Not only does the cordyceps growing in flour make sense and explains how it could've spread so fast across the world, but it's also mindblowing when you remember how many meals with flour were in the first episode: Joel didn't want pancakes on his birthday Granny Adler ate biscuits which Joel and Sarah neglected and Joel forgot to bring home a cake. If they ate any of that they might have gotten infected. Joel unknowingly dodged the bullet on three occasions. That's so crazy and great storytelling.
Also the fact that the largest grain/flour mill is in Jakarta, and Indonesia is one of the largest flour grain exporter in the world, it does make sense and realistic tho
Yeah that is what I also said in other videos regarding the flour factory. But where did they get the grain? Brazil got soybean wheat so this might be prime suspect because the professor outright said cordyceps which Brazil is good location for one particular reason: Deforestation to make room for farming, Brazil and Indonesia also have good relations.
@@Frostwolf_103 Ah now I understand, I think its connected to the contaminated yeast farms in South America the game mention it before, that possible if the factory import some of it and cause outbreak in Jakarta
the first outbreak was in Jakarta, but the source of infected flour was not from there. If it from Jakarta, it would takes weeks for the flour from the factory floor in to the neighbor's pantry. There are only 2-3 days gap between the outbreaks in Jakarta and US.
There was a comment someone made that I really liked on another video about how it was an interesting twist how it’s the military man asking for a medicine or vaccine and the scientific woman goes straight to a wanting the city destroyed. The man of war wants a scientific answer but the woman of science knew a violent response was needed. A bit of a change from the usual trope of the gung ho general not listening to reason and scientist saving the day with their scientific answer.
It was here, I believe the comment is not too far up from yours, but yes it was nice change of pace to see the "Scientist" go for the "Military" solution instead of the "General" disregarding the "Scientific" solution. Also, dont know if that comment said it but the actor who played the General or Colonel (i dont remember his rank or if is stated) really sold the part that he sincerely wants to help and look for a solution for this mess but as soon as the Professor says "bomb the city" his eyes both light up and feel empty; is almost as if he is "did i hear that right?" shortly after with a "shit shit shit, theres nothing left to do" and understands the same as the professor that being with the family is the thing to do.
@D.M L.G that's a 3-star general btw. Most people don't know military ranks by sight anymore, but it's another indication how hard the s*** has hit the fan, when a 3-star personally hunts down the expert and escorts her to the lab.
I know this is fiction so it doesn't matter, but bombing the whole Jakarta might be a hard ask. Even if we were to assume the military collected enough resources to do that, any slip up on this operation will be disastrous, not just because it's bombing a whole city, but also the situation. A month before the first shot a bomb has been exploded on Marriott. And while this may not scar some people (I remember at the time police said that the culprit targeted Western buildings, so middle upper class people might had bigger concerns), it's also barely five years after Indonesian people overthrown a president now infamous for body counts from his secret police. And now officials have to consider bombing a city. What I am saying is that there's much more chaos outside the movie text and I hope there's an Indonesian fanfic writer somewhere that expand on this setting.
@@d.ml.g9902 gotcha. Didn’t know where it was but glad to know! And I agree that he really sold it! He oozed emotion and his eyes told us a lot so much. He really sold the idea of a frightened and disturbed man looking for a solution.
That moment when she learns how many workers are still missing, and she starts shaking. Because it hits her that fast, it's too late, far far too late. The absolute fear conveyed in that moment and the entire opening is absolutely incredible.
I didn’t know anything about the game so everything was new information to me. That scene you’re talking about told me everything I needed to know about how horrific this fungus was and what destruction it would bring to the world. Beautiful storytelling and beautiful acting.
It’s the fact that the characters know in the story that it’s the end. The only thing that isn’t plausible is that the flour could be transported around the world in 2 days. The fact is it’d take 3-4 weeks to ship that around the world.
For a small fact, the actress who take role as Professor Ratna is Christine Hakim. Put it simply, she is Indonesian equivalent of Dame Judi Dench, or Dame Hellen Mirren. Truly a legend
It's because this shit can actually happen and this is how our zombie apocalypse will probably happen BrainPilot do better and let people know this information
Cause we’ve been through a pandemic and remember how that felt at first. That’s why all this plague end of society shit hits different now more than ever.
It really shows how helpless it is when she recommends bombing the city because there is no cure. and she knows there is no hope because she wants to be with her family
What got me was that it wasn't even the general's idea to bomb, as would be more typical TV. He brought in an expert and was clearly willing to act on her advice, whatever it may be. That one of their nation's brightest minds is telling him the situation is that hopeless, that they must bomb their own CAPITAL CITY just for a fighting chance...oh those are some CHILLS.
@@sagelemmers7009 Thats realistic decision came out from the experts that theyre knows, there is no any choice left to stop it, no medicine and no vaccine just bcause its a fungus that we dealing with, spread faster like a fire, killing everyone is the best option we can do to slow down the spread, and thats why the armies hunts for them and kill sarah in the first episode
It's the way the show showed us how Sarah and Joel avoided getting infected 4 times. The birthday pancakes Sarah was going to make for Joel, the biscuits the neighbors were offering, the cookies the old lady was making for Sarah, and the cake Joel was suppose to get.
The directors explained they wanted the opening to be in Indonesia bc they wanted this show to make the audience see that it was in fact on a global scale and not just an American, as it was felt in the game. They also said that they wanted to do scenes of majors cities during the outbreak but didn’t have enough money 😢
And the fact that Indonesia is not wheat exporter country, means when the outbreak happened in Jakarta and US in same week, the infected flour/wheat can be already in every other country.
Somehow I pictured the same three runners cheaply green screened in front of the Eiffel Tower, the Great Wall of China, and Tenochitlan and honestly I’d have supported such a directorial choice
Ya, when her demeanor changes after telling them to bomb when she realizes her personal situation vs her as a scientist knowing what must be done.. was chilling.
@@INGORPG I loved seeing people gush about her from that part of the world, the raw emotion had me mourn for the character, the casting was done so well
@@GroundbreakGames This... you can pratically see all what she represents as a well known scientist, an authority in her field of study, slowly evaporates and leave only a humble , helpless senior lady who only wants to be taken home to stay with her family. Being stripped of our titles, achievements in life, we all are really just helpless human beings, that was a powerful message
So I watched the interview of this actress. This was one of those scenes shot during CoVid (obviously), and her 13 year old relative really begged her to take the casting for this show, but she was very worried because her husband is comorbid and she worried that things would happen to her family if she got sick on the shooting process. So we have a senior actress shooting a scene in which a professor asking to be sent home to meet her family in the last days before a zombie pandemic about to happen, WHILE also really worried for her family on a global pandemic.
As soon as the Indonesian policeman said 14 workers were missing and the whereabouts of the person who bit the woman were unknown, I knew it was over. By the time you start investigating an outbreak, the damage has already been done. 30 hours is enough time for an infection to travel far. through ppl.
@@Tystlaten028 Craig Maizin wrote a pretty bleak, yet carthartic ending. And the ending of the game itself had the same tone. I don’t think it’ll be bad at all.
Props to the actor that played the General for showing the absolute horror at being told by his expert that the only way to possibly give *the rest of the world* a fighting chance is to *immediately raze Jakarta to the ground*
General Millay, head of the Joint Chiefs of the military in the U.S., said in a speech this year that the purpose of a strong military is to prevent war. I found that very reassuring. He is also the guy who spent HOURS on phones talking to his opposites in China and Russia that then President Trump was not going to launch nuclear missiles to start a war, so he could declare a national emergency and stay in power. The terrifying thing is, this was actually discussed during Trump's desperate last days. China was so sure Trump was going to do this that they were considering launching a pre-emptive strike. Millay talked them away from the ignition switch. Millay was accused by extreme right wing of going behind the President's back / over his head: Millay held a meeting with all the significant military officers and reminded them that before nukes are launched the Chief of the Joint Chiefs (him, at the moment) must be told. This has been policy for a long time. He was just making sure everyone damned well remembered it.
She has the same age, body size and aura as my grandma who passed away in 2021 which makes it hit a lot harder for me. The way she says “please listen carefully” and “start bombing” gives me chills. No other language could’ve delivered those words like that. Incredible acting from Christine Hakim!
small comment, her name would be Professor Ratna. The name "Ibu Ratna" translates to "Mother Ratna" but in Indonesia, the word "Ibu" (meaning mother) is also used as a respectful way to call a lady older than you, sort of like the equivalent of calling someone Ms/Mrs. A lil cultural lesson for everyone :)
This episode that shows you the problem is infected flour makes you look back at episode one. They couldn't make pancakes, they forgot the birthday cake, she didn't eat the cookies because they had raisins, he's on atkins so no bread and the family next to them that got infected were feeding biscuits to granma. So much attention to detail.
After Jakarta was bombed, many other cities ere as well, and we can still see the traces of bombs in Boston later in the episode. That's the point of the scene.
Yup and same with Austin, Texas. Sarah while at the watch repair store, the jets zoom by to the city center and start bombing. They knew right away Even in 2003 they had satellites and could see everything, not to mention being post 9/11 they had high alert contingencies in place.
Omg yes 😂 The policeman/military explaining to her the situation and I’m wondering well they need to find patient zero. Then he says they have no idea who bite her. I’m like omfg, you have to burn out the infection at that point because it can’t be contained. Bombing was the only logical choice… scary chills.
@@mrnozchalazt7199n a densely populated place like the Jakarta area, it would be quite easy for Patient Zero to get lost in the crowd (especially once the infection started spreading)...
I'm trying to think what other flashbacks would be effective. I know that Neil and Craig said they scrapped the idea of flashing back to Tess having to kill her husband and lock up her son - but I think episode 3 we'll get the flashback of Bill and Frank trying to survive.
As an Indonesian based in Jakarta, i honestly shit my pants when she said “bomb the city”. This show really knows how to immerse viewers (My apologies if mentioning my nationality bothers any one of you. I only used it to state the fact that I was petrified of such an outbreak occurring right beside of my house and since this is the case in the show, it amplified the fear to a whole new level. Once again, I am deeply sorry if any of you felt like this was yet another patriotic overly-proud useless comment about being indonesian)
@@alahsiaboi8909 there is nothing wrong for being that lol, thats mean he/she nationalistic and love his country so much, also I didn't find his/her comment overproud
Bringing a zombie apocolypse down to earth and slightly plausible is what makes this story strong and this show is making sure we are all in on the possibility of this really happening even if it is not actually possible in reality. I love what they are adding to this.
That’s why I love this game, because this seems the most realistic approach to it all. Fungus adapted, it spread through one of the most used ingredients in the world, and it took a couple days before everything went to hell.
In reality it’s not that realistic if you look at the details, an insects’s anatomy is vastly different from a human’s anatomy. The fungi evolved for millions of years just to be able to control ants so to make such as drastic switch to humans is nearly impossible cause of how complicated our nervous system is. Second, even if that was possible, Fungi spread through spores, so realistically we would become “zombies” in a sense that we would wander around mindlessly until we find a high place where we die and the fungi grows to spread it’s spores to other humans. Other than that most of the other stuff is pretty realistic. The WHO released a list of fungi that are becoming an increasing threat to humans as well as being resistant to Anti fungal medicine because of climate change.
@@kiranbabu5403 That is why I said "slightly plausible" Another leap they make is the incubation period. In the show and game it is like 15min which is also a big leap as it would be more like a day or two at the fastest. But the point most of us are making is that for the first time we have a more believable zombie franchise becouse it does not have zombies. Infected and uninfected both have permanent deaths and it is even scarier becouse we know the infected never died and we could imagine for a time at least they wander unable to control thier actions but may be thinking.
The opening was amazing, having the scene and actors speak Indonesian with subtitles made it all seem so real. It was truly a haunting scene and they could easily make a short season about ground zero in Indonesia with all the actors and actress speaking indonesians with subtitles! it would truly be a different perspective of the zombie genre, considering most zombie films takes place in western society.
I think it is worth noting that the fact that the Cordyceps was spreading through flour shows that the fungus is effectively unkillable: Breads, cakes, pancakes, just about anything containing flour bakes at over 300-350 degrees F. That means that the Cordyceps can withstand extended exposure to those temperatures. So, even if you burn it, it won't die, at least not right away. In fact, burning it could cause the spores to rise on the wind and spread through the air. This heat tolerance is extremely important, since most fungus don't find human body temperature (98.6 F) to be tolerable. This has long been our greatest defense against fungal infections. So, this fungus hasn't just adapted to human hosts, but to be able to survive at extremes of temperature so severe that it would kill most living things. So, even a human being with a high fever is still able to be infected. After all, if it can survive the inside of an oven baking bread, it can survive almost anywhere. It really is an apocalyptic scenario, since not only is it spreading through arguably the most commonly eaten grain on planet Earth. With that massive an initial foothold and any news about the source having been too slow to limit the initial spread, there was no way of stopping the disaster before it was too late. Even in a world where the concept of "Zombies" is well known and the military actually has strategies in place to fight a "Zombie Apocalypse" scenario (With mutated rabies being an example), these are based on an idea that the infection would behave, well, like a standard infection, passing from person to person. Zombie apocalypse scenarios, however, are based on the idea that there would *time* between the initial outbreaks and a worldwide spread. There would be chances to slow, halt, and contain the infection. The infection becoming widespread all across a country, or the nation, is essentially a failed state for the scenario. There's no real answer for what to do if suddenly every other human being just suddenly becomes a "zombie" with little to no warning. This scenario starts with the failed state, and escalates immediately.
Imagine HIV would have spread by air. Until the first one noticed, all of mankind could already have been infected. The same for nvCJD in Britain in the 1990s. The whole country could have been infected by eating prion contaminated meat. When the neurological signs appear it is only months to death and here too there would be no cure. At least we have some cures for viral and fungal diseases, but nothing for prions. We should care more about infections with very long incubation times.
Even if global warming made the fungi adapt to warmer (human body temperature) conditions I think it would still be destroyed at the heat it takes to burn the bodies which is what they were doing in the show
Not only was Christine Hakim an absolute powerhouse in this scene but was so was the general... displaying the mannerisms of a military man right up until Ibu Ratna lets him know there is no way out. Another piece of amazing writing/attention to detail was the small scene where Ibu Ratna has to slightly walk-jog to keep up with the pace of the military men. This the kind of attention to detail which sets great shows apart from good shows,
Some info : Christine Hakim is considered a Grand Dame of Indonesian film industry, won 8 times for the best actress category since 1973. The producer and director of this $100 million project knew what they are doing for choosing her for this particular role. Just can't get enough of her, hoping for more of her in the future of this series. Example the US government in collaboration with Indonesian military bring her to Stateside at the beginning of the pandemic for more research and what she knew.
Problem is she prolly already died within a few hours or days of that meeting with the Indonesian General - either cuz of the bombs and bullets, or succumbing to infection or getting killed by another infected...
I dont think thats possible for her to continue in this series, because i think she is already contracted the cordycep. The 1st scene when she had breakfast, she alreadt had something with flour on her plate. Shes Doomed.
The only thing bothered me was the yellow haze effect which all the western media sets whenever they portray Asian countries, Mexico or Middle Eastern countries. Like omg believe it or not, we actually have blue skies. Not everything is a sickly yellow.
I feel like this time it’s just to emphasize the severity and sickliness of the country, because of the cordyceps taking over. I think it matches pretty well for this specific scenario.
Usually it's just to emphasize how hot it is in there. Also sometimes yellowish filter used for flashbacks. In a lot of sci-fi movies they do same thing, yellowish filter for deserts or hot planets.
but their neighborhood in texas also look slightly yellow in some scene... it just a simple language of videography to pictured a hot humid place.. but yeah sometime its cliche
In episode three when Joel is explaining to Ellie about how the outbreak started and he talked about "Flour" or "Sugar" was the food stuff, and even dropped "Pancake mix" into the list, throwing back to Sarah wanting to make him pancakes on the day of the outbreak, and the eggshell breakfast is what probably saved him.
Little pet peeve of mine in this episode: HBO messed up on the translation of the professor's name. Her name's Ratna. "Ibu" actually means ma'am/Mrs., so people calling her Professor Ibu Ratna is basically calling her Professor Mrs. Ratna, which is weird.
Happened once in a game I think it was fable, where an npc was named señora doña xy (can't remember the actual name) Señora and doña meaning both Mrs. One being more polite than other.
I dont speak the language, but I know people in English who use multiple professional suffixes when trying to be more formal and courteous. "Mrs. Professor Ratna" instead of Professor Mrs. Ratna. It could also be because she's a woman and some people give women the extra title to distinguish them from men. However I've heard men be called "Mr. Professor Last Name" so I'm not sure. Again, still not sure if it's the same in her language.
Agreed. Her first name is Ratna, Ratna Pertiwi is the character. But she was never addressed as Doctor Ratna in the 10 mins throughout the cold opening.
This is why I feel a fungus is such a great instrument for a zombie outbreak. There is no cure for the cordyceps because a fungus isn't a virus, it's an animal. The only way you can remove it is to ensure that it goes extinct. This is why Ellie being "immune" is such a big deal. The fungus can't survive within her. Such a great way to adapt the original material!
It should've died in the cooking process if it was in the flour. If you toast moldy bread, you won't get sick from eating it, although it might taste bad, but heat will kill the fungus. So, maybe this was a resillient type of fungus?
Well I mean if it's in the body, you should be able to introduce something else into the body that would kill the fungus since there would have to be something we can survive it cannot survive interacting with being the more durable organisms. Hard part would either be finding said something, or not killing the person with the virus. Or it could be as simple as heating up the body a bit.
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Just saw this opening scene in episode 2 and I must say that it's the best opening scene I have seen. The Indonesian actress and the male officer talking to her capture that grim moment so freaking good, got my hairs standing up right.
i was caught off guard with the intro to episode 2 i really like that we are getting more of a background on the spread of the virus, and not only that the fact the zombies can interact with eachother with those vines running thru their hands was insanely awesome
Agreed. I'm also glad they did away with using the spores as a way to spread the virus. In several instances in the game, Joel was clearly in an environment where he was inhaling spores, but he wasn't wearing his gas mask, and he was fine. Spores are pretty much microscopic when floating in the air, in reality, so in a live adaptation, Joel would need to either wear a gas mask half of the time or the audience would have to really suspend their disbelief.
Jakarta is also the perfect place for it to start since it is supposedly the worlds largest supplier of flour. So for Craig & Neil to set Jakarta as the epicenter for the outbreak was genius.
Not only that, Jakarta is one of the most populated city on earth. As of now, it's only second to Tokyo (No.1). The Cordyceps outbreak would be so terrifying.
Rewatched the episode so many times and still get chills on how real it felt. The look on the General's face when Ibu Ratna said to start bombing after realizing the gravity of the situation and that there was no hope. The acting was incredible
Same, that jakarta scene was so good, hearing the language with the subtitle and their top acting and bold decision to bomb the city, dang it gimme the chill runs on my veins
As someone who was oddly fascinated with studying Fungi in middle school, it really is almost like an alien organism, and closer in biology to animals than any from of plant life... I loved the game partially because of the biological accuracy, and I'm really excited that the show is doing the same... Someone had said they are happy this is science fiction... I just replied "Tell that to insects..." 👁👄👁
It can’t happen, our immune system basically has hundreds of ways of dealing with Fungi, not to mention the fact that our nerves are wayyyy more complicated and harder to control than insects. And even if those impossibilities happen there are many many medications. And if even THAT passes we will still win through outlasting it, infecting and killing hosts like cordeceps does is not efficient for any organism. TLDR: while it’s cool that it’s based in reality, it ain’t ever happening.
@@tahaymvids1631 Oh I agree fully since I know how they work in nature (naturally)... It's our Frankenstein scientist governments that keep crazily playing god with reckless abandonment that scares the crap out of me... Certain agencies specifically work on Fungi, and their cross species work is horrific and could super easily backfire... If Fungi ever gained ability to attack mamals, it will be because WE did it...
real life Fungi are still pretty relevant and important to study today. It's important to keep an eye on any changes that fungi may react upon the environment. We still don't know much about Fungi completely which is why The Last of Us is so eerie and disturbing and almost hits home. Because what are the odds of similar fate we humans could face like in the series. Fungi really do feel like Aliens from another place. Just look at how it infect its host aka ants and small insects and gradually kills them once drained. Really brutal and merciless.
And the fact that the fungus in the show actually physically spreads throughout the surface, makes it looks like an alien organism wreaking havoc in an ecosystem. They actually have grown massively in size compared to real life cordyceps
Brilliant opening scenes. Flashbacks are often overused and done incorrectly, but this was done right. The actors in the opening sequence performed perfectly. Masterpiece. The fear and confusion of the professor when she was taken from the restaurant was so on point…and her change to astonishment and then sheer terror and sadness…wow. I felt every ounce of the emotion those scenes gave. I cried with Grandma professor…her reluctant and pained acceptance of the gravity of the outbreak hit hard with me. Bomb. Bomb the city. So far, so good. I can’t wait for next week’s episode.
I just realized; In episode one Joel and Sarah skip eating pancakes for breakfast, Sarah turns down her neighbor's cookies and Joel forgets to bring home a birthday cake. If the cordyceps were in the flour than every one of those missed meals was them dodging a bullet.
I'm liking the series so far. But they cut out some key parts, such as Joel dying 18 times in the first Clicker room because you didn't make enough shivs.
The fact that TLOU opening shows the country of Indonesia is pretty much impressive considering that more zombie films often take place in the Western world or in the East Asian world
The part that gave me chills was when she just said she wanted to go home to her family. As a lifelong student of the fungal world, she knew what the conclusion would be before it even started.
Just a note: Most cordyceps fungi species are in Asia, but you can find it also in the Amazon. ( I actually once travelled in the Amazon forest with a mycologist who studies this fungi). Thus, both the game and the serie have an origen of the disease that is possible.. Another note, it is unlikely that the mycologist of the serie has ever looked for a cure. Why looking for a cure if the fungi only attacks insects like ants, or other arthopods like spiders. As long if the fungi do not attack an insect considered to be economically important, like bees, it will be difficult to find funding. On the other hand, studies could be done to see it the cordyceps can be used as an insecticide, or even as a biological weapon. But it is a fact that looking for a cure would be difficult. Our best weapon against viruses are vaccines, our best weapon against bacteria are the antibiotics (antibiotics are produced by fungi to combat bacteria, routing out competition). So, scientist would need to start from scratch, and can not rely on the conventional remedies of vaccine and antibiotics.
There's a theory in the game theorists that propose that Ellie isn't actually immune, but instead "infected" by another species of cordyceps, the Tolypocladium inflatum, this one which doesn't infect the nervous system, acts like an immunosuppressant and ,as an added bonus,, is made into cyclosporine: antifungal medicine, thus explainin why she doesn't wear a mask (in the game) and the whole bite thing.
fun fact, at the beginning of the scene we can hear music background plays ari lasso's song , and the lyric , "kini kau menghilang, bagaikan ditelan bumi" , or translated , "now you're gone ,like swallowed by earth" , i dont know why they put this song, but i think , it really perfectly fit the show
how accurate everything is in this scene, the uniform used in that era, the ministry of health logo from that era, the formality of the language used.. i can even say the guy is a lieutenant general from kostrad (strategic command of indonesian army).
*SPOILERS* i’m not sure if i’m late to this conclusion already, and i might be wrong, but since there’s no cure no matter what, then trying to make a cure out of Ellie really would be useless even if shes immune. I feel like Ellie, and anyone else who is immune, are just the next step in human evolution, and need to survive to procreate a new generation of humans who can survive against the fungus. This would make Joel’s decision to rescue Ellie appear as less selfish. Let me know if the was the whole point from the beginning tho.
I think it's more like the scientists were not aware of the possibility of immunity or a cure yet. The professor didn't even believe Cordyceps could survive in humans until she saw it for herself. She couldn't have predicted Ellie's immunity and cure potential twenty years in the future. However, whether Ellie's condition would actually provide a cure is not certain in the game, this is a somewhat open question as of now. I don't know how the show will handle it. About the human evolution thing, it would make sense if the reason for Ellie's or any other person's immunity has to do with their own genetics. This is also not made clear in the game, in fact, Marlene states that it was the fungus that mutated inside of Ellie, and not that it's Ellie who carries a beneficial mutation that could start an evolutionary step. This is also a point which can be further explored in the show. But even if Ellie has a mutation, well, we know she's not into boys so she won't be passing those genes forward 😂 I guess humanity will have to wait a little longer to develop immunity.
I don’t think Joel’s decision was selfish at all considering in the logs you find in the game that Ellie was not the only one immune. It’s just that the Fireflies found other people but all died in the trials. Plus the fireflies were pretty dumb, if the harvesting failed they would have essentially killed humanity them selves.
Here's my theory It does not originate from Indonesia because 2 days isn't enough time for the products to be shipped out worldwide,p ut on supermarket shelves and then immediately used in cooking/baking to be consumed. Shipping the product itself to the US would take a month by containers. Plus nobody exports flour because pricing wise doesn't make sense and i'll explain why. I believe the grain itself is the source of contamination. Flour mills worldwide use the same grain to produce flour. The number 1 exporter of grain is the US, canada being number 2 (we're talking worldwide supply) Hence it was already in the US before it even happened in Jakarta and also why it happened instantaneously across the globe.
jakarta actually have biggest flour factory in the world named bogasari. just theory, bogasari already export flour over the world before the first outbreak happened
@@mamaubear nope. Bogasari doesnt export their flour. They dont even export it in asia because it's impossible to compete with the local products. Like i said, bogasari and any other flour mills use the same grain to produce the flour, same supplier (mostly from US/canada, some from black sea and australia)
2 days before was the first time anyone in the factory went violent. 14 employees were already missing from the factory and it was already in the flour that gets shipped all over the world ...
The perfect environment for cordycept mutation mentioned on tropical country, and the flour has the major part, not the grain. Thats why the ground zero taking place in Jakarta that has big flour factory and noodle factory that is exported worlwide.
The more that guy in the military talked to her...the more afraid she got because she knew it was too late. They didn't know who or what bit the initial carrier, 14 employees where the first outbreak was missing...it just got worse and worse the more he talked.
Wonderful scene, excellent acting. Also note that in one of the earliest trailers for the series, there is a brief section which shows bombers and fighters jets flying over rural areas as citizens look upwards. So I have a feeling we will see a flashback of one/many cities being bombed. Edit: Also, did anyone else notice the ever so slight theme song in the background the moment she said "bomb"? What a great touch.
One thing I really loved about this episode was that they kept the original voice actor/ motion capture actors of the Clikers( The zombie if anyone is wondering ) from the game. I felt like I was playing the game all along
The opening scene is such a flip on what other pandemic/zombie movies do with the trope of scientists being pulled aside by the state to address the newly discovered virus or whatever. In most shows/movies the doctor or specialist is pulled away from their day to day life like we see in the opening moments, but instead of the specialist appealing to reason and hope to a gung-ho general it’s the complete opposite! The general is the one appealing to reason, holding out on hope for a cure and it’s the doctor that tells him that there is no reason for hope and that he should start bombing immediately instead. The gravity of the moment during their sit down over tea is immense! It definitely fits the vibe of the devs of the game that were trying to make a new but different “zombie” game. Can’t wait to see the rest of the series.
Or an entire prequel spinoff series for that matter that is set in Indonesia! Prolly have a cold opening sequence that takes place in the ill-fated flour factory the night before the outbreak began - with the management, workers, guards and delivery truck drivers being blissfully unaware of what was to come (but throw easter eggs that hint all is not what it seems in an apparently normal time)! You will easily get tens of millions of Southeast Asian viewers already right off the bat!
@@AnonymousForPPL i mean the whole point of the infection was that the fungi eventually evolved to host on human bcs of global warming, which is reflecting our current condition thus us consuming it as a health supplement was in a way scary bcs it provokes you to think “what if this evolves too?” like in the movie. ofc people know it’s science fiction, but the fact that it is soo close to the real life condition is what makes it so creepy
The opening to the second episode of this series did something that similar flesh eating zombie series/movies always seems to gloss over. While those stories tend to put its audience in the middle of the mayhem already in progress, this breaks the mold in its first 9 minutes and places us at ground zero. This opening shows its viewers the helplessness and hopelessness of the situation, and by doing so it highlights the importance of Ellie and the ultimate hope her character brings to this bleak remainder of civilization. By taking the time to show the audience the bleak early stages of the Cordyceps Infection in Jakarta, The Last of Us is steadily becoming a much needed breath of air to the whole zombie horror genre.
This wasn't in the game but would be so perfect to be the origin of the infection. I'm a microbiologist and I'm so impressed on how they handled the fungi proliferating in a wheat factory.
@@dieforwenqingliveformengzo3241 nah actually I heard somewhere that dead insects killed by the cordyceps fungus cannot found in a higher rate, and its cost is extremely high (searched it on the internet too). The cordyceps fungus itself is a costly product.
@Banter Maestro2 I know it poses no threat to humans. I just found on the internet that the cordyceps fungus is actually a valuable thing. Its sold at a high price around the globe. Guess many people don't know that.
The fear that Ibu Ratna conveyed was far more chilling than anything else on the show till now. I felt truly the hopelesness and tha magnitude of the tragedy that was about to unfold. Great writing, great acting.
When I was watching the first episode I knew it would be that grandma to turn into an infected because earlier when Sarah was in their house looking over some photos or something, I could see that Grandma was twitching strangely in the background. Then later on in the series, Joel said it started with suppliers of flour or grain of some sort, then I immediately thought about how Grandma was having biscuits in the morning. Every tiny detail counts lol
It could be one of the greatest scenes in television history. Right up there with "I am the one who knocks". She gives me chills when she starts shaking and has to put her tea down. Than gives him the answer nobody wants to hear... Bomb
Ok my issue is how did the fungus survive the baking process? I understand if your exposed to the raw flour you could be infected but after the baking process how? The biscuits and cookies are baked at 375-425 degrees so I don't see how the fungus could survive that
The exposure probably happened in the dough making/rolling/biscuit shaping process. I made shortbread last night and added a little extra flour to the dough because it wasn't the consistency I was looking for. I stopped as I saw little particulates of flour in the air and thought: oh yeah, that'd fuck me pretty hard, huh?
the dancing plague in 1518. Modern reports vary, with some claiming the hawkers were influenced by a psychotropic fungus known as ergot, which grows on the moist stalks of wheat. in fact the spread is said to have come from wheat flour affected by ergot fungi
I don't know much about fungi but apparently there is some real world inspiration a French town called point saint esprit had an incident with a fungi called ergot where a mill was exposed and the supply to a local bakery some people got seriously I'll And died it was in the 1950s look into it there might be some explanation
Ergot, a fungus that targets grains like wheat and rye, can survive baking and thrive in baked goods. The Salem Witch Hysteria was caused, in part, by ergot contaminated rye flour used for baking bread.
This opening was a masterpiece. It was so chilling, it was a surprise when the scientist, who is supposed to be one of the greatest mind of the country just advise the general to bomb the city and everyone in it, in hope to have a chance to fight the spread of the cordyceps. It was the scariest thing of the whole show. True psychological Horror.
The only issue I have with the logic of episode 1 and 2 is about the timeline of infection. Episode 2 pretty much establishes that the Cordyceps come from a wheat mill in Jakarta. Episode 1 pretty much hits at that the reason why the main characters weren't infected is because they didn't eat contaminated wheat ... pancakes, birthday cake, the biscuits the old lady ate, etc. So they were safe. The problem is, it takes WEEKS for grain to be loaded up on a ship in Jakarta and said to the US and Texas (or anywhere) and thus, the infection would have been hitting hard in Jakarta first and the whole world would have been alerted, most likely ships denied entry into other countries and the infection largely stopped or not spread in the way that Episode 1 hints at.
The show is just fantastic so far. My wife has never played the game, nor does she know about it. While I have the ps3 and remaster platinumed and know the game inside and out. It stays faithful to the source material as much as possible to keep those who know the game inside and out engaged, and keeping my wife engaged the entire time as well. It is so hard to not spoil it for her.
I know it’s stupid to nitpick on such a small detail, but when she’s walking through the lobby of the lab they take her to, there are posters for SARS everywhere, which is just an incredible little bit of attention to detail.
What was soo sad is they didn't have "Patient Zero"; they had Patient Zero's first known victim. Someone bit her, and she bit a couple guys. And 14 workers were unaccounted for, probably prowling around their neighborhoods with what was left of their families, if the rate of infection was consistent. If she turned 4 or 5 guys in less than 24 hours, who knows how many people were already infected, and that's not even considering the infected flour those plants were churning out.
With the Metro Jakarta area (and by extension Java island as a whole) being as densely populated as it is, it won't take too long for Patient Zero to get lost in the crowd!
This scene probably saved lives from any future cataclysm from maturing fungi organisms..like honestly after that intro fungi are probably the last thing I ever want to get close too. Also felt real like “Iam the captain now” scene 😂. Beautiful acting just that Oscar winning performance
I am quite color blind so mushroom-hunting as a hobby is a NO GO for me! There's a good chance I would accidentally kill myself by eating a mushroom I should NOT have picked! 🤣🤣🤣
I think this scene was pretty stupid. As a woman of science, the professor should be looking for possible solutions instead of instantly giving up and telling the soldier to bomb the city.
