‘The Last of Us’ Recap: ‘Infected’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode Two of ‘The Last of Us’. To revisit the series premiere, click here.
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Truly one of the biggest benefits of starting a new television series, is being able to immerse oneself in a story and a world that one knows little about. For a new show is indeed undiscovered country, and the thrill of being able to learn about that world and what makes it tick, is just energizing and engaging, and well… it is definitely safe to say we are all going through that experience right now regarding the new HBO series, The Last of Us. Because just like that, we are being plunged into a refreshing and original zombie story, one that is wasting little time in educating us about a Planet Earth devastated by a mutated strain of Cordyceps fungus that has figured out how to thrive inside humanity and control its hosts and truly, we were treated to some incredible education and world-building during last night’s episode.
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For ‘Infected’ is a story that genuinely explained in a haunting and subtle manner, how the poor souls that were transformed into the stuff of nightmares function, and what their life is like and how dangerous the everyday world can be to the weary survivors out there hoping to find shelter. But before it dug into that, this story once again explored the beginning of the end of our modern world. By taking us into the place that first saw major activity from the Cordyceps Infection, Jakarta. So that we could come to learn without a doubt how this infection spread to so many people on 9/26/03, a dark day of irrevocable change for all mankind, and it turns out… it was indeed flour that harbored this new strain of Cordyceps and being around it inside one of the biggest production houses for it in Jakarta, was enough to activate it within the people that worked there.

Of course, the old rule of zombiedom is that one becomes two and two becomes four and that was definitely applied in this segment of the infection since so many from that factory went missing and well… that set the tone for the episode and of course, locked in our morbid fascination to know more and once we returned to present day to spend time with Joel, Tess, and Ellie… we were able to learn so much about the infection and the horrors it truly presents this new world with. Such as the fact that not everyone who becomes infected, survives, making Cordyceps a true ‘survival of the fittest’ type illness and those who do pull through and thrive… live an awful life. Wherein fungus sprouts from the core of their body, turning humans into a horrific hybrid that are tethered to a hive mind that rules their lives going forward. One that forces them to react accordingly through a mycelial network of fungal infection now growing through what’s left of man’s once proud cities.

Which is a terrifying prospect to learn, since our individuality is something we truly prize, so to see humans in this story, moving about as a collective, with no purpose or dream, aside from infecting others … was terrifying to say the least. As was the group’s encounter with the ‘evolved’ iteration of the Cordyceps Infection. Since we also came to learn that in some cases, the fungus will burst through a person’s skull and remove the use of their eyes. But not to worry… the fungus has a solution for removing a core element of human physiological functionality. Since these monsters will use echolocation to find any prey within range, giving them the nickname ‘Clickers’ in the process, since they click often to establish their surroundings and truly, a single noise will bring down their horrifying wrath, and well… all of these discoveries made for one powerhouse crash course in a world owned by fungus.

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If anything, these elements added a hopeless vibe to this tale, one that was further compounded by the other unique world-building aspect present in this story. Specifically… what a devastated America looks like twenty years after the end of everything. Which brought forth visuals that immediately offered homage to George A. Romero’s Day of the Dead, since we were treated to a rotten cityscape filled with dangerous zombies, much like the opening of that film, and there were also echoes of the lost battle mankind waged with nature. Since Boston, a proud city full of rich American History regarding the Revolutionary War, was full of holes from where bombs were dropped to slow the spread. Speaking to the desperation present on that fateful day and how easily nature was able to overtake humanity despite our ability to defend ourselves, and it was equally as devastating to see how the city was steadily crumbling as nature and Cordyceps claimed it for their own.
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However, while all of that was fascinating to dive into, make no mistake about it… there was still a plot to be found in this tale. Which was to get Ellie to the Fireflies’ base at the center of Boston and that too brought forth some incredible moments that were clearly designed to build toward something bigger. Which came forth courtesy of complete and utter failure. Because one of the caveats of this quest, was that everyone survives. But Tess took a bite from one of the Clickers on their way to their destination and the base in and of itself, was laid to waste because of Cordyceps as well. Since an infection there prompted chaos and panic and all were lost, leaving Joel in a tough place to say the least. Since it was either return home with nothing to show for it or forge ahead with Tess’ wishes. Which were to get Ellie to a good friend named Bill out west and do whatever must be done to keep her alive to help the Fireflies use for her a cure.

For it was also properly hammered home here that Ellie is indeed immune to the effects of the Cordyceps Infection, and could in fact… help the Fireflies end this madness and bring humanity back from the brink and that revelation and Tess’ brave decision to stay behind and fight that which was she was about to become, which also featured a unique moment of ‘understanding’ between the already Infected and those about to turn… brought forth the genesis of a central theme for this show. Because thus far, all we’ve done, is seen humanity suffer, and mope about without purpose or direction following the end of the world, and understandably so. For the end came swiftly and survival became the norm and following one’s dream of say, becoming a famous singer, was definitely secondary to putting food on the table… and outright living.

But not having those goals to work toward, or anything outside of waking up in the morning to just... live… removes something essential to the human condition. Specifically, hope. Hope for a better tomorrow, hope for the end of suffering and even hope that one will live through the day. But Ellie could provide that hope once again… and inspire humanity to strive for something better and that’s huge. Because it means that this series will follow in the footsteps of other great zombie stories and ask critical questions about humanity. Such as whether or not we are worth salvation, and if we are… how do we redeem ourselves and find hope again, and well… that is going to make for a fascinating season of storytelling. One that is clearly going to be filled with careful world-building and explorations of a broken humanity, and that is also going to make the wait for next week’s episode as painful as can be. Because this episode was brilliant, and this story is brilliant, and we simply need more of this refreshing take on horror’s most popular monster. Until next time.

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