Episode 2 of The Last Of Us opens in Indonesia, 2003, with authorities swooping in and whisking away a woman. This woman is Ibu Ratna, a renowned Professor of Mycology who happens to be engaged in groundbreaking research at the nearby university. Her expertise is urgently required to tackle the escalating infection crisis.
Taken to a secretive lab, Ibu is presented with a specimen of the dreaded cordyceps - an infected human, bitten on her left leg. Ibu is skeptical, convinced that these victims are beyond saving. But we, the audience, know the truth - they are not doomed.
Remember, this series diverges from the games in its explanation of the infection's origin. Ibu examines the woman carefully, noting the tendrils protruding from her mouth - a chilling echo of the infected seen in episode 1. She is horrified to learn that "Patient Zero" - the individual who first spread the infection through biting - remains at large. Ibu's mission is to find a vaccine, a cure for this catastrophic plague.
"There is no vaccine," she declares, her voice chilled with despair. Instead, she suggests a drastic solution - bombing the city, with its inhabitants still trapped inside.
Meanwhile, Ellie awakes to the golden rays of the sun streaming through a window. She finds herself in a building, surrounded by Joel and Tess, both eyeing her with suspicion. Ellie brings up her tests, revealing how Marlene had locked her away, checking daily to see if she would succumb to the infection.
Joel, despite a hairline fracture in his wrist, brushes off his injury, insisting it will heal soon. His mind is focused on one thing - returning with Ellie to retrieve the car battery. But Tess, determined to press on, persuades him to continue their journey.
Tess persists in her interrogation of Ellie, demanding to know the significance of her existence. Ellie rolls her eyes, exasperated, but eventually reveals the existence of a Firefly base camp in the West, where scientists are working feverishly on a cure. Joel, once again, voices his desire to turn back, but Tess, her resolve unwavering, convinces him to press onward. As they embarked on their perilous journey, it became evident that the majority of the metropolis's landmarks had been ravaged by the relentless bombings that followed the outbreak. The State House, a mere ten minutes away, seemed like a treacherous quest through a gauntlet of dangers. Joel, trailing behind, observed Ellie and Tess engage in lively conversation. Ellie casually mentioned that she had been infected at the tender age of fourteen, revealing a past marked by orphanhood.
The streets were not overrun with hordes of infected, but that did not mean they were devoid of other perils. A chilling scream echoed from afar, confirming that worse things awaited them as they pressed forward through a hotel flooded with stagnant water. Ellie attempted to lighten the mood with a few of her trademark jokes from the game, but their resounding laughter rang out like a clarion call, attracting the unwanted attention of nearby infected.
Nevertheless, they managed to ascend ten floors, miraculously escaping the dampness to find themselves completely dry. It was a stroke of luck that was unexpectedly accurate to the game's depiction. As they continued, Ellie and Joel engaged in a tense conversation, their words turning into snide remarks before quickly dissolving into silence. Ellie alluded to the guard Joel had fatally beaten, discussing the regrettable deaths they had encountered. But before Joel could respond, Tess returned, having secured a route through the building.
Ahead, they found the infected gathered in a dense cluster, spilling out onto the streets and pouring from a nearby building. Tess warned them that the Cordyceps fungus was interconnected, explaining that stepping on a piece in one area could trigger a chain reaction, drawing more infected from other parts of the city. This ominous revelation foreshadowed the dangers that awaited them in the moments that followed.
With the longer, safer route deemed impassable, they were forced to take a more direct approach through the museum - a shortcut that appeared to be overrun with fungal growth. But outside, the air was dry and crisp, prompting the trio to press onward through the decaying structure.
Unfortunately, their progress was soon halted by the appearance of a clicker. The sound design here was particularly chilling, as the creature shuffled into the room, accompanied by the ominous clicks of its compatriots. Joel instructed them to remain silent, but Ellie's nervous laughter broke the tense silence, drawing the creature's attention. Joel was forced to engage in a fierce battle, fighting off the creature while Ellie and Tess looked on in horror.
The scene was tense and fraught with danger, as Joel and Ellie struggled to survive. Joel managed to land a killing blow on both foes, but not without . Ellie emerged with scratches on her skin, while Tess nursed a twisted ankle. It was a reminder of the perils they faced and the importance of being prepared for anything. If only they had crafted some shivs to defend themselves...
After their harrowing encounter with the clicker, the group pressed onward, ascending to the roof. Tess's ankle was twisted, and Joel quickly came to her aid, offering a helping hand. Despite his efforts, Tess couldn't help but notice the sourness in Joel's attitude. She gently reproached him, urging him to set aside his negativity and seek out Ellie instead.
The moment they reached the roof was perfectly recreated from the game, with Joel and Ellie gazing at the State House looming in the distance. It was a fleeting moment of tranquility before they resumed their journey.
As the group made their way to the State House, Joel took the lead, cautiously exploring the premises. Fresh blood spatters hinted at the presence of someone within. Tess and Ellie ventured deeper, only to find several lifeless bodies strewn across the floor. Joel trailed behind, surveying the carnage. It was evident that FEDRA wasn't involved, unlike in the game, and all the Fireflies had been slain by the infection.
Tess made a decision, declaring that she would stay as she was infected. Instead of a frantic goodbye punctuated by the pounding of guards at the door and Tess's heroic sacrifice to save the group, this farewell was much slower and poignant. The lack of time only heightened the heart-wrenching nature of the moment.
Tess implored Joel to press onward and seek refuge at Bill and Frank's place. "Keep her alive, and set everything right," she pleaded, gesturing to Ellie's healed arm. Suddenly, one of the infected stirred on the ground, and Joel quickly dispatched it with a shot to the head. The tendrils of the infected began to stir, indicating that more of them had been roused and were approaching.
Realizing they needed to escape, Tess resolved to buy them some time. She doused the floor with oil and armed herself with grenades, intent on ensuring the infected wouldn't follow. "Save who you can save," she whispered as Ellie and Joel fled together, leaving her behind to face the impending horror alone.
Tess struggled valiantly with her lighter amidst the deluge of infected pouring into the structure. It seemed a futile task, considering she could simply detonate a grenade on the floor and obliterate them all. But she persevered, determined to ignite the spark that would alter their fate.
Eventually, her efforts were rewarded as the lighter sputtered to life, not a moment too soon as one of the infected lunged forward, its tendrils wrapping around her face and planting a kiss of doom in her mouth. The entire building erupted in a blinding flash of light and thunderous explosion, sending debris and infected alike flying in every direction.
Amidst the chaos, Joel and Ellie emerged unscathed, their path cleared of the relentless horde. Without a single infected in pursuit, they pressed onward, determined to reach their next destination and escape the clutches of this nightmarish world.
