The Last of Us episode 2 leaves viewers heartbroken yet again

The Last of Us was touted by many as the successor to Game of Thrones, and HBO’s next big hit. To that end, the first episode was hailed by critics as a masterpiece, but even while reviews can be subjective, numbers do not lie. The premiere episode was the second most-viewed HBO premiere after House of the Dragon with a staggering 4.7 million viewers.

How does the second episode compare to the first? To the grotesque sensibilities of this reviewer, The Last of Us season one episode two may be the most breathtakingly beautiful hour of television he’s ever watched. Yet with another popular character ending her journey on the show, it is just as gut-wrenching.

The post-apocalyptic landscape that Joel (Pedro Pascal), Ellie (Bella Ramsay), and Tess (Anna Torv) traverse is a sight to behold. It has dilapidated buildings, moon-like bomb craters, and structures overrun by fungal growth. The color palette chosen to depict something so frightening is just exquisite too.

As was the case with The Last of Us season one, episode on, the show begins with a scene from before the apocalypse. Not Texas, but Indonesia, where Professor of Mycology, Ibu Ratna, is tasked with finding a cure for the fungal growth that seems to be making people working at a flour and grain factory behave abnormally.

Her words are ominous. There is no vaccine. There is no medicine. This is how the second episode of The Last of Us really gets going.

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The Last of Us episode two – Who are the clickers?

Unlike the zombies in The Walking Dead and World War Z, the infected in The Last of Us are far more complex in nature. There are stages to their evolution, from the runners we saw in episode one, to the stalkers that infest this episode. The roots of their infection extend far below the ground, so when one is attacked, everyone is alerted.

Seeing a multitude of these stalkers close by, Joel, Ellie, and Tess decide to forgo a path through the hotel they were passing through. Instead, they choose to pass through a museum. A freshly killed body gives them pause, and Joel asks Ellie to not just be quiet, but to be silent, and then the clickers arrive.

These creatures have had their faces split open thanks to the infection that’s spreading through their bodies. They are completely blind, but can see through the power of sound, much like bats. However, by this stage, any humanity is lost, making them some of the most vicious creatures in the show so far.

Our heroes encounter not one but two of these monsters and it is really no easy feat to take them down. The battle that ensues is unlike anything ever seen on television.

An immense amount of effort goes into not only portraying the visual hideousness of these cursed creatures. Neil Druckmann, who directs this episode, also plays with sound to make this war a truly spine-chilling experience for all involved.

In the final moments of The Last of Us, we learn that Tess is infected and Anna Torv’s journey in The Last of Us will end in this episode. Yet this hardened survivor will not go down without a fight. Even as the infected swarm the building she’s in, as Joel and Ellie make their escape, she sets it alight, destroying them to bits.

The Last of Us is a merciless show. Any character fans bond with could potentially meet their end in a matter of minutes. From Sarah (Nico Parker) to Tess, nobody is safe. Ellie isn’t immune to getting ripped apart either, as Tess reminds her early in the episode. The only moments of levity and mirth are when Pascal and Ramsay go back and forth with their incredible dynamic and infectious chemistry.

As Joel and Ellie trudge up to meet Bill and Frank in episode 3, one wonders what the future has in store.