Episode 2 of The Last Of Us has introduced the Clicker, one of the most dangerous types of zombies in the gaming genre.
Episode 2 of the television series The Last Of Us has brought many surprises for fans of the original game series, captivating audiences worldwide. One of the main highlights is the appearance of the Clicker, a zombie that is faster, stronger, and more dangerous, with the ability to navigate using echolocation instead of sight, which has been entirely compromised.
To bring this type of zombie to the screen, the production team of The Last Of Us conducted extensive research, with hundreds of thousands of different designs. However, the deeper they explored, the more they realized that the best approach was to stay true to the original concept, as the Clicker in Naughty Dog’s game can create a lasting impression even on first-time viewers of The Last Of Us.
Subsequently, this zombie type was brought to life through the extraordinary talent of Barrie Gower. Previously, Gower was responsible for the makeup effects in the acclaimed series Chernobyl, which made a significant impact in 2019 on HBO.
In addition, this episode also introduced significant changes regarding the method of infection caused by the Cordyceps fungus— the agent responsible for the zombie outbreak in The Last Of Us. In the game, Cordyceps can spread through spores in the air. However, the television adaptation suggests that in reality, the spores can travel everywhere through invisible pathways, making it less realistic if they were just floating around in a confined environment as in the game.
This is why, when adapted into a film, the method of infection has seen some changes. Here, Cordyceps will utilize its fungal tendrils to infect humans through physical contact, rather than merely through airborne spores. Furthermore, based on scientific research, these fungal tendrils are interconnected and can potentially affect zombies from a considerable distance. This concept is explained in the closing segment of Episode 2 of The Last Of Us.
So, what interesting processes were involved in creating this episode? Below are shared insights from Craig Mazin, the showrunner and co-writer of The Last Of Us, and Neil Druckmann, the “father” of the game series.
