The Last of Us started as a faithful adaptation of its source material, but as the series moved on, it deviated from canon here and there, adding standalone episodes and new villains. These changes were generally agreed to be for the better, but one tweak did divide the fan base: spores vs. tendrils. Instead of reproducing with airborne spores that prompted the game’s characters to wear gas masks, HBO’s Infected used vast networks of tendrils to spread the Cordyceps parasite.
The trailer for Season 2, however, revealed that spores still exist in HBO’s version of the universe, and in Episode 5, we’ll finally see Ellie encounter them. Here’s everything you need to know about the upcoming episode, from when it arrives to how many episodes are left after it.
