The Last of Us Season 2 is coming to HBO on April 13th, and when it arrives, the series will feature a world changed from the previous season. Viewers will see this in a number of ways, as the show will bring in elements that weren’t previously adapted from the video games. During a panel at SXSW, co-creators Neil Druckmann and Craig Mazin both appeared onstage to talk about everything happening in the new season. The moderator asked Druckmann about how the threat has escalated from Season 1, and it was revealed that the infection will become airborne.
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“There’s an escalation of numbers and types of infected. But also as you see in the trailer, an escalation of the vector of how this thing spreads. Season 1 we had this new thing that wasn’t in the game of like these tendrils that spread, and that was one form. And then this one shot you see in this trailer, there are things in the air,” said Druckmann.
Following the comments from Druckmann, Mazin jumped in to confirm that this escalation means that scattered spores will be appearing in the new season. Druckmann then elaborated that there’s “a dramatic reason of introducing it now.” It remains to be seen what form that drama will take, but it seems like a safe bet that someone will unexpectedly find themselves infected as a result of the spores, leading to a revelation for both the audience and the show’s cast. However, it’s also possible that Joel, Ellie, and the others will have already discovered this escalation in the time between the first and second seasons.
For those that haven’t played The Last of Us video games, spores are a manner of infection separate from the ones previously seen on the show. While humans can be infected by the Cordyceps through bites, they can also be infected by spores that are spread through the air when an infected dies. This element makes the Cordyceps infected a lot different from the standard zombies seen in horror media. It has been established in the games that Ellie cannot be infected through spores, but others aren’t quite so lucky.
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There was already a lot of anticipation surrounding the new season of The Last of Us, but this new detail should excite a lot of fans of the PlayStation games. Adding scattered spores in Season 2 will certainly ramp up the tension and threat level from what was previously seen. While some fans might have been disappointed that this element didn’t appear in Season 1, it sounds like there’s a narrative reason behind the decision, which will also make things just a little more nerve-wracking for viewers.
Are you happy that spores will finally appear in HBO’s The Last of Us? How do you want to see this handled in the show? Share your thoughts with me directly on Bluesky atย @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram atย @Dachampgaming!
