The Infected from the HBO television series The last of We are just as disturbing as those in the games, maybe even a little more. But being inside could be even worse, considering what the real version of the mushroom does. This begs the question: are the infected in the TV series alive? The last of us?
Yes, apart from the fungus itself, the infected victims of The Last of Us TV series are alive and it’s scary.
The ugly truth is that the fungus-infected victims of the show are still alive. In episode 3 we see Ellie cut one of the infected and blood flows from the wound. Yes, there is fungal matter in there, but it confirms that the victims are still biologically alive.
Ophiocordyceps unilateralis, the actual counterpart of the fungus, infects ants and then causes them to grasp a leaf in their mandibles. From the ant, which is already dead, develops a fruiting body which releases its spores. It’s as wicked as it sounds.
All The Last Of Us Infected, Explained
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However, the series fungus is not spread by spores. Instead, after the initial outbreak, it is transmitted through a particularly nasty bite or kiss. He needs his victims to stay mobile. This means keeping the muscles intact and, in the case of normal infected people, the eyes.
Clickers are essentially blind, with even more fungus growing out of their bodies, but there should still be a large part of the victim left – biologically, at least. There is also the grave question of whether or not infected people retain some form of consciousness.
The cold open suggests the mushroom is using hallucinogens to bend the victim to its “will”, so perhaps the victim/host is unaware of what it is actually doing, existing in a state dream. But a 2019 study suggests it could be much worse.
According to the study, Ophiocordyceps unilateralis does not affect the brain, but bypasses it. Thus, in the case of this fungus, the ant is only a passenger. The first infected The last of us TV could be fully aware of what his body is doing, but unable to stop it, like what happens in the movie To go out.
The game confirms that the fungus grows on the brain, but whether or not it infiltrates is unclear. Imagine having to watch your body tear your friends and family apart completely against your will. It has already been described as follows: “The ant ends its life trapped in its own body. Its brain is still in the driver’s seat, but the mushroom has the steering wheel.”
The TV series confirmed that many infected expire after about a year, ending the mobility of the fungus. But some have been there since the initial epidemic: it could be 20 years of hell.
So yes, the infected from the TV series of The last of We are still alive and being infected could be a fate worse than death.