The second episode of The Last of Us opens with a flashback to a physician investigating one of the primary recognized instances of the cordyceps virus. It offers background into the origins of the virus and how briskly it takes maintain however relating to publish-apocalyptic media, my curiosity has by no means actually laid within the origins of how the world ended or modified. I’m way more within the exploration of a publish-apocalyptic world and the way characters stay after such a life-altering occasion.
We choose up again with Joel, Ellie and Tess as they start their journey. One of the most effective issues to this point is how they steadiness little modifications to the story to make it extra appropriate for the tv medium with little callbacks to the sport with equivalent dialogue that proves each a loyalty to and a love for the supply materials which is refreshing to say the least.
They’ve additionally modified the way in which the cordyceps an infection acts. In the sport, there are areas coated in spores that may transmit the virus however within the present they’ve modified it to fungal tendrils that join the contaminated like a hive thoughts. It’s a cool idea – step on a vein and contaminated some other place will wake and know the place you might be. It permits for a extra visible interpretation on the virus that does not require the actors to be carrying gasoline masks in half their scenes.
We additionally get out first Clicker encounter within the present. They by no means actually scared me within the video games – I personally hate the Stalkers extra – however right here, there’s a actual Quiet Place vibe in that they should be as silent as doable and it actually amps up the horror side. The Clickers have a fantastic design too, each in audio and visuals and what within the video games is a straightforward stealth space the place you’ll be able to moderately sneak by utterly high quality turns into an entire lot extra tense and terrifying.
Tess’ loss of life scene was simply as impactful and pivotal to Joel’s character because it was within the recreation solely this time the menace is a horde of contaminated as an alternative of FEDRA troopers. Before Joel and Ellie run, she tells him to save lots of who he can save, a parting line that’s positive to affect some of his selections later within the present.
There have been heaps of little moments all through the episode the place Joel protected Ellie and bonded together with her, together with the well-known scene from the sport once they’re standing on the rooftop searching on the Capitol Building. Pascal and Ramsey are doing a fantastic job of embellishing on and deepening the character dynamic and chemistry and I’m trying ahead to seeing the way it develops as their bond begins to develop and develop past the preliminary matter of being compelled into one another’s lives.
What did you suppose of the second episode? Sad to lose Tess so quickly? Sound off within the feedback beneath!
Discussion about this post