It’s hard to imagine how survivors in a world dominated by a civilization-destroying fungus could do better than the residents of Jackson, Wyoming. The Last of Us‘ commune feels organized, strong, and vibrant. It’s a place where kids learn, people provide for one another, and everyone takes care of everyone, including refugees seeking a home. While far from perfect, there’s a beautiful simplicity to life there, quietly thriving in the shadow of nature’s majesty. And that’s why that haven also represents the show’s scariest idea. Even in a dystopian wasteland overrun with monsters, the most terrifying, and most relatable nightmare from The Last of Us‘ season two premiere is the fact that no matter how hard you try, you can’t hide from the horrors of the world.
HBO
The first episode of The Last of Us season two, “Future Days,” begins on an ominous note for Joel. During a fateful burial that takes place before the five-year time skip of season two, Abby and her friends swore vengeance for what Joel did to the Fireflies in Salt Lake City. The season two premiere of The Last of Us then ended with an even bigger threat coming for all of Jackson, Wyoming. Earlier in the episode, the town had opened up old pipes full of dead vines. What no one realizes is that something is alive inside of them. Cordyceps’ long, wire-like fibers have spread underground seeking new potential hosts and are making their way into Jackson, despite its strong defenses.
Abby and her friends, now on the outskirts of the commune, only want to kill Joel. Those Infected roots are a threat to everyone in Jackson. If anyone touches just one, it will draw every nearby Infected to the town. Tess explained why to Ellie in season one of The Last of Us. “You step on a patch of cordyceps in one place, and you can wake a dozen infected from somewhere else,” she said. “Now they know where you are. Now they come. You’re not immune from being ripped apart.”
HBO
On The Last of Us, the people of Jackson have done everything they possibly can do to protect themselves from Infected and other dangers. They’ve built tall, fortified walls and manned them. They’ve trained and armed themselves while educating young people on how to defend themselves. And they’ve established patrols to stay ahead of any possible incoming threats. Mountains also naturally protect the isolated, gated commune. It’s hidden away, mostly self-sustaining, organized, and headed by a group of respected, measured leaders fully committed to keeping its fellow citizens safe above all else. It’s a wonderful, lively oasis, always conscious that it’s surrounded by a wasteland of death.
And it simply doesn’t matter. None of it matters, for a reason that is far more realistic and relatable—and therefore far more terrifying—than fungus zombies. The horrifying truth that The Last of Us illuminates for us is that no matter what you do, no matter how hard you try, no matter how much you wish, you can’t ever truly hide from the world and the terrors of life. They will eventually come for you, regardless of who you are or where you go.
HBO
That’s more true than ever. Our planet is connected in ways people couldn’t have imagined even 50 years ago. Air travel, the internet, global trade, long-range missiles, and every other part of modern life that has turned Earth into a (reluctant) global community, meaning that the actions of some in one corner of the world can and will have dire consequences to people on the other side of the planet. So while those cordyceps fibers represent the possibility of Infected coming for Jackson’s commune on The Last of Us, they are easy metaphors for the monsters we face. They are easy stand-ins for fascism, global warming, terrorism, pandemics, and corporate greed.
You might believe you are uniquely safe from all of those things. You might believe that you’ve steeled yourself and built walls tall enough that you’ll be able to live your life in quiet solitude before they ever touch you. But the world’s horrors are as unavoidable as the personal ones we all face. They are as inevitable as getting old, sick, and death. It’s not a matter of “if” the world’s problems will find you, but “when.”
HBO
That’s what makes that final sequence of The Last of Us‘ season two premiere so truly awful, because we know just how true it is. It’s nice to think we can hide away—that we can build a life where the only problems we have are the normal problems of existence. But it’s a dream that will always become a nightmare, because the horrors of the world have a way of finding you. Whether as obvious as a horde of zombies attacking in daylight or hidden fibers spreading in the darkness, they’ll show up. They will find you no matter where you are, no matter how hard you tried to protect yourself from them. And when they do, you better be ready to fight back. No one is immune from being ripped apart.
Mikey Walsh is a staff writer at Nerdist. You can follow him on Bluesky at @burgermike. And also anywhere someone is ranking the Targaryen kings.
This articles is written by : Nermeen Nabil Khear Abdelmalak
All rights reserved to : USAGOLDMIES . www.usagoldmines.com
You can Enjoy surfing our website categories and read more content in many fields you may like .
Why USAGoldMines ?
USAGoldMines is a comprehensive website offering the latest in financial, crypto, and technical news. With specialized sections for each category, it provides readers with up-to-date market insights, investment trends, and technological advancements, making it a valuable resource for investors and enthusiasts in the fast-paced financial world.
By Nermeen Nabil Khear 
