Episode 4 of season 2 of The Last of Us once again allowed itself some deviations from the source material. Three major differences were noted compared to its adaptation, the Naughty Dog game.
Warning: This article contains SPOILERS for episode 4 of season 2 of The Last of Us, as well as for the story of the video game. We advise you to turn back if you don't want to discover the plot.
Neil Druckman - creator of the Naughty Dog game and Craig Mazin, director and showrunner of the series, don't stray along the way. Since the beginning of this second season, which adapts part of the video game The Last of Us: Part 2, the two men at the helm of the television project have been unfolding their narrative at a fairly sustained pace, without missing out on essential events, and while allowing themselves a few moments of calm to allow viewers to understand the relationship between the characters. Arriving in Seattle, Ellie and Dina experience their first day in one episode, where the player spends around ten hours in the game. Yet, nothing has been rushed. Between references to the game and new sequences, the HBO series has once again proven that it is on the right track with its adaptation.
#3 The introduction of Isaac, boss of the WLF
HBO decided to introduce Isaac Dixon earlier in the series than in the Naughty Dog game: with a flashback telling how this former FEDRA member joined the ranks of the WLF. An opening scene showing off the character's vicious, calculating, and lack of emotional state. In short: the series wants us to understand that the character played by Jeffrey Wright (Westworld, The Batman) will be one of the new villains to be reckoned with. The following sequence, where he mutilates a Seraphite prisoner, symbolizes this idea of revenge that drives the series and confirms that the two factions are stuck in a permanent conflict for control of the city.
In the game, Isaac is a secondary character attached to Abby's storyline. After the huge twist in the middle of the game, the player takes control of Abigail "Abby" Anderson, and relives the same three days as Ellie in Seattle, this time through the prism of the WLF fighter. We discover her daily life, the immense WLF organization, based around the football team's old stadium, and Isaac, their leader. He is the one who coordinates the offensives against the Seraphites and sends us on a mission to the city.
The conflict between the two major factions being presented earlier (notably by the introduction of the Seraphites in episode 3), it therefore seems essential that HBO decides to integrate Isaac earlier into the narrative. A way to give more depth to this opposition, the backdrop to Abby's hunt.
#2 Ellie reveals her immunity to Dina
We expected Dina to learn that Ellie is immune to the Cordyceps virus. But what kind of script twist has Craig Mazin prepared to bring this key element into his series? Well, the showrunner has once again detached himself from the game. A subtly executed approach that stems from the game's famous subway sequence. Surrounded by the infected, Ellie and Dina attempt to escape through the cars. A breathtaking scene that rivals the best zombie films. They finally succeed, but Dina is trapped between the security gates. A runner catches up to her and is about to bite her, until Ellie reaches out her arm to be bitten instead. The confrontation is then inevitable. Dina, who is about to shoot the one she loves, finally lets herself be convinced.
Those who played The Last of Us Part 2 experienced this revelation in a completely different way. The presence of spores forces the two teenagers to wear gas masks. But Ellie's cracks after an infected person attacks her. In a panic, she confesses her immunity to Dina, and they flee to the theater. The two women then have a discussion, but not as confrontational and poignant as in the series.
But since spores as a vector for transmitting the virus have not yet been integrated into the series, something else had to be found. A well-found adjustment that reinforces the drama: Ellie saves her friend's life, and the latter takes the opportunity to confess that she is pregnant. Afterwards, everything accelerates.
#1 The famous sex scene
Dina, like Ellie, confess their secrets to each other. Then, in the emotion, the character played by Isabela Merced (Alien: Romulus, Madame Web, and soon in Superman) throws herself on the heroine of the series to kiss her. This love scene comes much later than in the game. At Naughty Dog, the famous sex scene takes place before their arrival in Seattle: when she takes refuge in Eugene's hideout outside Jackson.
Regarding Dina's pregnancy, also revealed in the theater, it serves as a pretext to abandon her and leave Ellie (the player) alone in her mission of revenge without worrying about her partner. HBO chose to bring together all the elements at once to create a very emotional sequence, and let the talent of its two performers speak for itself.
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