Greetings and Salutations, Blog Readers!

Today, as you can tell from the title, we are discussing episode two of The Last of Us. I try to avoid spoilers, but much of what I have to discuss will involve a spoiler, so this blog is being posted over one full week after Episode Two went live, so if you are upset by spoilers, you have a couple of options.

Stop reading.

Go watch episode two.

This is your final chance. There will be spoilers. Do not gripe at me. I try hard to avoid spoilers, but this post will have some.

But also, this post is coming out a few days after Episode Three, so like…don’t be mad at me if you are reading a post about Episode Two and something gets spoiled.

Stop reading If you don’t want spoilers.

Okay, fair warnings have been given, let’s get into it.

Episode two covers Joel and Tess trying to get Ellie to the meetup location for the fireflies. This is similar as it was in the game, and we have familiar scenes and moments that mirror the game, with some new and unique takes as well.

One my those new and unique takes, that I am totally in love with, is the changing of how exactly the fungus works. Having a network of fungus so if you step on one, all the nearby ones can come tear you apart…this is thrilling and awesome. Full disclaimer, I have never played the game, but I have watched…well an embarrassing number of game plays and I have never seen this mechanic shown, so it is safe to say this is a new change to the material, but one that adds a thrilling element for the survivors to endure. Also, a great moment when Tess tells Ellie “you may be immune but you can still be ripped apart” is a great reminder for her, and the audience, that immune does not me immortal. She can still be torn apart by the zombies, she is still very  much vulnerable to the threat of the zombies, she is simply okay if her only injury is a bite.

Like in the game (SPOILERS) Tess gets bit. In the show, however, Ellie also gets bit, but unlike Tess, her injury does not grow, she does not tremble, she has no issues with her injury.

When the trio arrive at the meetup spot, they see all the fireflies are dead. It seems one was infected and it dissolved into a gun fight.

Once It is revealed that Tess is infected, and infected are barreling down on them, we have some key changes from the game. In the game, Tess is infected and Fedra is breaking in, but here, infected are the threat at hand, which I think is a delightful change, and Tess doesn’t merely shoot a few people before being shot in the head.

Tess fights against the infection raging in her system, having poured gasoline and grenades everywhere, and stands in wait.

There is an awkward moment here that has been pretty heavily discussed online, about an infected kissing Tess, but I think this has been discussed enough, and takes away from the real moment – when Tess finally gets the lighter to strike, blowing up the building, taking tons of infected with her, and giving Ellie and Joel a chance to escape.

Save who you can. The theme of this episode, and maybe the entire show. Save who you can.

And, since I am typing this late, and I have already watched episode three, and that episode wrecked me, I can’t even type “save who you can” without wanting to cry so, I will wrap this here and so that so far, all the changes from the source material have been magnificent, and I am so incredibly blown away by this show.

Thanks for reading,

Abbi