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The Last of Us Series Review: An Amazing Adaptation of the Game
- Yadav B V
- 2 minutes ago
- 7 min read
The first time I came across The Last of Us was through a cosplayer named Briarfire, I talked to online who dressed as Ellie. Shortly after that, the game was adapted into an amazing series with fleshed-out characters, a good plot, and great execution while still being faithful to the game.
The Plot of The Last of Us Series
When people worldwide start getting infected by fungus and turn into zombies that bite the uninfected, turning them into fungus-controlled creatures as well. Inspired by the 2013 game of the same name, The Last of Us mirrors the global pandemic in certain ways, but is most scary in its probability to actually happen.
Climate change is very real and is, in fact, easily observable in the very city I live in. Climate ( long-term weather ) is a great way for nature to shake up the natural order of things and give other species a chance to survive. Also, fungus already does incredible things to insects to ensure it survives, which we will cover in the next section to see how it works.
The plot revolves around Joel and Ellie making it out of the dangerous territory into the hands of the people who can help use Ellie's immunity to develop some kind of a cure. But they have to endure FEDRA ( the post-infection government ), the rebel faction Fireflies, and the collaborators between the two who might be more dangerous than any one of them alone.
Of course, there's also the matter of the fungus-controlled people who look and act like zombie monsters with fungal tentacles coming out of every crevice.
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The Cast
The casting director definitely deserves a raise for choosing the right actor for each role, even though Pedro Pascal has been in almost every movie or series out now for quite some time.
But other characters deliver award-worthy performances from Bella Ramsey as Ellie, Anna Torv as Theresa "Tess" Servopoulos. Melanie Lynskey as Kathleen Coghlan plays the head of a rebel faction that's settling scores and trying to keep her people safe from an increasingly violent horde of fungus monsters.
Nick Offerman and Murray Bartlett's performances are beyond reproach and deserve all the attention that they can get. Gabriel Luna as Tommy, Joel's brother, is excellent and shows off his acting range amazingly within the bounds of his character.
Isabela Merced as Dina, the eccentric member of a commune is done well while looking stunning without any effort. Also, Young Mazino plays Jesse, who has an on-again and off-again relationship with Dina.
Cinematography, CGI, and Practical Effects
The cinematography, CGI, and practical effects are simply amazing and befitting of the popular game's legacy. The challenge in the series was to capture the desolation against the backdrop of hidden fungus monsters and humans huddled together in cozy settlements in the cold and with inadequate fortification.
You get some great wide shots of the post-apocalyptic USA, with nature reclaiming man-made structures with trees and bushes growing right out of buildings and skyscrapers, and hotels turning into water tanks after collecting water over time.
The scene where Ellie is in an abandoned mall with all the power turned on is pretty awesome as well, and it is heavy on CGI as expected.
The bridge that Joel and Ellie cross in Season 1 to get away from people chasing them is a direct nod to the bridge shown in the game.
The Real-Life Inspiration for The Last of Us
Ophiocordyceps unilateralis is a parasitic fungus that infects carpenter ants, earning the nickname "zombie fungus" due to the eerie way it manipulates ant behavior. After a spore attaches and penetrates an ant’s exoskeleton, the fungus spreads internally, sparing the brain but controlling muscles to direct the ant to climb a stem and bite down before dying. A fungal stalk then erupts from the ant’s head to release spores.
Interestingly enough, O. unilateralis itself falls victim to hyperparasites that may help regulate its spread, preventing it from wiping out its ant hosts too quickly. Although famous through pop culture like The Last of Us, it cannot infect humans due to vast biological differences, and researchers continue to discover many more species under the Ophiocordyceps umbrella.
More broadly, parasitic fungi like Ophiocordyceps and Cordyceps have evolved impressive strategies to infect insects, overcoming host defenses with enzyme cocktails and structural adaptations. They often manipulate host behavior to elevate the dying body for optimal spore dispersal, turning insects like ants and spiders into mere "spore salt-shakers."
Other fungi, like Metarhizium species, also target insects and are even harnessed for biological pest control. Although fungi are often overlooked, they play crucial roles in ecosystems, from decomposition to pest management, and continue to reveal complex interactions between life and death.
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Despite their grim tactics, parasitic fungi are marvels of evolution, showcasing the intricate ways life adapts for survival. Their ability to manipulate, control, and coexist with their hosts highlights the hidden complexity of the natural world. Studying these fungi not only deepens our understanding of ecosystems but also offers potential for advancements in medicine, agriculture, and even biotechnology, making them much more than just agents of horror stories.
Fungi exhibit different kinds of intelligence, where the more they grow, the more they know! One great example is Physarum polycephalum, which was used to duplicate the Tokyo subway system, incentivizing the fungus with oatmeal as waypoints of main nodes.
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Although the show imagines a jump to humans, this is highly unlikely due to human body temperatures and complex nervous systems. Mycologist Asiya Gusa, who studies Cryptococcus neoformans—a real and dangerous fungus affecting immunocompromised people—notes that while fungal pandemics like the one depicted are improbable, rising global temperatures could help fungi adapt to overcome human defenses.
Gusa hopes the show's popularity raises awareness about real fungal threats and the need for greater research and public health vigilance.
Season Summaries
In case you need a gentle nod to watch this amazing series adapted from a game here are some detailed summaries of how the episodes play out with minimal spoilers and a focus on the core story without giving out many details:
Season 1
Pedro Pascal as Joel Miller, who is struggling to make ends meet to make a better life for his daughter, Sarah Miller, played by Nico Parker, is blindsided like most people in their neighborhood when the fungus infects people, turning them feral and causing them to bite others and spread the infection.
Gabriel Luna plays Tommy, Joel's brother, who tries to flee their immediate surroundings in Texas once the infection starts and the government starts rounding up people based on infected or not.
After a personal tragedy, Joel moves on and makes a living as a smuggler along with his partner named Tess and played by Anna Torv, who gets involved in the task of transporting a girl named Ellie who seems to be immune to the fungus infection. A group rebelling against the government named The FireFlies is mixed up in all this, causing all sorts of havoc.
There is also a story of Bill and Frank within this larger story of The Last of Us, who found each other at the end of the world, lived a happy, contented life, and decided to say goodbye on their own terms when it was time - pretty beautiful if you ask me.
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This spans an entire episode, starting with the expert survivalist Bill, played by Nick Offerman, who outsmarts the new government post-infection named Fedra and gets to live by himself in solitude. Then Frank stumbles upon his residence and changes their life forever. Both Offerman and Murray Bartlett, who plays Frank, give outstanding performances as people who find love and peace even at the end of the world - something quite rare if you ask me.
You might remember Murray Bartlett from his amazing performance in The White Lotus series, which is all the rage now with the latest season out now.
Maybe Fallout had lighter themes more often than most apocalyptic series, but not The Last of Us. The whole series seems to underscore one tragedy after another while the leads try to make the best of things and move on towards their goal, whatever they are.
Season 2
This section of the series at least starts out on a lighter note with a lot more hope than its sombre guitar instrumental theme song provides. Ellie is a teen now and is no longer on speaking terms with Joel, for whatever reason.
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Things continue this way between the duo who share a father-daughter dynamic before a crisis crops up that melds them back together through necessity
There is a mega fungus monster who looks like he is made of several people and for some reason is covered all over by human eyes that are functional.
The second episode brings shocking visuals to bear and a crazy plot twist that will probably make you hate a character on this series and break your heart at the same time.
Season 2 is faster paced than season 1, is more intense, and highly watchable.
Should You Watch It? Yes!
You should definitely watch this series for its basis in science, incredibly intense backstories, and the grey aspects of life in a post-apocalyptic world where morals and ethics are optional for survival. There is an amazing cast who share great chemistry on screen with a really good plot, screenplay, and everything and anything else you can imagine. Watch it!
