This article was originally published on GameFragger.com.
The Last of Us season 2 continues with its fifth episode, "Feel Her Love," and brings another iconic element from the hit video games into the series. After Jesse tracks down Ellie and Dina, Ellie takes off on her own to confront Nora, one of the Fireflies who was with Abby when she killed Joel.
A chase through a hospital ensues, and Nora flees into a basement that's been sealed off because it's full of Cordyceps spores. Yes, The Last of Us has finally adapted spores, with one of the infected shown hooked up to the Cordyceps network, essentially breathing them into its surroundings.
Nora is infected and dying, but an immune Ellie brutally interrogates and tortures her, beating her with a pipe. Any innocence that remained in the survivor is all but extinguished in this violent act of revenge, and the episode ends with a flashback to happier times.
We find a younger Ellie in her bedroom as Pedro Pascal's Joel enters and says, "Hey, kiddo." Next week, it looks like we're going to see more of what led to their falling out and likely a recreation of that iconic moment in the space shuttle from The Last of Us Part II video game.
Writer and co-creator Neil Druckmann justified the decision to exclude spores during The Last of Us' first season by saying the show would take a "more realistic approach to the story and the world."
"If we wanted to treat it realistically, and there are spores near, characters would wear gas masks all the time," he continued. "Then we lose so much, which is maybe the most important part of the journey is what’s going on inside behind their eyes, in their soul, in their beings. For that logistical reason, we were like, Let’s find a different vector."
Promoting season 2, Druckmann cryptically said there was a "dramatic reason" for spores now being part of the series and he was clearly referring to this clash between Ellie and Nora.
The Last of Us season 2's returning cast includes Pedro Pascal as Joel, Bella Ramsey as Ellie, Gabriel Luna as Tommy, and Rutina Wesley as Maria.
Other announced new additions include Kaitlyn Dever as Abby, Isabela Merced as Dina, Young Mazino as Jesse, Ariela Barer as Mel, Tati Gabrielle as Nora, Spencer Lord as Owen, Danny Ramirez as Manny, and Jeffrey Wright as Isaac. Catherine O’Hara also guest stars.
In our The Last of Us season 2 review, we concluded with, "Pedro Pascal is a force to be reckoned with in The Last of Us, and with Bella Ramsey and Isabela Merced matching him beat for beat, season 2 is a powerful, rousing triumph that cements this series as the best video game adaptation ever."
What did you think about The Last of Us' take on spores and the return of Joel?