The Last of Us was a massive hit for HBO. While the show was a largely faithful adaptation of the game, it wasn’t without changes. Some of the changes are fairly minor, like moving the hotel scene to include Tess. Other changes are significant, such as eliminating the risk of infectious germs spreading to humans.
While some of the changes may cause a bit of controversy, the creators have expanded and enriched the lore of the place. One of the biggest changes we saw was the way the infected operate in the world of The Last of Us. Without the threat of germs, the creators needed another way to make the world more dangerous than before, and Boy Did they!
When Joel, Tess, and Ellie look from a vantage point at a group of infected people, Ellie notices that they look connected. Tess takes this moment to teach Ellie (and the fans) something about the world. In presentation, cordyceps can be connected to miles, unlike some real-life fungi. If you disturb a live piece of Cordyceps in one area, you can alert an infected person to your presence from up to a mile away. Not only will sufferers feel disturbed, but they will also know exactly where to find you.
While this playful connection focuses on roots, you can also think of it as something from the web. We gave a shocking demonstration of the infected’s contact at the end of episode two. Joel kills an infected, disturbing Cordyceps a mile away. A mob of infected people rushes towards the building containing Joel, Tess, and Ellie. After being bitten, Tess eventually gives what is left of her life to wipe out the horde using explosives. Her latest act gives Joel and Ellie a chance to escape.
The new Cordyceps interrelationship is a huge departure from the game, and could have major implications for the world of The Last of Us. In the game, it was the presence of a crowd that Joel and Ellie rarely saw. The most famous example of a rally occurs when Joel, Ellie, and Bill try to get a car battery and have to go through the schoolyard. The idea of an infected horde is usually more common in other zombie games, such as Days Gone.
The constant threat of an infected horde raises the stakes with every step Joel and Ellie take. The survivors will have to remain very vigilant on their journey. Unlike germs, this new threat cannot be mitigated by Ellie’s immunity or by having Joel don a gas mask. Every step has to be measured, which means those moments of rest can turn into penny-pinching. The slightest mistake can lead to the worst consequences.
In the end, it’s a welcome departure from the game if it’s used interestingly. Anything that helps escalate the threat to your heroes makes good TV.
My only concern is that it pushes The Last of Us into the realm of zombie show tropes. The spores were a fairly unique idea, and the airborne virus isn’t usually seen in zombie shows (although, ironically, it’s something we’ve become so familiar with in reality, which could have been a factor in bringing it down because of its sightings). Hordes of monsters are fairly common in something like The Walking Dead. Ultimately, we’ll have to see how the show’s contestants take advantage of this new ability in the coming weeks, but I hope it leads to cinematic moments that further lend their own identity to the show.
