The Last of Us Episode 4 Changes Ellie’s Immunity Reveal (It’s Better Than the Game)
Ellie’s revelation about her immunity to Dina was completely accidental in The Last of Us’ video game, though the show makes this scene a crucial moment in their relationship. Here’s how the HBO series managed that major difference from the game in a truly brilliant way.
Things have been quite messy in The Last of Us’ latest episode, with Ellie and Dina having to escape yet another attack of the infected and Dina making it all even more complicated by the pregnancy news.
Even though the show still followed the original game’s events pretty faithfully, the shocking plot twist involving the attack was an even bigger shocker for the game fans — this time, however, they might not slam the series after all.
The Infected’s Attack on Ellie and How It Differentiates From the Game, Explained
In the Last of Us’ video game, pretty much the same happens to Ellie and Dina when they get to an abandoned TV station and have to flee from both the WLF soldiers and an army of the infected.
This is where one of the biggest differences between the game and the show resurfaces: in the former, the Cordyceps infection is spread through airborne spores, which is why all people have to wear protective masks in case of an encounter with the infected.
During the attack, Ellie’s mask breaks and she inhales the spores, which leaves Dina in an utter shock, later resulting in her distrust when Ellie makes the first attempt to explain the whole thing.
In the TV show, however, Ellie is beaten by one of the infected when she tries to impede them to reach Dina, stuck in the building’s doors, and eventually saves her life.
Why Is Ellie’s Big Change So Important?
Ellie’s decision to act quickly and this time use her immunity to save another person, in particular the one she’s having romantic feelings for, might have just become one of the best sequences in which The Last of Us’ TV adaptation deliberately drifted away from the source material.
In the game, Ellie isn’t forced to do anything to save Dina from the infected, while her brave move in the HBO series proves just how much Dina means to her, even though Ellie knows she isn’t going to die or turn after being beaten anyway.
Still, her almost unconscious attempt to distract the infected is probably the best character development that proves the show’s ability to offer a much more profound image of The Last of Us’ characters than the actual games did.
When Is The Last of Us’ Next Episode Being Released?
The show’s season 2 episode 4 will arrive on Max on May 11. The following two episodes are scheduled for a release on May 18 and May 25 respectively.
