Warning! This article contains spoilers for The Last of Us episode 1 and the original game.HBO's The Last of Us episode 1 answered some specific mysteries that had players wondering upon the release of the original game in 2013. The Last of Us episode 1 manages to strike the perfect balance required of a good video game adaptation, by including elements that are very faithful to the source material. However, The Last of Us episode 1 also manages to add to these elements in many ways.
From the added exploration of the 2003 section of The Last of Us concerning the original outbreak of the Cordyceps virus to the more grounded look at human life in 2023 after the outbreak, HBO's The Last of Us is both honoring and adding to the original game. In doing so, The Last of Us episode 1 has answered some mysteries found in both the past and present sections of the game. With that being said, here is every one of those mysteries that the latest Hollywood video game adaptation answers.
The Cordyceps Brain Infection’s Origin
The first mystery that is answered in The Last of Us episode 1 comes in the opening scene. The scene in question is set in 1968 and sees two scientists deliberating over the greatest threat to humanity on a talk show. One of the scientists states that he believes fungal infections could eventually be a bigger threat to mankind than bacteria or viruses. The scientist is questioned on this due to fungal infections not being able to withstand higher temperatures, hence their tendency to be parasitic to insects and other cold-blooded arthropods like The Last of Us’ Cordyceps virus.
In response to this, the scientist states that certain conditions could mean that regular parasitic fungi could mutate and evolve, learning to live inside the human body. He states that should the Earth as a whole heat up, then these fungi could evolve to withstand higher temperatures, therefore allowing them to have a human host. This provides a more concrete explanation for the origins of the Cordyceps brain infection, tying it to a real-world issue like global warming. While the explanation of the virus transmitting from infected crops to humans used in the game likely remains, The Last of Us episode 1 explains the next stage of the mankind-decimating disease.
How Sarah Fixed Joel’s Watch
The bulk of the other answered mysteries in The Last of Us episode 1 came in the sequence that begins after the opening scene. The episode flashes forward to 2003, as opposed to 2013 like the original Last of Us timeline, and centers on Joel, Sarah, and Tommy beginning their day which also happens to be Joel's birthday. After Sarah's day in school, Sarah travels to a watchmaker to fix Joel's watch as a present for his birthday. Sarah giving Joel the fixed watch is a part of the original game, although it does not answer how Sarah fixed it like HBO's show.
Why Joel Wasn’t Home During The Outbreak
One of the more prominent mysteries of the game's opening sequence comes once Sarah (Nico Parker) is awoken by the sound of distant explosions. Unbeknownst to Sarah, these explosions are due to the outbreak of the Cordyceps virus. Once waking, Sarah searches for Joel, who is nowhere to be found despite putting her to bed hours earlier. Joel - played by Pedro Pascal in HBO's show - then shows up once the Millers' neighbor breaks into their house and tries to bite them due to being infected.
The game does not answer where Joel was, or why he was outside despite being with Sarah earlier in the night. While The Last of Us episode 1 might not have the exact same reasoning, HBO still provides an answer to where Joel was. In The Last of Us episode 1 after Sarah falls asleep, Joel receives a phone call from Tommy (Diego Luna) who tells Joel he has been arrested and needs bailing out. This explains why both Joel and Tommy appear together to save Sarah in The Last of Us episode 1 and explains why Sarah was alone once waking up.
How The Millers’ Neighbor Got Infected
In The Last of Us game, an important scene reintroduces Joel after encountering his and Sarah's neighbor Jimmy, who has been infected with the Cordyceps virus. Joel quickly shoots Jimmy, before Tommy arrives and allows Joel and Sarah to escape in his truck. The Last of Us episode 1 delves into how the Millers' neighbor was infected. Earlier in the 2003 section, before Sarah goes to school, the focus is on the neighbors' elderly resident who is in an almost catatonic state. When Sarah visits her neighbor's after school, the elderly Mrs. Adler - only referred to as Nana - is in a similar state, though is shown twitching when Sarah is not looking.
During the outbreak section of HBO's The Last of Us episode 1, Nana begins eating Mr. and Mrs. Adler and is the first of the family to be infected. Once in Tommy's truck trying to escape Austin, Tommy states it is mainly people from the city that are becoming infected. Sarah then states that the Adlers would often take Nana into the city which explains her becoming infected first, something that is not divulged in the game.
Joel And Tess’ Relationship Status
After The Last of Us episode 1's time jump to 2023, there are some more game mysteries answered. The first of these revolves around Joel and Tess' relationship, which has long been the subject of a game theory. Many original game players theorized that Joel and Tess had a romantic relationship. With The Last of Us episode 1, HBO’s video game adaptation confirms whether this is the case or not. At one point in the episode, Tess (Anna Torv) climbs into bed behind Joel and puts her arm around him, seemingly confirming that the two are at least intimate with one another, if not in a romantic relationship.
How Bill And Frank Communicate With Joel And Tess
Something that The Last of Us game does not make clear is how Joel and Tess communicate with Bill and Frank outside of traveling to the town in person. The Last of Us episode 1, however, confirms that Bill and Frank communicate with Joel and Tess via radio. Bill - played by Nick Offerman in The Last of Us - and Frank (Murray Bartlett) control a radio in their town, which also plays in Joel's apartment back in Boston. Ellie reveals that Joel and Bill have a code. Songs from the 60s, 70s and 80s mean nothing new, new items, or trouble respectively, answering another game mystery for HBO's The Last of Us.
New episodes of The Last of Us release every Sunday on HBO.