Why Doesn’t Anyone Wear Masks In The Last Of Us Show?

Nobody wears masks in The Last of Us show, which is a big change from the original video game. In The Last of Us video game, characters periodically have to wear gas masks to avoid breathing in spores. Spores are a reproductive unit found in many plants, including fungi, that can be spread through the air like pollen to create more of a species. In the game, spores are like a cloud of bacteria that indicate when the infected might be near. Players aren't in control of the gas masks. Instead, characters just automatically put them on.

In The Last of Us episode 3, Bill briefly wears a gas mask, but this seems to only be to protect himself from potential gaseous weapons the military could use against him. He takes it off as soon as he knows there are no soldiers around. Besides this, there have been no gas masks in sight and no mention of spores in HBO's The Last of Us. The TV adaptation is pretty accurate to the game, so the absence of spores feels like an unexpected missed opportunity.

How Do Spores Affect Things In The Last Of Us Games?

Spores Make Things Difficult For The Player

As soon as the player runs into spores in the game, it typically means that the infected are nearby. It's likely to be a heavily populated area that is very dangerous for the player to navigate. On top of that, the spores are especially vicious because they have the ability to turn a human into one of the infected. The effect is quick, as it can make breathing difficult and a human's movements become sluggish. Ellie is the only character who can breathe the spores in safely, which fits into her immunity to cordyceps in general.

The Last Of Us Show Doesn't Use Spores Like The Games

This Is One Of The Show's Biggest Changes

The creators of The Last of Us show decided spores and gas masks didn't make sense for their version of the story. Co-creator Craig Mazin said of the decision to remove spores from The Last of Us, "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." (via ComicBook.com)

Realistically, spores would have wiped out humanity faster. And for modern viewers who have lived through the COVID-19 pandemic, the use of masks might have been more relatable, but also might have hit too close to home.

This The Last of Us change also has a practical reason behind it, as TV shows usually avoid blocking an actor's face. Although Pedro Pascal is used to covering his face for The Mandalorian, the Star Wars show is an exception to the rule. Leaving an actor's face visible allows them to show a full range of emotions even when their dialogue is minimal. And while the spores are a great atmospheric touch in The Last of Us game, creating them in real life would have been more difficult and costly.

The Last Of Us Finds Other Ways To Build Tension

The Show's Fungi Network Heightens The Suspense

HBO's The Last of Us did find another, less visual way to build tension with the infected: a network of fungi underground connecting the zombies. As seen at the end of The Last of Us episode 2, when Joel shoots one infected, he wakes a horde of hundreds far away. So the fungi network is just as dangerous as spores in the air. This also came into play in episode 2 of season 2, when this connection led to a horde of infected invading Jackson and threatening the entire community.

The video game didn't have this element, but it helps balance the loss of spores in the show, making sure the infected remain a constant threat. This makes it so that every scene is filled with tension, as this fear is always right around the corner. It's also grounded in science, as fungus can create underground networks in real life.

Will The Last Of Us Season 2 Have Spores?

It Doesn't Seem Likely

Although Mazin implied spores were completely gone from The Last of Us show, he later indicated they could still come into play. "I don't necessarily think we've eliminated spores from the universe of our show," Mazin said. "We just haven't gotten there yet. It's possible that they may come back. We may have a plan, is my point." (via Entertainment Weekly) Spores could appear in the show as the Cordyceps continue evolving and the characters encounter more infected zombies.

So far, season 2 has also not featured any spores, but as noted, the network of fungi has already played a huge part. It's unclear how much of The Last of Us Part II will be covered in season 2, but it's likely that it will span a few seasons. Adding spores back into The Last of Us could help continue to build tension over the years and keep the zombie story from going stale.

On top of that, it also adds a layer of tension to Ellie's immunity. In the game, she can breathe the spores fine, unlike everybody else, but still wears a gas mask to blend in. Season 2 has already shown her finding ways to cover up her immunity, like cutting the bite mark she got in episode 1. If she were caught without the mask, her immunity could be exposed to dangerous people like Abby and her friends, with long-lasting effects on the story of The Last of Us.