The Last of Us, Episode 2 Review – Infected

I must admit that going into episode 2 of The Last Of Us, I was looking forward to gaining a greater understanding of the world in which fungus reigned supreme. Though I had some trepidation as the last time a fungus was featured in a big budget production as part of the live action Super Mario Bros movie in 1993, the results were less than stellar. In that bizarre film, the duo of plumber siblings were constantly being reminded to “trust the fungus”, a sentient goo, that by the film’s end was revealed to be the de-evolved monarch of the mushroom kingdom. Given the praise I heaped upon the first episode of The Last Of Us in my first review, I suppose there was no reason to doubt the power of the entertainment to come, though in the end, episode 2 may ultimately be considered filler, as opposed to a standout in the HBO Max series.

Once again the episode, Infected, opens with an expository flashback that acts as its own short film, with impressive production values used to create the Indonesian setting. Taking place in 2003 as the first case of infection is being reported, the recruitment of Dr. Ratna Pertiwi (Christine Hakim) by the military to perform an autopsy on a recently killed, infected body is a scene that will stick with viewers, as what is hiding beneath the skin is certainly a stomach churner. The post autopsy discussion is another tour de force acting performance with a gut punch of bleakness, which created some anxiety in this reviewer. The instant hopelessness declared by the scientists in these first two episodes ultimately proves to be far more chilling than the monsters who personify the worst fears of the experts. The fact that Dr. Pertiwi can offer no other solution than to bomb the entire city where the outbreak has occurred, now makes me fear the mold I occasionally find on the loaves of bread in my pantry.

As we return to 2023 to catch up with Joel, Tess and Ellie wandering the collapsing remains of Boston, overgrown with plants and strewn with bodies of the infected, the story goes from bleak to rote. That is to say, that there is not much innovation in the storytelling as the trio wander through the abandoned cityscape and get chased by some monsters. This may have to do with the fact that Infected is directed by the creator of The Last of Us games, Neil Druckmann, who’s only other credits are in the world of video games, with titles like Uncharted. With the CGI cityscape and standard first person shooter setup, it truly feels like watching a video game as the rules of play are explained.

First we learn that the infected become part of a hive mind organism, meaning that if you step on root or get spotted by an infected, you can have a horde on your tail in minutes. Sounds like any other endless group of disposable enemies to be battled through on the way to a “Boss Fight”. Next we learn that the infected can’t see, but can hear, so to survive in proximity to the monsters, our protagonists must remain silent. I believe I saw two John Krasinski movies based on this premise that were far more effective in creating suspense. Finally, being bitten by an infected is a death sentence from which no one can escape, as the fungus spreads inside and autonomy of thought is lost. Yes, the plot of literally every zombie film, with an equally predictable outcome for one of the party members. Remember, I said I wanted to see the world of The Last Of Us opened up to me in greater detail, I guess I just thought it would be accomplished with more flair and innovation. 

The next evolution of the infected monster designs into some kind of “artichoke face” are disturbing in an Elephant Man body horror sort of way, but the eyeless face concept feels inspired by the angel of death in Pan’s Labyrinth. As a result, there’s not much new in the way of scares while our heroes are being chased through a darkened building by the creatures. There’s never really a feeling that any of our protagonists can’t hold their own against these spastic fungoids. Thus far the threat of the fungus on screen has yet to match the dread predicted by the more clinical minded characters in the flashback openings.

So what praise can I find for Infected, episode 2 of The Last Of Us in the face of rather boring plot contrivances? Bella Ramsey’s annoying banter with the two jaded adults charged to keep her safe, was the only thing keeping my attention through the 53 minute running time of this episode. Whether being chastised for feigning infection or bothering them for a gun of her own, Ramsey continually saves the scenes from feeling the same as any other survival based adventure series. Whether it’s her excitement over finding a broken Mortal Kombat II arcade cabinet or discovering an unused pack of feminine hygiene products, these are moments of levity that stick with you. There is one nice narrative call back to the earlier autopsy, as Ellie finds an infected individual trapped underneath some rubble and sees for herself what lies beneath the skin. So credit where credit’s due to our director in creating a suspenseful, quietly effective few minutes. Taking these scenes into account, Ellie’s journey continues to be the most exciting thing about the series so far. 

That’s not to say that Pedro Pascal’s Joel lacks charisma, as the layers of his emotions are peeled back, but it’s clear that his tether to the Tess character was a dramatic anchor that was preventing the story from casting off into more adventurous waters. It’s no slight to Anna Torv, who plays her part with conviction, but the demise of Tess is yet another moment of self-sacrifice we’ve seen hundreds of times in films like this, which lacks any type of emotional impact when it reaches it’s predictable conclusion.

Here’s hoping that episode 3 is not more of the same and that the show runners have programmed a little bit more variety into the future installments of The Last Of Us.