The Last of Us season 2's new Infected could mean big things for the series

One of the few complaints leveled at the first season of The Last of Us was that we didn’t get to see enough of the monstrous Infected. But for those who wanted more mushroom monsters, showrunner Craig Mazin wastes no time introducing a dangerous new enemy in season 2.

The season 2 premiere, “Future Days," gives a brief introduction to Kaitlyn Dever’s Abby, who’s out for Joel (Pedro Pascal) after he tore through a hospital full of Fireflies in the bullet-riddled season 1 finale. A quick jump five years into the future shows Joel having settled into the city of Jackson. But it’s not just the looming threat of Abby or parental problems with adoptive daughter Ella (Bella Ramsey) he needs to be worried about. Unlike some apocalyptic adventures where the threat of zombies dies out, The Last of Us shows how some Infected have evolved into a new type of enemy called a Stalker.

Of course, those who’ve played the games will know all about the savvy Stalkers. For the rest of us, what does the arrival of this new enemy mean for our characters?

Stalkers come to The Last of Us season 2

Ellie comes across this evolved type of Infected while exploring an abandoned store with Dina (Isabela Merced). After easily dispatching a standard Clicker like the ones we saw in season 1, Ellie falls through the floor and finds herself in the path of a Stalker. The games establish that Infected take between two weeks and one year to become Stalkers. With The Last of Us season 2 picking up 26 years after the 2003 Outbreak Day, this is one established Stalker.

The show’s take on the Stalker plays out much like the games, with Ramsey’s Ellie shocked by this more advanced version of the Infected that seems to be toying with her as it weaves in and out of her sight. With the oddly human-like Stalker getting the better of Ellie and biting her in the side before it’s dispatched, this could’ve been the end of our hardened hero. Thankfully, Ellie’s immunity to the Cordyceps infection means she lived to fight another day.

Speaking on the show’s official podcast, Mazin and game director Neil Druckmann reiterated the danger of the Stalkers and how the Jackson community has gotten "cocky," believing they know how to handle the Infected problem. Mazin highlighted the evolution of Stalkers. "We kind of wanted to spotlight the fact that they think, which is a huge problem," he said. "It is terrifying. Even the way they sound — that sadness — there’s a humanity in there still. There is more brain left in them."

He went on to ominously tease to IGN that more could be on the way. When asked about the Stalkers having a minimal role in the games, Mazin admitted: "If you meet a single infected that is that tricky, that smart... And by the way, this comes from my experience playing the game and being absolutely terrified by the stalker... I mean, the stalkers freaked me out so much, and I loved how they presented this new kind of challenge, which, I assume, came partly from the desire to expand gameplay."

Back in Jackson, there are fears about Infected moving closer to the community. It’s refreshing to get to see more of the Infected. Like in The Walking Dead, the people are the real threat in The Last of Us, but it’s important not to forget the threat of the Infected. Mazin previously told Variety there would be “a lot more Infected” in season 2. For die-hard fans, the more the merrier.

Alongside the introduction of Stalkers, the season 2 trailers have teased the return of the formidable Bloaters after a monstrous one caused trouble for Kathleen (Melanie Lynskey) and her crew in season 1. The moment where Tommy (Gabriel Luna) torches a Bloater with a flamethrower is sure to be one of the series’ big moments.

The question is, what’s left? There are still the pus-oozing Shamblers to look out for. The Last of Us Part II featured the iconic Rat King Infected, which could make or break the video game adaptation. Mazin has warned that things won’t play out how you might think. Speaking to GamesRadar+, the showrunner explained:

"We're certainly going to see quite a few changes along the way to impress upon our characters. Oh, do you think you've figured it out, you think you're good at handling the infected? The Rat King is something that anybody who has played The Last of Us Part 2 is traumatized by for so many reasons, count myself among them."

We’ve already come a long way from Anna Torv’s Tess losing her life to a Clicker early in season 1, but as Druckmann and Mazin have reminded us, humanity’s complacency about being able to easily pick off the Infected from a distance while safely tucked up in Jackson might be their undoing. The trailers have spoiled some major action scenes coming to Jackson, and while those who’ve played the games will know Abby might be pitched as the show’s big bad moving forward, don’t count the Infected out just yet.

To stay up to date on everything fantasy, science fiction, and WiC, follow our all-encompassing Facebook page and Twitter account, sign up for our exclusive newsletter and check out our YouTube channel.