Top 10 Things In The Last of Us Show That Aren't In The Games
#10: Kathleen’s Grudge Against Henry
“Endure and Survive” When Joel and Ellie met the brotherly duo of Henry and Sam, the siblings revealed they were running from a violent group of people. The video game made their enemies seem like run-of-the-mill scavengers. However, the show added more layers to the enemies. The series introduced the idea that the human enemies have a leader named Kathleen. Before Joel and Ellie arrived, her brother was sold out to local soldiers and killed. Since Henry was responsible for this death, Kathleen was obsessed with making the survivor and his brother pay. Kathleen’s quest for revenge was incredibly compelling. As an added bonus, Henry had to struggle with the fact that he condemned one person’s brother to death to save his own.
#9: Ellie’s Military School Flashback
“Left Behind” Although Ellie referenced her school stint in the video games, we didn’t see any of it firsthand until the series came along. The “Left Behind” episode showed us that the adults were dead set on making more soldiers. Ellie’s reluctance to get excited about the program also caused tension between her and other students. But despite her bad attitude, higher ups still believed in her potential and kept convincing her to fall in line. Thanks to this flashback, we got to look at Ellie’s school days in a new light. Adults wanted her to be a leader from the beginning. If she hadn’t gotten a fateful bite while hanging out with Riley, she could’ve been on her way to running that school.
#8: The Bloater’s Hellish Introduction
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“Endure and Survive” The bulky bloater enemy type was first introduced in the game while Joel and Ellie were traveling with their ally Bill. Fortunately, the trio managed to avoid death and defeat the creature in a closed gym. But the heroes didn’t get nearly as close to the Bloater on the show. Right before the vengeful Kathleen could shoot the heroes in an open space, a horde of infected arrived. As a bunch of enemies overwhelmed her forces, the Bloater emerged as the leader of that fungal army. Joel didn’t even try to address this huge problem. Seeing the hero run away from the boss enemy made bloaters feel more intimidating in live-action than they are in the games.
#7: Tommy Becomes a Dad
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“Kin” Gamers knew that Tommy would reunite with Joel at some point. However, they weren’t quite expecting one piece of news. While Tommy and Maria get married in both mediums, the series introduced a bundle of joy into the mix. The addition of a child definitely helped raise the stakes when Joel asked his brother to escort Ellie through dangerous territory. In the game, Tommy was mainly reluctant because his wife didn’t like the idea of him taking risks. But the show counterpart had to weigh both his spouse’s feelings and the incoming responsibility of being a parent. Since Tommy played a pretty important role in the sequel game, it’ll be interesting to see him make the same decisions as a dad in season 2.
#6: Ellie Tries to Cure Sam
“Endure and Survive” Seeing the immune Ellie learn that her new friend Sam had been bitten was absolutely heartbreaking. Although she knew that chances were slim, she immediately attempted to use her blood to cure him. Unfortunately, Ellie’s blood wasn’t enough to save her friend. This sad scene was so affecting that it was surprising to learn that it was completely original to the show. When Sam is bitten in the game, he manages to hide his infected injury from Ellie. So, she’s completely caught off guard once he turns and attacks. Making Ellie aware of a tragic bite that she couldn’t fix made her more skeptical that she’d live to see humanity cured thanks to her immunity.
#5: Ellie’s Mom
#4: Joel’s Hospital Stay
#3: Tess Chooses a Different Ending
“Infected” Joel loses his chance at a future with Tess once an infected person bites her. In the game, she decides to make one last stand against a few soldiers at a Firefly post before she goes. Although Tess shoots a couple of them before they take her down, Joel still has to fight his way out. The series changed up this vital moment by having the bitten survivor put everything on the line to keep the approaching infected at bay. Instead of facing a loaded gun, Tess causes an explosion that destroys a ton of enemies at the cost of her own life. This fiery and heroic sacrifice definitely kept Joel out of danger. Unfortunately for him, that didn’t make his loss hurt any less.
#2: Breaking Down How the Infection Spread
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Various Episodes Over the course of multiple installments, the series made sure to explain every aspect of the cordyceps infection. The premiere opened on a scientist who broke down what the fungus does to an insect brain and how it could theoretically get to a point where it affected humans. Following that terrifying scene, the series dropped breadcrumbs that the fungi spread through food. The series then heavily implied that cordyceps got into a huge flour factory in Jakarta, Indonesia. By contrast, the game hinted that the fungi originated in South American crops. The explanation was definitely serviceable for the game. However, it’s clear that the writers really wanted to expand upon the outbreak origin for the show.
#1: Nearly All of Bill & Frank’s Relationship
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“Long, Long, Time” In the first “The Last of Us” game, Frank dies alone after he gets bitten. His final letter showed that he had nothing but hate for his love interest Bill. While we don’t get much more insight into their fractured relationship in the game, the show devoted a big chunk of time to their romance. During the third episode, we got an in-depth look at the years they spent fighting and falling deeper in love. Frank also gets sick instead of getting bit. In the end, Bill decides to go off into the sunset with his husband. The live-action additions to the storyline were so well received that both critics and fans considered the couple’s episode to be a modern television masterpiece.
