The Last of Us – “Infected” Review
The Last of Us, “Infected” aired on January 22nd on HBO. Based on the 2013 video game developed by Naughty Dog, the series follows Joel (Pedro Pascal), a smuggler tasked with escorting the teenage Ellie (Bella Ramsey) across the post-apocalyptic United States. In “Infected” Joel, Tess (Anna Torv), and Ellie traverse through an abandoned and flooded Boston hotel on their way to drop Ellie off with a group of Fireflies. Below you will find our review of The Last of Us, “Infected”.
Warning: This article contains spoilers from The Last of Us “Infected”. Read at your own risk!
September 24th, 2003; two days before the day of the outbreak, in Jakarta, Indonesia. Ibu Ratna (Christine Hakim), a mycologist, is taken to a facility where she learns of the upcoming fungus pandemic. She tells officials that there is no medicine or vaccine that can stop it and urges them to bomb the city and everybody in it.
Back in the present, Joel and Tess still don’t understand Ellie’s condition. Ellie explains that Marlene (Merle Dandridge) found her after she was bitten. Then Marlene locked her in an attic and would test her daily by counting to ten. Joel still doesn’t trust that Ellie won’t turn. Ellie explains to them why she was important, that there are Firefly doctors that are trying to find a cure, and that she is the key. When their original route to the Statehouse is blocked by dozens of infected, they changed course making them to cut through a museum. The trio are soon attacked by two blind infected, known as clickers when Ellie was bitten by one of them.
“You’re not immune from being ripped apart.” – Theresa ‘Tess’ Servopoulos (Anna Torv)
Once they arrived at the Statehouse, they discover all the Fireflies were slaughtered when one of them had been bit and attacked everyone. It was then revealed that during the attack in the museum, Tess was bitten while Ellie bit was already healing. Tess urges Joel to take her out west to another friend who will handle her. During this one of the bodies started to reanimate causing Joel to shoot it. Which resulted in all of the infected storming the Statehouse. After pouring gasoline around, Tess convinced Joel to leave with Ellie while she stays behind to ignite the building, killing herself along with the infected horde.
My Overall Thoughts
I was mesmerized by the details of the city daytime, for an apocalyptic world it really did look beautiful. They did an amazing job with the visual effects of the city. The detail at the beginning of how the scientist urged the officials in India to bomb the cities, then seeing the city in Boston was bombed, and how Tess told her it worked in some cities, was a great detail to add.
We finally got an up-close look at clickers. Gotta admit, watching how the bodies reanimate then as the fungus slowly woke all the infected up when Joel shot one of them who was connected to the fungus, was one of the coolest moments. I had to rewatch that scene a few times. They really captured the hive-like mind the fungus pandemic has. So far, both episodes have blown me away.
When you’re lost in the darkness, look for the light.
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