'The Last of Us' Season 2 Episode 5 Promo Teases Something Bigger Than the Bloater Is Coming

The Last of UsSeason 2 has now fully introduced the main players for this installment of the series. We have Ellie (Bella Ramsey) and Dina (Isabela Merced), Abby (Kaitlyn Dever) and her crew, and the two warring factions, W.L.F. and the Seraphites. Now that the introductions are done and dusted, the show can finally set course for the central conflict, as survivors continue to deal with their ongoing conflicts while dealing with the hordes of infected that still linger across the city. And there is something far worse lurking beneath Seattle as the promo for Season 2, Episode 5 reveals.

The latest trailer slowly reveals that everything we know about the Cordyceps brain infection and the infected themselves will change as Episode 5 introduces an element thatwas a crucial part of the game:infection via spores. Additionally, it hints that something is lurking in the basement, teasing that another type of threat will be unveiled as the show continues, andthat will be a massive problem for every survivor.

What Are Spores in ‘The Last Of Us’?

Infection via spores was a feature in the games, but it hasn’t been an element in the live-action series because of the difficulty of filming with gas masks. ShowrunnerCraig Mazinrevealed in an interviewthat using face masks would make it difficult to view the characters' emotions since they would be wearing masks all the time if the infection was also airborne in a realistic setting. But just because that type of infection was wiped out doesn’t mean it wasn’t acknowledged.In the games, spores were one method of infecting a human other than biting, and out of all the survivors in the game, only Ellie can breathe in spore-infested areas due to her immunity. Additionally, in the game, the spores were the reason whyDina was able to learn about Ellie’s immunity, which changed in the HBO series as the feature wasn’t introduced yet.

In Season 1, Ellie jokes about “super-infected that explode fungus spores,” to which Tess (Anna Torv) replies, “I hope not.” As Season 2 progresses, it showcases that theinfected have become smarter and more dangerous than ever, andthe events in Jackson, Wyoming, are just the tip of the iceberg.The Last of Us Part IIfeatured a type of infected that’s more threatening than the bloater, and the dialogue featured in the teaser hintsat a bigger monster that video game fans are deeply aware of.