The Last of Us Episode 2: HBO releases first look at new episode

HBO has released first-look images from The Last of Us Episode 2, teasing the origin of the Cordyceps infection and more.

Episode 2 of the video game adaptation, titled ‘Infected’, is set to air this weekend. It’ll follow directly from the events of the first episode, which saw Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Tess (Anna Torv) agreeing to smuggle Ellie (Bella Ramsey) to the Fireflies.

So far, we don’t know much about how the fungal pandemic arose. We heard rumblings of disturbances in Jakarta, and Joel and Sarah managed to avoid certain foods in Episode 1, but that’s about it.

In Episode 2, it seems we might learn more about what went down abroad, while also facing off with the franchise’s scariest monsters.

New images from The Last of Us Episode 2

You can check out the new images from The Last of Us Episode 2 below:

In one of the photos, we see an unknown woman with scientific equipment in the background. She was also seen in a trailer, examining tendrils, so it’s fair to assume her scenes will take place around the time of the outbreak.

In an interview with Comic Book, co-showrunner Craig Mazin spoke about the origin of the virus and the decision to remove spores. “In the game, you encounter spores, and you need to put a gas mask on,” he said.

“In the world that we’re creating, if we put spores in the air, it would be pretty clear that they would spread around everywhere, and everybody would have to wear a mask all the time. And probably everybody would be completely infected by that point.

“So, we challenged ourselves to come up with an interesting new way for the fungus to spread, but mostly, I think we just connected with the soul and spirit of the game.”

The other images show Joel, Tess, and Ellie, including one of the trio’s flashlights shining on an infected – most likely a Clicker, as we’ve yet to see them in the series.

The Last of Us Episode 2 will be available to watch on January 22 in the US and January 23 in the UK. Find out how to watch it here.

For more TLOU content, check out some of our below guides:

Joel & Tess explained | Sarah spoilers | Fungus threat is terrifying | The dog’s fate | Who is Marlene? | Why is Ellie so important? | Soundtrack choice | FEDRA & the Fireflies explained