*contains spoilers*
Now, more than halfway through season two of “The Last of Us,” and with only two episodes left for audiences, the critically acclaimed series adaptation continues to stay generally faithful to its original video game namesake.The show attempts to explore the same themes of violence and characters that fans have come to form long-lasting love-hate relationships within the game.
That is to say, the series’ second installment is not without its flaws. High expectations were set by the first season in 2023, and the intellectual property’s highly dedicated fanbase recognizes how difficult it will be to translate the game over to screen.
One of the largest deviations from the game to its live-action show is the original story’s use of cordyceps spores. An element of the game that pollutes the air with cordyceps fungus reproductive cells, infecting an individual when breathed in, and is a main contributor to the widespread outbreak in its storyline. The show, though, introduces infectious spores in the second season, long after the outbreak of the infection.
Series adaptation creators Craig Mazin and Neil Druckman decided to leave out this critical mechanic throughout the storyline for all of season one and most of season two for unknown reasons other than theorized creative live-action complications, a decision that drew criticism from many game-oriented fans.
In episode seven, during Ellie’s (Bella Ramsey) descent into chasing Nora (Tati Gabrielle), an accomplice in Joel’s (Pedro Pascal) death, the audience follows them both within the basement of a Seattle hospital occupied by the Washington Liberation Front (W.L.F.). The basement is revealed to be infested with spores, revealing that the missing game element had been looming in the show’s world all along.
The addition of spores in the series will not only create complications for characters and storyline, but will also raise questions for the viewer. At the same time, it also produced certain advantages that can be utilized as the story progresses off course of source material.
Viewers witness how integral spores can become towards the show’s narrative as Ellie, being the only person known to be immune to cordyceps, is able to traverse through spore-infested areas without becoming infected, giving her the upper hand during her encounter with Nora and others in the future.
As the introduction of spores appears later in the storyline than expected, it is hard not to believe that there will be some deliberate payoff down the road.
For those unfamiliar with the source material, an adaptation of the game’s notorious second installment titled “The Last of Us Part II,” released in 2020. In this second part of the game, players shift from the perspective of Joel within the first installment to the intertwined narratives of Ellie as an adult and the newly introduced Abby (Kaitlyn Dever).
Much of this season has faithfully been centered around Ellie and her journey of finding and killing those involved in Joel’s torturous death. However, fans of the original material will likely be wondering where and what Abby is doing since her last appearance in episode two.
This adaptation has taken a slower approach to showing the other half of Joel and Ellie’s violent actions, and Abby’s past, which is shown to players within the game to humanize her. Some fans may find the show more rewarding due to this approach since a large criticism of “The Last of Us Part II” video game is how players were forced to take on the perspective of Abby, who is notoriously hated for murdering Joel.
Ellie’s hatred for Abby is felt throughout these first five episodes through her inheritance of Joel’s violence which is expressed in her brutal interrogation scene with Nora. The scene is also shot in a way that is similar to the moment where Abby notoriously kills Joel in episode two, which draws parallels between Ellie and Abby in their suffering at the hands of violence, and as individuals who are two sides of the same coin.
However, it is this back-and-forth rivalry between the two characters within “The Last of Us Part II” that is drastically missing and begging to resurface for audiences to understand the complex perspective behind the justification of violence.
Verdict: With the release of episode five in season two of “The Last of Us,” series creators Craig Mazin and Neil Druckman amp up the spectacle of action, violence and tension-filled scenes. However, audiences who have played the video game may feel that the adaptation so far is unable to convey the nuanced and challenging storytelling of its complex characters.
