For those who haven’t seen it, “The Last of Us” is a new show made by HBO. It is a TV interpretation of a very popular game from 2013. So far, the TV show has been praised as one of the best TV adaptations of a video game ever made. New episodes are released every Sunday night. I highly recommend watching the first two episodes before reading this. It is a very fun show to watch and my review could have spoilers that ruin some of the suspenseful moments.
I am going to talk through my favorite scene and then give a general review. My favorite scene so far is the opening of the first episode. It starts with two scientists (experts on diseases) and a host on some sort of late-night show. The year is 1968, and the host asks the scientists if there is any threat of a global viral pandemic. The first scientist replies, saying that he believes viral pandemics are a large threat to society. The second scientist gives a rebuttal, stating that humans have always battled viruses and they always win. The host further questions the second scientist about a global disease. He replies that he believes the greatest threat to mankind is fungi, specifically a fungus named cordyceps. Fungi are responsible for the most powerful psychedelics in the world. LSD is derived from a fungus and psilocybin mushrooms are a fungus. The scientist explains that cordyceps can infect the brains of ants; it floods the ants brain with psychedelics, forcing it to act in the best interest of the fungus’ growth and spread. It can force the ant to return to its colony to spread the fungus. He also states that the fungus can’t survive in the warmth of the human body, but given any reason to evolve (like global temperatures rising) the fungus could infect a human brain.
I think the thing that makes this scene stand out to me is the plausibility of the science behind the infection. Other zombie shows like “The Walking Dead” give pretty absurd explanations for the pandemic that can negatively affect your immersion in the show. While the “The Last of Us” infection takes some pretty significant scientific liberties, it gives a solid and believable explanation for its dystopian universe.
The first two episodes of this show have completely gotten my attention. The creators have done an incredible job creating interesting characters. Almost every character on the show has a lot of depth, but also leaves the viewers wanting to learn more about their past and their future. They also do an amazing job creating suspense in the show’s most intense moments. The craziest parts of “The Last of Us” leave you completely locked into the show with your heart pounding. So far, the show has an incredible 97% on rotten tomatoes and a 4.7 out of 5 on google. From what I’ve seen, I highly recommend starting this show.
Great new blog! Thank you for including pictures and taking a less formal tone for a show review. I would consider breaking up your longer paragraphs to emulate a more blog-like approach.