The Last Of Us Season 1 Episode 2 Recap and Review

The Last Of Us Season 1 Episode 2 gives viewers their first look at the terrifying clickers, as well as an extremely accurate museum sequence.

The Last Of Us kicked off with an incredibly video game accurate premiere last week, and it continues to deliver exactly what the fans want, while still expanding on the lore. The Last Of Us season 1 episode 2 gives viewers their first look at clickers, the terrifying creatures that humans evolve into after they are infected. It also takes us through the museum sequence, which is a fan favorite from the games. 

Bella Ramsey continues to portray Ellie perfectly, with a whole lot of sass and witty comebacks. She has yet to really open up to Joel (Pedro Pascal) but her walls are starting to come down. This episode brings a lot of the video game to life, but it also tackles the actual outbreak, something we never saw in the game. 

Warning: Spoilers for The Last Of Us Season 1 Episode 2 Ahead

The Last Of Us season 1 episode 2 starts in Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia. It was stated in the first episode that there were rumors this is where the outbreak started, and for the first time ever, we get a close up look at it.  

The Outbreak

A Doctor of Mycology in Jakarta is whisked away from her lunch by soldiers and driven to a lab. She is confused as to why they need her, but it becomes clear when they show her a sample that was taken from a human. She is confused because this species of fungi can not normally survive inside of humans — indicating that it has evolved much like the expert at the start of the series suggested could happen. 

She examines the body that was infected, specifically a bite mark on her leg. It is explained that at a flour factory (the perfect breeding ground) this woman became irritable before attacking four other workers. She was eventually executed, as were the other four after they started to exhibit the same behaviors. The issue lies in that they do not know who bit her. And when the doctor asks how many other workers are missing, they reply that there are 14 of them they cannot locate. 

Her face immediately shows just how much trouble humankind is in. She states there is no vaccine, no medicine, that can cure this infection. There is, quite literally, nothing they can do. She suggests bombing the city and hoping that it has not spread outside of it yet. She then asks, through tears, to be brought home to her family so she can be with them in the end.

The Museum Scene

After this we meet up with Tess, Ellie, and Joel. Joel and Tess and watching over Ellie, and demand to see her bite to make sure it is not getting worse. As they continue their journey, they need to cut through abandoned buildings, that are overcome by plant life. Fans will be excited at just how similar this looks to the video games, while newcomers will be completely engrossed by the amazing visuals. 

Throughout the journey, Ellie explains where she was bit — at an abandoned mall. She claims to have been all by herself but anyone who played The Last Of Us DLC knows the truth, which we are sure will eventually come out.

Eventually they are forced to cut through a museum, and game players know exactly what is coming. We finally get our look at the clickers. These are creatures that cannot see because of the fungi growing over their faces. They use their sense of hearing to determine where people are, and are FAST when they decide to attack. Joel, Tess, and Ellie must make their way, quietly, through the museum. 

Of course, they end up making some noise and are attacked. Joel completely missing a few head shots will have game players feeling his pain. They do succeed in getting out of the museum, and Ellie is bitten again. She then jokes that hey, if it was going to happen to any of them, it is probably best that it was her.

When they arrive where they were supposed to meet up with the Fireflies, but they have been killed. It seems that one or more of them turned, and they all lost. This, once again, is a scene ripped right out of the video game. The set design is spot on. Even the location of the bodies that they find will feel to fans like they are playing the game again. 

Fans of the game know exactly what is coming, however. When they are nearly overrun by infected, Tess opts to sacrifice herself because she has been bitten. She knows that she will turn eventually so she might as well go out helping Joel and Ellie escape. As they run out the back way, she sets the building on fire, killing the infected, and herself.

Overall Thoughts

The decision to tackle the actual outbreak in The Last Of Us season 1 episode 2 is a brilliant one. This allows the premiere to focus more on taking scenes from the actual game, sucking in both fans and newcomers to the series. Seeing how it all started is enough to send chills down anyone’s spine, as it is all too realistic, and feels like it could actually happen. 

Joel, Ellie, and Tess exploring what truly feels like the video games is going to make longtime fans extremely happy. The Last Of Us has done a great job with the set pieces so far, and we are certain it will only get better from here. 

The clickers themselves were done extremely well. Making the two in the museum look similar, but different, makes sense because the spores and fungi will always grow in different ways. Things are just getting started here, but so far we cannot even fathom that The Last Of Us will stop being perfect.

Rating: 5 out of 5

NEXT: The Last Of Us Season 1 Episode 1 Recap and Review

 

About The Last Of Us

THE LAST OF US story takes place twenty years after modern civilization has been destroyed. Joel, a hardened survivor, is hired to smuggle Ellie, a 14-year-old girl, out of an oppressive quarantine zone. What starts as a small job soon becomes a brutal, heartbreaking journey, as they both must traverse the U.S. and depend on each other for survival.

The Last Of Us season 1 episode 2 is now streaming on HBO Max.