Will we see the ‘patient zero’ of Cordyceps in the series?

Every story has an origin… and so does an infection as dangerous as Cordyceps in the universe of The Last of Us, whose ‘patient zero’ may soon be revealed. The first two episodes of the HBO television adaptation—whose flashbacks introductory articles have been very illuminating as to how and why the disease could break out—provide good grounds for believing that craig mazin Y Neil Druckman, co-creators of the show, will put all their cards on the table at some point. But we better not have such high expectations.

In a recent interview with Varietyboth creatives talked about those deviations they take from the story of Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey) to provide a broader picture of the situation.

According to Mazin, the original idea for the adaptation of The Last of Us It was for us to see how this pandemic was dealt with internationally. However, the co-creators ultimately decided that the only valid reason they would have to distance themselves from the main story was to offer clues as to where it all began. And also, to share scientific explanations that would allow the public to understand the fungal crisis that the series illustrates.

However, this does not mean that they intend to stamp an absolute truth on how the problem originated. Nor about who was the first infected human.

«Everything we saw in the video game [original] it was from the perspective of three characters: Sarah, Joel and Ellie. Nothing more. Here we have the possibility to get out of those characters and show other things, but it was always important to never say: ‘Okay, here is patient zero, the exact origin.’ Much of this is clue-based,” Druckmann stated.

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In his response, he also hinted that things “would have turned out a lot different” for Joel, Tommy, and Sarah “if they’d made those pancakes.” In the video game, there are indications that the pandemic could have been unleashed through contaminated products. And in the television series, the bet of the fans is that the food with flour they were the ones that caused the spread of the fungus in the beginning.

This theory notes that in the opening chapter, the main characters do not eat a birthday cake, pancakes for breakfast, or the cookies that a neighbor offers Sarah. But in addition, the introduction of chapter two with a mycologist from Jakarta —a city in Indonesia where one of the largest flour producers in the world conveniently exists— seems to confirm the suspicions. What does Druckmann think about it?

“We liked the idea of ​​that science, and we tried our best to make sure that our research connected everything. [La micóloga] he asks where it happened, and the guy says a flour mill on the west side of town. In Jakarta there is the largest flour factory in the world, so it is a good theory and I think people should continue with it, “said the executive producer.

The Last of Us premieres a new episode every Sunday through the HBO channel and the platform streaming HBO Max.