joel to take Ellie and run as she pours gasoline and dumps grenades all over the place, intending to blow up the whole building along with any Infected inside so they can escape. Her plan works, albeit just barely, as Tess lights her lighter at the last possible second—after an Infected has kissed her and let its nasty fungal tendrils creep down her throat. Yeah, that made my skin crawl.

Tess’ end is slightly different from the game. There she’s killed by soldiers, but I think this ending is more cinematic. I also think it’s good that The Last of Us is making some changes from the source material. As cool as the scene-by-scene recreations are, adaptations are meant to experiment a little. That’s the whole point of adapting a story to a different medium, after all.

The Last of Us Episode 2 ends with Joel and Ellie on their own as their journey truly begins.

Episode Grade: A

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