"It's In The Air": The Last Of Us Finally Introduced One Aspect Of The Cordyceps

"It's in the air" is one of the most poignant lines in The Last of Us season 2, episode 5, and it sets up a critical aspect of the Cordyceps Infection that season 1 left out. Season 2 has shown Ellie and Dina progressing deeper into Seattle to confront Abby and the others involved in Joel's murder. Though there are multiple factions Ellie and Dina will have to face in Seattle, like W.L.F. and the Seraphites, the Cordyceps Infection is still rampant and dangerous, with plenty of threats still to come that will be new to TV viewers.

The Last of Us season 2 has already introduced the Stalkers, a progressed variant of the Infected that are more conscious and able to track and flank their targets. We also saw the Bloater that Tommy faced during the battle in Jackson during episode 2. The Cordyceps is horrifying, and the aspect of it that differentiates The Last of Us from other undead media is that it has a life of its own, and can spread and develop in different ways.

The Last Of Us Season 2 Episode 5 Confirmed The Existence Of Toxic Spores Connected To The Cordyceps Infection

Toxic Spores Spread The Infection Through The Air

Episode 5, titled "Day Two" after one of the chapters in The Last of Us Part II video game, began with an extended dialogue sequence between two characters we hadn't met before, introducing the concept of toxic spores in the air. This is a major aspect of the video games that has yet to appear in the TV show, and it ended up being a prominent force in the episode's climax.

In Ellie's confrontation with Nora in The Last of Us season 2, episode 5's ending, we see how the spores take effect rather quickly. Ellie is immune, but when Nora breathes in the Cordyceps spores, she begins coughing and appears sickly almost immediately. We don't get to see the long-term effects in this scene due to Nora's premature death via a drain pipe, but she would have eventually succumbed to them, turning into one of the Infected. As Nora tells Ellie, "You've killed us both."

Why Spores Weren't Used In The Last Of Us Season 1

Wearing Masks Would Have Been Harmful To The Show's Dramatic Potential

The Last of Us season 1 was an adaptation of a video game that can take roughly 15–20 hours to complete, making it challenging to pack all the material into the season. That said, it seems like the decision to omit spores, despite them being used in the game for vital narrative purposes, was a creative choice to establish the TV show's world in a different way. On the matter, The Last of Us TV series co-creator Craig Mazin told ComicBook.com the following:

"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."

Mazin seems to suggest that the spores would have been too prevalent a threat to put in the show, though they've evidently changed their minds on the matter by using them in season 2. One practical element to consider is that actors in film and television typically won't want to wear anything that obscures their face if it's not necessary. For example, heroes in medieval war movies won't wear helmets, even if it would be practical for the setting. Having The Last of Us stars constantly wear gas masks presents a similar issue, preventing the dramatic capabilities of facial expressions.

What Spores Mean for The Last Of Us Season 2 & Beyond

The Spores Will Be A Consistent Threat In The TV Show

While Ellie's immunity prevents the spores from being a problem for her, it's going to be a constant issue for other characters in the TV show. The spores were used in episode 5 in a contained space and, tying back to Mazin's concern from season 1, they'll likely remain confined to underground or interior settings. The writers will have to be careful in their use of the spores, lest the actors in The Last of Us be forced to frequently wear masks, removing some of the emotional elements that make the show so poignant.