The Last Of Us viewers torn over controversial episode 2 death

HBO’s The Last of Us has finally aired its second episode and it’s proved exactly what we’d hoped. The premiere’s success is no fluke. Marking franchise co-creator Neil Druckmann’s TV directorial debut, ‘Infected’ brought us our first Clicker encounter plus another tragic death - and I am already counting down to the next instalment.

The Last of Us has proved to be a major commercial success for HBO. It’s the network’s second-largest debuting show in over a decade, losing out only to House of the Dragon. In the United States, over 10 million people tuned in to the show across its first two days of release. The Last of Us even sat atop IMDb’s list of the highest-rated TV shows of all time. You’d assume that HBO is gearing up to announce a second season. Fans think they’ve already worked out who’s going to play Abby but I digress. Let’s get back to this week’s episode.

Excited for more? Check out what’s in store in the season ahead on The Last of Us.

Unfortunately, Tess was the next character to bite the dust - or bite the fungus, should I say. Too soon? If you’ve played the game, you’ll have known that this was coming although Tess’ death does go down slightly differently. In Naughty Dog’s 2013 game, Tess dies holding off FEDRA soldiers knowing that she’s doomed because of her Infected bite. In the show, she dies after setting off an explosion in the hopes of killing a horde of Infected, having also been bitten.

That brief recap omits what many are calling ‘the kiss’ though. Right before the explosion, an Infected approaches Tess, letting its fungus tendrils extend from its mouth into hers. Why? “These things don't have to get violent unless you're fighting them from spreading [the infection] further," Druckmann explained to Entertainment Weekly. Tess doesn’t resist because she knows that she’s already infected and that she’s about to die in the explosion.

It’s certainly a more horrifying way to go and fans are finding the whole ordeal pretty divisive. Twitter user joonniverse wrote, “Her death was PERFECT and the ‘kiss’ scene, the Infected recognising her as Tess as one of their own and finishing the job with a kiss like ITS A KISS HELLO A WELCOME INTO THE FOLD IT'S SO INTENSE AND SCARY AND POETIC,” while sansaofoldstone added, “Tess’ death and sacrifice being a million times more emotional than in the game.”

Others were a bit too weirded out by ‘the kiss.’ AngelXP said, “Changing Tess' death [...] def took away any emotional impact that was supposed to have like why is she not standing her ground and submitting to the Infected and kissing it like so unserious.” Mcrthajones agreed, adding, “Tess’ death was perfect in the game and they really should have just adapted it word for word [cause] all the changes they made were for the worst.” Which side of the fence are you on?