The Last of Us HBO Series: Sony PlayStation Shares the Making of Ep 2 as Spores Are Replaced; Google Adds an Easter Egg for Fans

HBO’s The Last of Us released its second episode earlier this week, and we saw more changes in the show’s adaptation of the video game. In a new PlayStation Blog post, members of the Naughty Dog team behind the game talked about creating Clickers and how the show’s creators translated that to a TV show.

The Clickers were designed in such a way that they felt like an integral part of the game’s world. Naughty Dog developers initially wanted only human enemies in the game, but they later changed their mind and included the Infected. One of the game’s artists depicted a person covered in fungal growths, which became the basis for the Clickers.

The Clickers were, of course, also shown in the live-action version of the game. Neil Druckmann had to adapt Clickers for the screen and make them look like they are part of the world, just like in the game. Clickers were only shown through glimpses and reflections, which Druckmann said created tension. Players come across these creatures frequently in the game, but the Clickers are reserved for only a few scenes in the show, which makes them appear more dangerous.

One thing from The Last of Us that was not included in the live-action version was spores. Instead, they were replaced by tendrils. Spores are an infectious threat in the game. In the show, Clickers have tendrils instead that have a root-like network, mimicking the way mushrooms communicate. Showrunner Craig Mazin said in an interview with Variety that they opted for tendrils because they look more visually disturbing, and it was difficult to portray spores on the show like in the video game.

Google’s The Last of Us easter egg

If you search for The Last of Us on Google, you will see a small mushroom button on the bottom of the search results page. When you click on this button, your screen will get infected by the cordyceps fungus from the game. Clicking the bottom multiple times spreads the infection all over your screen. Head on to Google to try this fun easter egg out!