The Last Of Us: Episode 1 Recap - Look For The Blight

Jarring "The Last of Us" lovers immediately, the first chapter in this post-apocalyptic world actually begins years before the game. We are first dropped on the set of a talk show discussing future threats of viral infection. It feels like it has co-creator Craig Mazin's fingerprints all over it, like a cutaway scene from the producer's award-winning "Chernobyl," as talk of pandemics and airlines being the best way for diseases to travel. That's before John Hannah's cavalier chemist, Dr. Newman, chimes in with a counterargument. While not denying that viruses have the potential to shut the world down (spoiler: one does), his fear is not from flu-like symptoms, but from a fungus with the intent to dominate.

Hooking the audience, Newman begins to speak of a flora that "seeks not to kill, but control." For the uninitiated, it's a moment subtly setting the ground rules for what's in store. Fans, however, know just what kind of monster Newman is referring to. "Eating its host from the inside out, replacing flesh with its own, preventing decomposition." While it paints a vivid picture, it also establishes immediately that this won't be your standard zombie story. Blending fact with fiction adds a realistic edge to this incoming nightmare. It establishes early on that this virus is a living thing with a purpose: to take its carrier away until there's nothing left. It's a chilling prognosis that the host eventually cuts in on with a "We'll be back." 

Don't be so sure.

From here, fans of the game would've undoubtedly felt the same level of tension as when "Game of Thrones" readers started seeing doors get locked at the Red Wedding. Between the beautiful moment of gifting her father's watch, to the failed escape from a soldier with orders, this section is almost beat-for-beat the same as the original opening of the game. The only exception is Sarah's last visit to the Adlers, which sneaks in an interesting detail involving the show's biggest threat, as Connie Adler's mother appears to be feeding on her child. On closer inspection, we can see that Mother Adler is seemingly sprouting grass-like vegetation from her mouth and pulling away from her daughter like a weed from the tarmac.

This marks the first noticeable alteration from the original virus and something its creator was happy to tweak. Speaking to Collider, the game's creator, Neil Druckmann, broke down the shift from spores carrying the infection to tendrils saying, "Just thinking about how there's a passage that happens from one infected to another, and like fungus does, it could become a network that is interconnected" he explained. "It became very scary to think that they're all working against us in this unified way, which was a concept that I really liked, that got developed in the show."

After a time jump, we're reunited with Joel as a shell of the man he once was. Tragedy and time have beaten the life out of our hero in a world seemingly clinging to a forgotten one. Showing just how heartless he's become, we see him on body-burning duty. He adds another corpse to the fire of the infected, probably only a few years younger than Sarah was. At the moment, a child's guardian, he most certainly isn't. Not for long, though. 

In another part of town, "Veronica" (Bella Ramsey) is being asked to take a health check by a group called the Fireflies to see if she's infected. This lot is a large rebel faction whose call to action is to "look for the light," something that's worth a broken jaw if said in Joel's presence. They're led by Marlene (played here by the game's original Marlene, Merle Dandridge), whose relationship in the show is slightly different and laced with a little more tension.

Veronica is, in fact, Ellie, which Marlene already knows. While they might not be on the best terms here, that's not the case in the game. In the 2013 iteration, they're on speaking terms, bound by a loss teased briefly in the show (listen out for when "Riley" is mentioned). Ellie has a level of respect that Joel will also come to earn in time. However, there's a long way to go before then, and a battery is needed to get there.

With a plan in place, our three travelers set out to hand Ellie over to the Fireflies. Tess takes charge, leading Joel to brood a little more and Ellie to be in total awe of being in the outside world. That's all until they meet their first issue in the form of a FEDRA guard. As Tess and Joel try to talk their way out, Ellie attacks during the routine health check, putting herself in the guard's crosshairs. It's all too much for Joel, as flashes from 20 years ago come back to haunt him. Joel ends up in a fit of rage and the guard is beaten to death.

Shot beautifully, Pedro Pascal's eyes look like black pearls under the torchlight as he switches off, and the killer instinct kicks in. Call it trauma, self-defense, or both, but Ellie stands by in shock. She watches it all unfold and doesn't look away. When the red mist fades, Joel returns to reality and the voice of Tess, who sees that Ellie didn't pass the virus check and has bite marks to prove it. Three weeks old or not, it explains why this girl is so important and that they all need to move before more guards come to inspect. As they flee the scene into the darkness, we cut back to Joel's radio as it fires "Never Let Me Down Again." Amidst the storm, an ungodly cry fills the air. Clearly, not a Depeche Mode fan.