Spurs could still come in The Last of Us despite changes

Image via HBO Max

fans of The last of us weren’t too happy about Spurs being left out of the TV series, but as it turns out, they may not be entirely out of the picture.

In conversation with diversity, creators Craig Mazin and Neil Druckman spoke about this decision to incorporate cordyceps vines over the spurs as the main obstacles for the survivors on the show. Mazin confirmed that this TV adaptation world is still in the process of being made, so people shouldn’t fully count them out.

“If you listen carefully, the word ‘spurs’ falls. I’m not sure if we’ll see any spores this time, but to say our world is free of them wouldn’t be accurate. We’re not quite sure yet: that’s part of the fun of customization and letting those blurry edges of the map be left to our characters to discover as the adventure progresses.”

In The last of us Season one, episode two, Joel (Pedro Pascal), Ellie (Bella Ramsey) and Tess (Anna Torv) make their way through the ruins of Boston when Ellie inquires about the dangers of this horrible world. Ellie has heard that there are swarms of infected roaming all over the open city. When Joel and Tess say that’s not exactly so, she asks if there are superinfected ones that explode fungal spores on humans, and Tess replies that she hopes not. While they haven’t encountered them yet, the spores aren’t out of the question.

In the game, Spurs are a big deal. Infected people go insane and their main goal is to transmit spores to others. The fungus eventually destroys its host and outgrows the body to spread more spores. If Joel inhales too many of these spores, he will die, requiring him to wear a gas mask if the spores are too heavy.

As for the backlash, Mazin said it was expected, but he also knows where it’s coming from.

“I’ve learned to anticipate a backlash when I sneeze. I think it appeals to the kind of fans we have that are so protective and love the world and these characters so much that they take whatever they see as a departure from the game without the full context of what it means Assume the worst and push back on it. I think this addition is something valuable. It’s actually one of those additions where I’m like, ‘Oh man, I wish we had it for the game. I wish we would have thought of this years ago because I love it so much.’”

Many fans mourn the shocking ending The last of us Episode two, but the deadly adventure is just beginning. Joel is still unsure if he can trust Ellie and the hope she holds for a better world – because things aren’t looking too good at the moment.

The last of us airs Sundays on HBO and is available to stream on HBO Max.