The Last of Us is a game changer on HBO, faithfully adapting elements that made the video game a masterpiece. And for newcomers who have never played the game, last night’s final moments involving Tess were probably a huge surprise.
With the latest episode, the word adaptation continues to be a strong point for this series, showcasing how changes can be made for the better—specifically involving the fates of certain characters in the show.
The Last of Us episode 2 had a foreshadowing title named “Infected.” The meaning behind it will involve Spoilers for both the game and television series. For those who have not seen the new episode, feel free to return after watching.
The “Infected” name stems from the big reveal that Tess was attacked by a Clicker. The sequence itself has viewers asking if the same scenario happened in the game.
Did Tess die in The Last of Us video game? What are the major changes in the adaptation?
Here is how Tess died in both the series and the video game.
How did Tess die in The Last of Us show?
In the episode, Joel, Ellie, and Tess are making their way through a destroyed Downtown District of Boston. After interrogating Ellie about her bite, Joel and Tess feel safe and understand that Ellie might be the cure to end this plague. They set a course to meet with the Fireflies that are supposed to take Ellie out West.
In between, they cut through a museum (which looks exactly like the game), and inside are Clickers. The three of them attempt to stealth their way through the building without being spotted by one of these nasty creatures. Joel explains to Ellie quietly that Clickers cannot see or smell, but their hearing is impeccable.
Ellie gently steps on a piece of glass, and all chaos breaks loose. The Clickers attack the group, but they eventually make it out of the museum alive.
Once they arrive at the Capitol building, they discover the Fireflies at the rendezvous are all dead–implying one of them turned. Tess then reveals she is also infected, showing a bite around her shoulder and neck.
She angrily and passionately tells Joel to take Ellie all the way to Salt Lake City, stressing Ellie’s importance to the world.
As they leave, Tess is pouring gasoline around the room. The hivemind tendril sends signals of Tess’s location, and the infected swarm the Capitol building. One of the infected gives Tess mouth-to-mouth with the fungus going inside; Tess, struggling to light a Zippo, eventually strikes fire, drops it on the gasoline, and blows the place up.
It’s a tense ending that adds so much to the story. But how does it differ from the video game?
How does Tess die in The Last of Us video game?
The game itself handles the death of Tess with the same amount of tragedy, only it’s more off-screen. The same build-up happens. Tess is infected at the museum, and they escape to the Capitol building, only to find a room full of dead Fireflies. She reveals her infliction to Joel and demands he takes Ellie all the way.
Only here, the horde of infected does not kill Tess. Instead, she is heard in the distance fighting off the local military in a gunfight, implying she is being shot to death.
A moment later, Joel and Ellie can see above from a balcony in the same room we left Tess at. And Joel sees Tess lying on the ground, dead.
Both versions have their positives to them. Seeing Tess get kissed by the infected as she blows the place up is rather compelling. Hearing Tess being shot to death is disturbingly tragic as well. Hearing a death allows the imagination to do so much.
The next episode should be just as captivating as the series will introduce Nick Offerman as Bill.
The Last of Us airs every Sunday at 9 p.m. EST/8 p.m. CST.