Spoilers forThe Last of Usseason 2, episode 5
Summary
The Last of Usseason 2, episode 5 gave fans a deeper look into one of the game’s most terrifying infected types, the stalkers, as they surrounded Ellie and Dina. But as horrific as those were, the airborne spores look to be an even bigger and more dangerous threat to humanity in the show.For season 2, creators Neil Druckmann and Craig Mazin upped the ante when it came to the Cordycepsby bringing back the deathly spores seen in the Naughty Dog game, as season 1 ofThe Last of Usonly showed that the fungal infection was contagious via a bite from another infected person.
Now, viewers can witness the evolution of the virus in episode 5 as it goes airborne, with spores now inhabiting the basement levels of the hospital, dooming anyone who dares to enter. Ellie, who is out for blood, is seen sneaking into the hospital and coming face to face withNora, one of the members of the WLF who was involved in the murder of Joel. As a chase scene happens, Nora’s only method of escape is to try and pass through a stuck elevator to the other side in a bid to escape Ellie. However, the elevator shifts as Nora gets into it, making it fall to the lower levels and ultimately trapping her in the dreaded B2 floor, which is saturated in airborne cordyceps spores. Due to Ellie being immune, tracking down Nora isn’t an issue, and she finds her huddled in a corner, slowly dying. But what is actually happening to Nora?Tati Gabrielle, who plays Nora, has broken down the impact of how the airborne spores affect the body, and the result is truly horrific.
The Last of Us Star Tati Gabrielle Explains What Happens When Airborne Spores Take Over
In an interview withVariety,Tati Gabrielle explained what her character Nora went through when she breathed in the airborne spores inThe Last of Usseason 2, episode 5.Gabrielle said that she had asked Craig Mazin a lot of questions regarding the effects of the spores, as she was fascinated by what goes on in the body when the infection is inhaled andhow the Cordyceps manifests itself. Mazin told Gabriella that they wanted to make sure they included as much real science as possible into the infection and how it would take over, not only the mind, but every nerve in the body, too.
“This was something that I really nerded out about with Craig [Mazin]. Craig wants it to be over the top. He wants to make the science of it as real as possible. Have you ever seen when Cordyceps takes over an insect or something? I asked Craig all the questions: ‘She’s inhaling it. When you inhale something, it goes straight to your brain. So that means it’s going to your nervous system first. But is she choking?’ We would have very pointed back-and-forth conversations, because I wanted it to feel as real as possible.”
Gabrielle explained that even though it seemed like Nora was suffocating as she struggled for air, “Her lungs are being filled with a substance that our lungs are not normally filled with,” so she can breathe, but the virus isn’t making it easy for her as it takes over every inch, including her nervous system.“The little twitches are because it’s a thing of the brain: she’s trying to fight through to maintain her mind enough to get out what she has to say to Ellie. You’re going insane against your own will, and rather rapidly,” stated Gabrielle.
Known for her roles as Gaia on the television seriesThe 100, Prudence on theChilling Adventures of Sabrina, and Marienne Bellamy onthe Netflix seriesYou,Gabrielle revealed that doing that scene where she’s infected was one of the hardest things she’s ever had to do as an actor. “It’s almost easier to die and say your final words while you’re dying. It’s much harder when you’re not actually dying at all. You’re just being consumed by something from the inside out.”
Even though viewers didn’t see Nora die due to the brutal beating Ellie gave her in a bid to get information out of her about where Abby was, albeit unsuccessfully, it’s very clear that she will succumb to the airborne spores, just like the others Ellie saw in the basement.The Last of UsSeason 2 streams on Max, leading up to the season finale on May 25.
