The Last of Us Season 2 Changes a Key Game Moment (And It’s Better)

The Last of Us Season 2 has made a massive change to one of the biggest scenes from the game. The Last of Us is a TV show that was praised heavily in the first season for largely sticking to the game. While there were some changes, there wasn’t anything too egregious and most of it felt like a natural extension of the game. This is something a lot of other adaptations failed at because they would take a brand, character, or general idea from a game and then massively change it for a movie. Uncharted, Assassin’s Creed, and Max Payne are all prime examples of this, but The Last of Us showed everyone how it can be done successfully.

With all of that said, The Last of Us Season 2 has been making more noteworthy changes throughout its first four episodes. This has led to some anger amongst fans who feel like this story shouldn’t be altered too much because any small change drastically impacts the overall arc. It can hurt a certain character’s development, harm pacing, and reduce the overall impact. While there’s certainly value to these critiques, it doesn’t seem like any of these choices were made lightly. The Last of Us Season 2 has also made changes that fix issues from the game as well. However, one of the biggest changes in The Last of Us‘ first season just forced the second season to make a key change.

The Last of Us Season 2 Changes How Dina Learns Ellie Is Immune

In The Last of Us Season 1, the creators decided to remove a popular element from the games: Spores. This is an airborne cell from fungi that can infect anyone who breathes it in. Spores are typically found underground and are hot zones for infected and require gas masks. However, this was changed in the show partially so that they didn’t have to obscure the faces of the actors. This change upset a lot of people because they knew it would hurt a moment in the second season.

In The Last of Us Part 2 the video game, Dina and Ellie are in a spore-infested area. Ellie’s mask breaks after being punched by an infected and Dina is terrified because she doesn’t realize Ellie is immune. Dina tries to give Ellie her mask, but Ellie refuses and emphasizes her immunity, urging her to trust her because there’s a horde right behind them. Earlier in the game, Ellie had admitted she is immune to Dina, but Dina thought she was joking. When they get to the theater, it becomes clear Ellie was being serious.

However, the lack of spores in The Last of Us TV series meant this moment had to be changed. The overall set-up is similar with Dina and Ellie being chased by a horde through a subway tunnel. They eventually try to get through a turnstile, but get stuck. As Dina is about to be bitten, Ellie sticks her arm out and takes the bite for Dina, utilizing her immunity as a strength. Of course, it still hurts, but it’s better than Dina turning.

This results in a big confrontation between Dina and Ellie when they get to their new hideout, the abandoned theater. As Ellie is securing the place, Dina draws her gun and is about to kill Ellie. Feeling like Dina isn’t ready to waste any time pulling the trigger, Ellie explains she’s immune and that there’s nothing to be scared of. She makes a deal with Dina to watch her while she sleeps to prove she’s not going to turn into an infected.

This is ultimately a much better usage of this situation from the game because it actively shows how Ellie’s immunity can save people, even if not through a cure or vaccine. She uses the thing that could scare people as a method of protection and it creates a moment of extreme tension. If you’re not familiar with the games, you have no idea how this kind of scene will play out and it leads to some well-done suspense.

What did you think of the new episode of The Last of Us? Let me know in the comments.