The Last Of Us Episode 2: "Kiss of Death"

[FP1997]

Warning: spoilers ahead.

HBO is allowing the series creators to expand, and it's so, so worth it...

Episode 2 of The Last of Us follows Joel and Tess as they make their way to the capitol building in Boston to hand off Ellie to the Fireflies. 

Episode 2 opens in Indonesia, globalising the concept of infection. But we're not here to dissect the political minefield of a 'Third World Country', we're here to meet Ibu Ratna. A Professor of Mycology and expert in her field, she serves to deliver the mic-drop of the series: "Bomb". For there is no medicine, no cure, no vaccine (as explored by the panel last episode) that can stop the spread of the cordyceps fungus.

Following that throat-catching moment, we are gifted to another of HBO's unskippable credit sequences and then back in the familiar arms of our grisly trio. Master of backtalk, Ellie confronts Joel and Tess on their self-serving plan, and divulges the Firefly's plan to make Ellie's immunity the key to a cordyceps vaccine. After a tense moment, the group press on.

Bella Ramsey embodies the weird, annoying nature of Ellie flawlessly, ensuring we see her escapades and smart remarks as endearing. In the microcosm of the waterlogged hotel, Joel and Ellie form their first important connections; from Joel jumping to Ellie's rescue and cringing at her touch, to a defensive 'getting to know you' chat in the hallway waiting for Tess.  But we can see the facade slowly breaking down as he watches Tess coach Ellie on the latest addition to cordyceps lore: the zombies are connected by mile-long tendrils of underground fungus. Step on one patch of fungus, and a horde two blocks away will come running. "Now they know where you are, now they come."

This couldn't be more true when, cutting through the museum, they encounter the clickers.

The clickers use noise to locate their victims.

If you've played the game, you'll know that the best way to manouvre around the clickers is by crouching, walking quietly and throwing bottles/bricks to distract them. But, as we have literally lost control of events, we watch as Ellie encounters her first real sense of danger. As our heros silently negotiate their way around these echo-locators, a sharp intake of breath from Ellie ignites absolute chaos. The group escape with little more than a small bite on the already-immune Ellie, and a twisted ankle on Tess. So when this dysfunctional trio arrive at the Capitol building, and they see all the Fireflies they were supposed to meet up with are dead, the shock finally sets in. 

That moment...

Tess, a sure fan-favourite, could well have followed in the game's footsteps and dripped down into FEDRA's bloody pool of history. But, the narrative splits from its source material in compelling and disturbing fashion. While Tess grapples for a map going 'West', Joel shuts down, arguing that they should turn back. But for Tess, there is no going back. Tess was bitten back in the museum, and is already displaying symptoms of the cordyceps fungus spread. She knows that she can't go forward or back; her fate lies in the Capitol building, and Ellie's fate rests in Joel's hands.

And then it happens. One of the Firefly corpses reanimates, and when Joel shoots to kill, the underground fungus sends a trip signal to the horde of runners a block or two away. Pleading with Joel's deeply buried kind nature, she argues that she's never asked for anything from him, their relationship, or partnership. Whatever it is that appeals most to Joel, he snaps into action, dragging Ellie from the building as Tess douses the ground in fuel, bombs and bullets. Shaking, she pulls out a lighter, trying to snap it while runners fill the building in front of her eyes.

Then, one turns to look at her.

The kiss of death between Tess and a runner.

Moving slowly towards her, perhaps knowing somehow that she is already infected, this runner slowly opens his mouth to reveal tendrils of the fungus sprouting. He then leans in to meet Tess's open mouth, speeding up the infection process. It's a violating moment, but before the infection can take hold, Tess drops her lighter into the fuel and blows up the building.

9/10: the excitement around this series is, ironically, infectious.