HBO’s The Last Of Us Episode 2 Ending Explained

HBO’s The Last Of Us Never Attempted To Appear Like It Cared About Keeping Its Characters Alive

By Amitabh Mukherji
January 23,2023
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It was obvious before The Last of Us even debuted that this was not a spectacle for the weak of heart. This was something you knew very well if you had played the Playstation exclusive before the HBO series aired.

Another highly heartbreaking character death has been featured in HBO’s major Sunday night series for the second week in a row. And just like with the series debut, every fan of the games should be prepared for this intense smack in the face.

But what makes the show so compelling is how it delves into the pasts of its lead characters, giving their present experiences more emotional significance. That translates to more time with favorite characters for video game fans. For the rest of the fans, who are only now getting to know Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey), they continue to be taken on a highly emotional trip through a destroyed landscape. Tragically, by the finale of Episode 2, “Infected,” it appears that Tess (Anna Torv) was not given enough opportunity to grow before making her final sacrifice.

Episode 2 Takes Before The Outbreak

Ellie And Tess In Episode 2 TLOU
Ellie And Tess In Episode 2 TLOU

Episode 2 once more transports us to the period prior to the apocalypse. This time, we accompany a team of scientists and military officials as they work to understand what is happening to Cordyceps-infected individuals. The opening scene of Episode 2 is set in Jakarta, the Indonesian capital, which is also the location of the show’s fungus infection. The loss of hope as officials understand that the only way to stop the epidemic is to destroy the entire city is devastating, especially since we already know that their efforts would be in vain. And just like Sarah in episode 1, the flashback in episode 2 lets us grieve for new characters.

A deeper exploration of Cordyceps mythology is provided in the dramatic Episode 2 introduction, which also explains how they substitute interior tissues and transform people into murdering machines. This heightens the suspense of Joel, Tess, and Ellie’s adventure through a Cordyceps-filled metropolis. The Last of Us makes sure that viewers understand that nobody is safe in this horrific post-apocalyptic world by outlining the dangers. And as predicted, Tess is already a victim of Episode 2. But the show seems to have wasted her death.

How Did Tess Die ?

Tess' Death In The Last Of Us
Tess’ Death In The Last Of Us

Marlene urged Joel and Tess to sneak Ellie to the Massachusetts State House so that her fellow Fireflies could provide them the supplies they needed to escape the QZ and journey to Wyoming. When Tess realized Ellie was infected, the strategy nearly fell apart, but ultimately, this simply served to reveal that Ellie is truly virus-immune.
They finally reach the State House, only to discover that everyone has been slaughtered after taking a side trip through a museum and having a terrible run-in with Clickers. The Fireflies apparently started killing each other over the possibility of contamination, leaving a ton of stuff, including a lot of explosives, available for looting.

Joel insisted that they go back home, but Tess revealed that she couldn’t. She was bitten while visiting the museum, and now she is dying. Tess tries her best to get Joel to see that he needs to accompany Ellie West and find out what the Fireflies can do to stop the Infected from spreading. 
The horde the gang witnessed earlier in the episode is awakened after Joel kills a straggler infected survivor. Now that Tess is not involved, Joel has about a minute to make a choice. She starts throwing grenades left and right, toppling fuel barrels. She promises to take steps to prevent the horde from pursuing Joel and Ellie.

Joel gets Ellie away from the State House because his will to survive comes before his emotions. Tess waits inside for the Infected to enter so she may ignite the gasoline and slay the horde, which includes herself.

However, the infected do not pursue her like they usually do when they accidentally enter. In fact, it’s close to a friendly tone. While she struggles to make her lighter operate, an infected confronts her and kisses her, causing its tendrils to penetrate hers. The link between two bodies in a massive fungus system is gross but also personal.

Despite how romantic the Infected’s actions may seem, Tess is still working toward a goal. The lighter eventually clicks into place just in time for her to blow up the State House. Joel and Ellie are now compelled to continue, both to search for a solution and to make sure Tess’s sacrifice wasn’t in vain.

The infestation could have spread more quickly once the infected individual encountered Tess and allowed more of the fungus to enter her mouth if she had managed to survive the explosion. But given that she was directly where the building caught fire, it’s unlikely that she (or the thing she may become) survived.

 

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