Warning! This post contains SPOILERS for The Last of Us episode 2
The Last of Us episode 2 features some significant changes from the events of the original video game series, though the changes are strong improvements for the overall story and the new medium of a live-action television series. Following Joel Miller (Pedro Pascal) and Tess Servopoulos (Anna Torv) as they venture outside the Boston QZ to smuggle Ellie Williams (Bella Ramsey), the trio of survivors faces the Infected for the first time in the new series. However, the events of HBO's The Last of Us episode 2 feature some compelling changes compared to the narrative seen in the first game.
Thus far in the new HBO series, the first two episodes of The Last of Us have been very faithful to the games thanks to the direct involvement of the original creators and writers. However, there have still been changes, providing some dynamic surprises while giving the show more of a unique style. The series feels like a second draft of the original story as opposed to something fully brand-new, keeping the core narrative consistent. Case in point, many of the changes seen in The Last of Us episode 2 help make the show even stronger (and scarier).
The Last of Us Changes Make The Infected Much Scarier
One of the biggest changes from the games was the decision to introduce tendrils rather than spores which come from the monstrous Infected in The Last of Us episode 2. In the original games, the cordyceps infection featured clouds of spores, requiring players to use gas masks to traverse these dangerous sections of the game. However, the decision was made to have tendrils instead, a change that's more in line with how actual fungi such as cordyceps operate.
Stepping on one section of the tendrils can be felt by a nearby horde, such as the one seen in downtown Boston which starts heading straight for the state house after Joel inadvertently alerts them to his presence along with Tess and Ellie. In this way, the Infected of the show act like a horrifying interconnected hivemind, able to respond and react to new potential hosts across massive distances. Not only is it undeniably scarier than aerial spores, but it's arguably easier to depict on-screen rather than having Joel and Ellie constantly needing gas masks.
Why Last of Us Changed Tess's Death From The Game
Another big change was Tess's death in The Last of Us episode 2. In the first game, Tess gets infected by a Runner rather than a Clicker, as seen in the show, though her ultimate death comes from a group of FEDRA soldiers when she chooses to hold them off so Joel and Ellie can escape. However, BTS footage for The Last of Us episode 2 reveals why the Infected replaced the soldiers. It was decided that the original death wouldn't be as sustainable for the show, with the creators choosing to keep the episode's focus on the Infected as the predominant threat of the episode.
Just like the changes with TLoU's Infected, altering Tess's death while still keeping the core beats of the story makes these changes solid improvements. Nothing is ultimately lost, and the events of this episode, in particular, feel far more cohesive as the Infected are introduced. Having the soldiers kill Tess like in the game probably would have felt rather abrupt in this new television medium after all the time spent building up the danger of the Infected. Here's hoping the changes seen in HBO's The Last of Us continue to feel like improvements.