Film Theory: The ONLY Way to Survive the Last of Us

[@GrimlockGuy34]

The writing in the first episode to set this up was insane. The ‘breadcrumbs’ line even hinting harder at it was just *chefs kiss*. This is how you do background exposition.

[@EEEEEEEE]

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[@Nonec3]

Not real but cool

[@CutleNoodle]

I find it funny that Craig Mazin says that it's more difficult to create drama when an actor's face is covered by a bunch of safety equipment, yet Joel is played by Pedro Pascal, the person who plays the constantly masked Din Djarin in The Mandalorian.

[@Frostwolf_103]

Not to mention his mini-series of Chernobyl

[@tomaO2]

And Pedro HATES wearing that mask. The problem isn't the iniability to create drama, it's that actors hate covering their faces, since it limits their marketability.

[@CutleNoodle]

@@tomaO2 I guess that makes sense, but that doesn't change the fact Pedro Pascal has the capability to be dramatoc while wearing a mask. Also, Joel only puts one on every once in a while rather than wearing it all the time, so The Last of Us wouldn't hurt marketability in any meaningful way.

[@miniverse2002]

@@tomaO2 I'm surprised he doesn't just voice over then.

[@jbark678]

That's my one nitpick with the show. The spores make the world feel even more distinct from other zombie series and I'm sad to see it downplayed.

[@리정우-w3g]

Aside from difficulty, the reason spores were removed in MY opinion is because unlike in the game, in real life spores don't stay in one place but go around everywhere and that makes surviving x10 times harder

[@chickennuggets50yearsago19]

i think i actually heard them say that in an interview

[@izzyxblades]

Agreed. If it was airborne, then humans would have no chance at all.

[@LividityInk]

Totally agree! And it's not like they can't have gas mask scenes at all (i.e., a gas leak or chemical spills with harmful fumes), spores would just get everywhere, and humans would have been wiped out long before The Last of Us took place.

[@Card8339]

Yes, they actually said this in a behind the scenes episode, saying that it would be harder to believe that the spores were “localized” in one place like it is in the game.

[@dont-touch-mepg1392]

Ummm the game had the same type of spread. It was in the wheat 🌾 in the game. How could he not no this.

[@mattcanty7313]

I mean... They ran outta pancake mix so they didnt eat that, Joel forgot to grab a cake so they didnt eat that either. When they were offered biscuits they didn't take em, and she was offered raisen cookies that she didn't eat also. I think they made it blatantly obvious on how it was spreading

[@tcritt]

It was very obvious, yes.

[@maroly8672]

it was extremely obvious

[@ignatiuspennyfeather232]

I watched this show with my parents expecting to lord over my knowledge of the show and the mysteries. About 20 minutes in my mom just off handedly says “oh I bet it’s in the flour or something, because it’s making a big deal about them not eating the gluten stuff.” My day was ruined and my disappointment immeasurable.

[@yeeloongong]

You know the game yes. But do you know the back story behind the game? This is ths backstory. The 2nd longest episode in the series is devoted to the backstory of the a**hat Bill and his husband Frank to prove a point. This isnt just a game. Other people have lives and try to live it as well as they could too, not just Joel and Ellie.

[@xagain3106]

I'd be more happy that my parents are smart enough to figure it out. You know how many stupid people you are around in a day?

[@jenreyn30]

My mum guessed that Ellie was immune pretty much instantly haha

[@godlyhax4172]

@@yeeloongong why was Bill an asshat?

[@crissybb]

Your mom sure is smart

[@hayleeraina11]

Yeah, the last of us unlocked a new fear. It’s the fact that they took the time to explain it, and how it’s actually a very real thing and could, hypothetically, happen. Just like this. It’s terrifying. And amazing.

[@suicune2001]

Yep!

[@homerman76]

Though honestly, it'd be doubtful it'd happen like in the Last of Us since the fungus works off forcing the infected to climb up high, consuming the victim, then launching spores to spread itself, rather than a full on zombie rampage. There'd also be signs and hints the fungus is moving outside of ants and then research would begin to see how far it'll go 🤔 .

[@Bahr-im7pn]

I'm right there with yah.

[@max2themax]

You can only find comfort in the fact that in real life it would probably take weeks for a fungal infection to affect a person so much, also infected would probably be very disoriented and have the balance of a drunken/high person. And they'd probably die of dehydration/starvation in a few days. So I don't think it would be a zombie apocalypse but nonetheless could wipe out humanity if we wouldn't be able to find a cure.

[@The_Void0001]

@@max2themax but woulden't it also be impossible because a human is way more complicated than an ant? Idk i once watched a docementary about cordyceps and i thought they said something like that.

[@ZestyBean33]

An episode of game, film and technically food theory all in one, perfection

[@blueshinestudios8402]

Hey, your not wrong there :)

[@jb_storytales5638]

Purple Has Meaning

[@EEEEEEEE]

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[@littlejourneyseverywhere]

THE TRIFECTA! THE TRIUMVIRATE OF POWER!

[@reubenoakley5887]

Perfectly balanced, as all things should be.

[@Dodl1]

Hi, food and biotech student here - fungi produce spores to reproduce like you mentioned. The spores of many fungi are highly resistant to heat. That's also how they survive forest fires etc. All living cells are killed off by the heat, but as soon as the temp is down and some humidity is there, the spores start to grow into living cells again - which is easier because all other cells are killed off by the heat. That is the reason why products in the food chain are tested regularly for fungi (and other parameters) in the food chain. There is also the thing that you have an immune system that fights off small quantities of fungi and pathogens. Problems only occur around 10^6 or more fungi cells, so 8000 is no problem. Spores are too small to be seen, so you couldn't show them in a TV show in a senseful fashion. I get why they skipped it, but still - scientifically it would make a whole lot more sense. Still, for that to happen there must be soooo many random mutations at once, so it never could happen like this anyway - no fear pals ;)

[@-gavin-]

whats also cool is that unlike zombies in other shows, the infected in tlou are soo fast because cordyceps improves athleticism in real life, which is a cool detail.

[@renverzosa7315]

I really appreciate you pointing that out. I was freaked out wondering why the infected were inhumanely fast.

[@TheAngryMarshmallow]

WAIT REALLY?!

[@Leo.de99]

@@TheAngryMarshmallow yep you can supplement it

[@Glitch315]

​@@TheAngryMarshmallow I've read that it has been estimated that our brains only allow us to use up to around 60% of our theoretical muscle strength to prevent muscle damage. This is why adrenaline makes us faster and stronger, the brain is allowing your body to risk damage to itself for a temporary boost in strength and stamina in a potentially life threatening situation. Since cordyceps takes control of its host it's not unreasonable to assume that it can override this and allow the host to use 100% of it's strength, making infected instantly faster and stronger : )

[@max1mys]

@@Glitch315 I think huberman said something like that on a podcast. When using muscle, certain chemical releases, and the more you use a muscle, the more of that chemical there is in the body. Once it reaches some critical point, we fail. Like it is not connected with power exerting capacity, but is a safety mechanism. Interesting stuff

[@JoshuSamaa]

In the games the infection also starts out in wheat and that’s what causes the initial outbreak just like in the tv show. Most people dont realize tho because that information is from the artifacts you can find in the game which most people dont collect or even read when they do find them. It is really cool to see the level of game knowledge that is going into the show. So much in depth knowledge that most people think it’s knew info 💀

[@marcindzamroga8945]

I was under the impression it started out wit chocolate...

[@Kimberliearcher]

yknow, there're some people supporting the show were the people who do the writing of the game. They're on dispute of credit right now

[@EEEEEEEE]

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[@CorruptTypes]

@@part-timegamer2712 🗿

[@apersonwhomayormaynotexist9868]

@Part-Time Gamer we literally know for a fact it doesn't. The old woman from next door didn't get bit before she turned, she got it from some contaminated flour

[@kelmatton5306]

I love how they completely confirm this theory in the show in the 3rd episode

[@Jaded_Ice]

15 minutes in😂😂

[@Terandium]

It was already mentioned in the beginning of epi 2, but confirmed in more details in epi 3

[@thatstower4570]

this has been a theory for a long time... like most of matpats theories....

[@Terandium]

@@thatstower4570 yes we know

[@EnverHalilHoxha1917]

@@Terandium matpat now puppet of corporation They got paid to show us this as an ad

[@mdafneirais]

I find it funny that they choose not to go for the hazmat masks because they made it more difficult to convey drama, when the main character is played by Pedro Pascal who has been able win over the audience for two seasons of The Mandalorian while having his face covered

[@HaloofWar35276]

Alcohol has yeast and Joel drinks yeast is Joel immune no I have a theory that the fungus came from a malfunction in the factory not of the heat and that’s why Joel can drink his beer

[@robertabauer6285]

Matpat can make the most wholesome thing into a horror thing with the most dark content

[@ritikamudabidri7680]

I love how youse think TLOU is wholly wholesome ejdhdndhhd

[@bondgregory7778]

@@ritikamudabidri7680 I think they were talking about the flour lol

[@OhyeahMrKrabz]

The Last of Us is not wholesome

[@jellyjohn7881]

@@bondgregory7778 then the show can make something wholesome into something dark

[@grinmace4834]

@ladytsunade2864 Imagine if your father was here.

[@MrRubiksCube657]

The whole contaminated flour thing was the same reason it spread fast in the game as well. There is a newspaper in the game that talks about mold contaminated crops and a spike in hospital admissions.

[@jenniferwright3783]

That's what I thought! I knew I heard somewhere in the game that it was from infected crops and maybe they even said flour

[@darth_aura]

Yeah, wasn’t the fungus in coffee beans too?

[@jeffreydallas6047]

I'm an amateur mycologist... I know I'm a year late for this but.... The whole after it comes out of the oven thing... The flour dust that has entered the air is the source of contamination. Mushroom spores are counted in the billions and all you need is two. Then they sprout hyphal tips that go out and search for each other usually in a straight line right to the other one. Just playing with the flour is more than enough to grow it inside your lungs. Also there is a type of cordyceps infecting people in American hospitals. You should probably look that up but so far it's only infecting people wth compromised immune systems.

[@shsl_empath5437]

my favorite thing is the whole thing abt joel’s daughter wanting to make pancakes but not being able to. they were saved by the fact joel worked so late he couldn’t pick up stuff to bake. now ofc we all know what happened to joel’s daughter, but still joel very well could have been infected

[@Aardydarling]

Don’t forget the biscuits and cookies

[@roseyvette9655]

i love how this was revealed a few episodes later when joel explained it to the gal and you got it exactly

[@NinjaGamong]

When Ellie was eating the sandwich, she had perfectly sliced bread. Meaning that people are still producing it and the fireflies must have been testing it when they had her captive as well.

[@carsondiehl1284]

I find it more likely the new society found a way to make non harmful bread. Seems flour wouldn’t be something super common to even bake with this late in the game

[@NinjaGamong]

@@carsondiehl1284 watchikg the show, I seen no one eat bread but ellie

[@TR00lZ._]

Isn’t it because she’s immune to the virus? Since the first episode no one has eaten bread? Unless I missed something

[@sugarkitty2008]

But where would she get freshly made bread? Why go to the trouble of growing wheat, milling flour and baking bread, if no one else could eat it.

[@Michaelroni-n-cheese]

@@NinjaGamong shut up

[@ChenYisang888]

Cordyceps are actually quite common in TCM and Chinese cuisine. I take cordyceps supplements for brain health and all this Last of Us stuff is making me lowkey reconsider haha.

[@pronumeral1446]

You should reconsider because there's no evidence that such "supplements" do anything - you're wasting your money, giving it to scammers. But cordyceps won't make you a zombie.

[@ChenYisang888]

I understand that the word "supplements" raises alarm bells for some people because of pyramid schemes and MLM's, but in my country those set ups, though present, aren't too common. I actually take a mushroom complex of Lion's Mane, cordyceps, and reishi, and I personally have noticed an improvement with my memory and motivation after being in a slump for a while. I know it's not for everyone though, and I agree other people have said it does nothing for them. I'll come back here to report if I've turned into a mushroom zombie.

[@sonamtashi7706]

There are many different species of cordyceps that prey on a specific insect to survive. The caterpillar cordyceps which is craved for by Chinese does not prey on any other species. In last of us it’s a completely new species of Cordyceps that mutated to prey on humans.

[@ChenYisang888]

@@sonamtashi7706 it was a joke, but thank you for explaining

[@ayzix-polytopia3854]

@@ChenYisang888 True. I also take similar supplements sometimes, especially during exam periods. I know it’s not bullshit because I usually NEVER remember my dreams, but when I take those I remember all my dreams and they’re very vivid.

[@bboi1489]

This is one of those rare theories where you aren't left with "But what about" "or "That can't happen because" well done MatPat, blown away once again.

[@Thebenneb]

Except for the fact that everyone seemed to get infected all at once even though people had been eating flour products for a while. How did every person who turn just happen to eat flour products the same day? And sure, a majority of the people were probably infected by others in the city, but what about the people in the plane? And there’s really no saying that if Joel and Sarah are flour they would have been infected considering the pancake mix was already gone. Meaning they had already eaten it.

[@bboi1489]

@Alex DeBG They didn't know. The infection hadn't happened yet.

[@bboi1489]

@Ben I'd assume that the fungi had silently gotten into wheat products, and then mutated, making the current batch sold by most companies infected, and therefore it happens pretty quickly. I'm pretty sure batches are transported all at once which is why every pack on the shelf has the same expiration date

[@Unkn4wN_TM]

@Alex DeBG Flour might've been the initial cause of the wide spread which then continued spreading through infected bites and got out of hand really quickly before people even realised flour was the root cause. It's safe to assume 20 years after the infection they would grow wheat indoors or in controlled areas where the fungus can't get to. So it's not too farfetched that Ellie is eating baked bread, especially when it seemed like Joel and Tess saw it as a rare delicacy at that point. Safe to eat crops are probably really rare and only rich people and people with power can afford to grow safe to eat crops.

[@heyho4770]

I mean its clearly intended like that in the show but the concept would quickly fall apart in the real world. How did the Fungus infect all the flour? The only feasible way is spores. Those spores contaminating most of the Global wheat supply without being detected or infecting anyone is zero

[@SolasLupum]

The hilarious part is that this is also how the infection starts in the game. There are in game newspapers and collectibles that explicitly mention contaminated wheat

[@itstqt]

I will never understand how matpat shoots out theories so fast

[@cocopop183]

Hes got a pretty big team now so id imagine he just gets a lot of help. Plus he deeeeefinitely overworks himself

[@eclipze8408]

He has a team of people coming up with theories with him, he’s just the best at presenting all of them.

[@ChikinNuggz119]

He's an overthinker like I am. Basically random questions, theorys, and thoughts come extremely easily

[@nevadatorres2865]

yeah no, several channels released videos on this theory only a couple days after the first episode premiered. Matpat was Way too late to the punch on this one

[@Freakingbean]

Weed

[@navanbasson6269]

The mere fact that Matt is saying everything I've been telling my friends about this show is just mind blowing

[@GullibleTarget]

It means neither you or Matt are unique.

[@CH3R.N0BY1]

another reason why they didnt use spores in the show is because it would be hard for the audience to believe that the spores would stay inside a building and not spread outside

[@Kilioh15]

I think in the games that is explained with concentration of spores. Breathing a few is fine, but when the spores:air ratio gets too much, then you get infected

[@rosesweetcharlotte]

Or get on clothes, hair, in any cuts, in ears...

[@CouchSpud91]

@@Kilioh15 Isn't it also explained that the spores are easily killed by sunlight? I haven't played the game and it's been a while since I watched a let's play, but I recall something about the heat/light of the sun which is why spore clusters are often inside buildings and other enclosed spaces.

[@romantheblack-cat]

@@CouchSpud91 i only remember the abandoned subway(underground) the smuggle tunnel in the begining(undrrground) then i think there are some more like the building where there is a balcony with a note and a bunch of conveniently burnable runners to use the newly wedded flammenwerfer(Hans!)

[@victorfergn]

It makes no sense that a fungus, specially THAT one, doesn't need spores to reproduce... it's like saying humans reproduce by staring at people... you stare at a woman and 2 secs later she's pregnant D: Fuckvision.

[@L77kaMagic817]

In the cold open of Ep. 1, they also talked about how medicines like penicillin are fungal-based, so perhaps being treated with an antibiotic could spread it. Although, in both the game and show, Ellie treats Joel with penicillin.

[@crazytony18]

I love how one day after this was posted it was literally said in the show that the infection started because of flour shipped from abroad. You were spot on but the show literally said exactly what you theorized 2 weeks after.

[@raven4k998]

bring new meaning to the medical need for anti fungicide medications🤣

[@Billfhfhfjddjdh]

Show creator: some small details have been planted for later. MatPat: Finally a worthy opponent.

[@lilyofluck371]

not games creator...

[@LXW-Arts]

How dare they tease matpat like that

[@mr.moviemafia]

I am so happy that The Last of Us is becoming so popular, both among those who know the games and those who are experiencing it for the first time through the show

[@commenterthe3rd]

full of bots

[@mr.moviemafia]

@@commenterthe3rd Funny, eh? 🥲

[@pyromaniac999]

like it wasnt already popular? ur dum

[@blub9631]

-☝️🤓

[@pyromaniac999]

@@blub9631 ☝🤓

[@Muziq1111]

I am an AVID TLOU fan. I've played the first game more times than I can remember... The show is pretty spot on and I love that they explained how it started.

[@rillegas08_vods]

Mazin: decides not to involve spores as an infection method so he could film actor's faces more Also Mazin: casts the guy who dove head first into the zeitgeist by playing a character who never removed his helmet

[@yeeloongong]

Pedro Pascal apparently wanted to walk off the set by the way because he was forced to wear a helmet all the time

[@Banana_Peel]

Matpat’s theory was so correct that Joel flat out confirms it in episode 3

[@TcBlob1]

BRO ITS A BOT 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@matthewjones39]

@@TcBlob1 What?

[@josuegarcia-qz2yz]

The theory is also confirmed in the game during a dialogue between joel and ellie where he says people think it started by the cordyceps getting into the flour supply

[@MostlyHumanSlightlyCat]

its also already in the prologue of the game, you see news snippets about contaminated grains

[@SMM_NAA]

Yea I think this video came out before the episode confirming it came out.

[@bruhmoment1133]

@@SMM_NAA They said in the game. The game's explanation of how the cordyceps fungal infection started is through the flour/grain industry. The show hasn't done anything new.

[@Xenpen6]

Its also comfirmend in the series now

[@edms3656]

I love how in the 2nd and 3rd episode the show explains everything nicely. no mystery, just survival

[@ScorpionStrike7]

I love how Matt makes a lot of theories that seem ridiculous, but when he actually makes one that makes total sense, it surprises me 😅

[@BridgesCaleb]

When matpat has "stable" evidence he makes great theory's But most of the time it's just loose theory's made from controversial evidence or if you take 5 minutes to look into it it's right in your face (I did not word this the best)

[@Minkses]

That's cause its not his theory, be just claimed he's the one who figured it out

[@TheGoncas2]

That's because it's not a theory, it's a fact. The showrunners confirmed it a few days ago.

[@jb_storytales5638]

PURPLE HAS MEANING

[@EEEEEEEE]

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[@skipitybabboop3139]

ahhh i love this! fun fact: the last of us was filmed in my hometown of Calgary. I remember going downtown early in the morning during filming to see the sets. it was so cool because they’d transform downtown overnight, film early in the morning and have it all cleaned up before morning rush hour!

[@liamwhite3522]

Gotta love how canadian towns can be made to look like american ones so easily. Calgary as Austin, Toronto as New York. Makes Hollywood exploiting the cheaper filming rights kinda cool for us canucks.

[@brandonkohler7703]

So this show is filmed in Canada?

[@elsaandersson1652]

@@brandonkohler7703 yes

[@beef8479]

i'm in calgary too! i met pedro, it was amazing

[@eselcool3720]

​@@beef8479 really??? that's incredible you're so lucky haha

[@user-ne4pm8cg3t]

I kinda find it a little ironic that Craig Mazin chose to do away with spores and gas masks because it’d be hard to capture more dramatic performances with covered faces, yet The Mandalorian himself, Pedro pascal, is one of the major leads 😂

[@thebee9632]

That was part of it, but the other part was in live action it's a little harder to buy that spores just stay in a hallway

[@homerman76]

@@thebee9632 Not really, without an air current, spores don't move around much, that's why the fungus forces the ant to climb up as high as possible to launch its spores once the ant has been fully consumed 🤔

[@jbark678]

@@thebee9632 It's less that they "stay" and more like they need enclosed space to maintain the necessary concentration to infect people, but I definitely see your point.

[@suda_lifts]

@@thebee9632 I believe that sunlight kills spores. Which I’m not fully sure of. But following the games spores only really appear in dark damp areas like basements or closeted rooms. Which makes it more believable

[@gunargundarson1626]

He had issues with the Mandolorian always wearing the mask. We will see Mando without it more often in Season 3.

[@bdogstudios4848]

5:37 "you're dance is non canonical" idk why but this was so funny to me

[@MiraPacku]

"we can't make out their plates" "we don't see them eat" maybe, just maybe that's cause there is very little food in general and Ellie being the only one to eat bread because she's immune is hilarious

[@Thebenneb]

If no one is eating bread because the flour has a chance to be contaminated, why was there even bread for Ellie to eat in the first place?

[@cierrahoutz618]

@@Thebenneb The only explanation i could think of is it’s mentioned to be a specific contaminated batch of flour that caused the outbreak. any flour that wasn’t from that specific batch, or new batches of flour grown after the outbreak would be fine?

[@AmazingJuju]

Potato bread is a thing, as long as the fungus doesn’t like potatoes as much as wheat

[@jacksonknoll5350]

@@cierrahoutz618 Yeah disease doesn't just suddenly appear everywhere. What likely happened is that the day before the prologue was when the opening of ep 2 happens, since during ep 1's opening they're talking about chaos already erupting. That contaminated batch probably went out from Indonesia to the world's biggest ports and those places and the areas around them got infected first. Then by the end of the day of the prologue many of the largest cities in the world are in anarchy.

[@jacksonknoll5350]

​@Lex Bright Raven There probably would've been a notice about it in that case. Assuming that Jakarta would've already been experiencing an outbreak then the U.S. would've learned that the flour was infected fairly quickly and would've tried to recall it and let the public know already.

[@BezddDakota]

I am legitimately shocked by the fact that this was Joel's theory in the 3rd episode. Edit: I'm sorry for missing one line of dialogue that explains this. Simple mistake!!

[@vaipeterson2041]

It wasnt even a theory its what happened. Episode 2 started out by making that clear from the beginning

[@TheSwauzz]

@@vaipeterson2041 Yup. Are people even paying attention to the show? Every scene matters.

[@syra1541]

fr

[@YoutubeGirlBot]

The launch Game is way better

[@devvyyxyz]

i’d like to point out joel eats some of the sandwich in the third episode

[@mariomazzarella3879]

The thing is. How did Ellie get a sandwich made, and why would someone make it? I know they know she’s immune, but would they really decide to make bread again for one girl? And if bread was a big no no, wouldn’t Joel or Tess say something immediately about how she’s able to eat bread?

[@drako1553]

That was in the second episode, Joel and Tess already knew that Ellie was infected

[@mariomazzarella3879]

@@drako1553 good point, her immunity had been already established by then. But Joel and Tess was still sceptical about it, and in the game, Joel can’t believe Ellie can breathe in the spores later into it. I bet they would have mentioned something about the bread though 🤔

[@alice.ali.a5175]

Not all flour in the world was infected

[@BRWN.MAMBA.7]

At a certain point u can grow more flour

[@Toby_Taro]

It's probably more of a metaphor and bread products are being made for everyone

[@AlexMourning5635]

I love this theory, as it really shows how much the creators of the show refused to hand-wave one of the major plot points, and put a ton of thought and care in how to hide the killer in something unassuming.

[@Nameless_mixes]

Past and Future MatPat collabs are the best 😌

[@LuisSierra42]

Until they cause the great paradox

[@adiksaff]

Missed opportunity: Past and Future MatPat collabs are TIGHT!

[@blueblack3591]

Yep

[@Whiskyorwhiskeyitsallgood]

This is now fully explained in episode 3. And this is spot on.

[@LeviParsons31]

The fact that MatPat has predicted the plot of yet another tv show/movie makes me think he is either an insane hacker and is able to find this out from the actual source, or he can read the future. Like the latest episode actually confirms this it’s mental!

[@IdOnThAvEaUsE69]

This is what happens if you theory craft for 10 years, everything comes naturally. Not to discredit his effort of course, he and his team must've spent quite an effort to connect all the dots and make this theory, which turns out to be correct!

[@idek4973]

There is a reason why he went to an Ivy League lol

[@NattyFlump]

Except it's in episode 2, which was aired a week before this video. So not exactly a difficult "theory".

[@LeviParsons31]

@@NattyFlump no it’s episode three that confirms it

[@baileyface54]

In all fairness he's wrong at least as much as he is right, though I'll say usually when he is wrong his theory usually manages to be more interesting than the truth. Pretty much every Star Wars theory for example.

[@Luiking4384]

Who is here after mats 'retirement'

[@nolnol299]

Me

[@Chairhorse]

I am

[@notjeih]

hey fellow necroposter

[@tk137multiversetraveler]

Here, even if the retirement felt like he died though

[@CatfoodChronicles6737]

Me

[@kikolokopo_toys]

I get the gas mask thing for dramatic capture of the actor but Pedro Pascal is the freaking mandalorian. He could have a PhD in acting without showing his face

[@shavedata5436]

It's nice to see his face though

[@lucifermagne7458]

​@@shavedata5436 just because Pascal is a handsome mf doesn't mean he has to show his face all of the time, even if it is preferable

[@chillpollo]

plus removing the spores defeats the entire point of cordyceps, the real life cordyceps actually spreads through spores

[@edschelchang6123]

Ok but what about all the others?

[@TheClaas88]

@@chillpollo knowing how spores work, they would have to wear a gas mask 24/7 it doesnt make sense in the game so its good they cut that out

[@KoeSeer]

"it's more difficult to create drama when an actor's face is covered by a bunch of safety equipment" Pedro Pascal as Mando was superb. He could convey emotion with his tone and dialogue, some camera slow zoom, panning, and coloring. ALL WHEN HE'S UNDER THAT STEEL HELMET 99% OF THE TIME

[@cavemanjoe79]

Or Kevin Peter Hall as Harry or The Predator, he managed to convey three different character’s emotions in three different films while wearing a suit and mask.

[@maxbraddy8003]

Yes but Pedro has actually complained about how much he is under the helmet and has insisted that it be reduced.

[@jeffersonbear9360]

Also, said by the guy that helped write and direct CHERNOBYL... probably some of the most well written suspenseful and emotional television of the last 2 decades

[@KoeSeer]

@@jeffersonbear9360 and the graphite cleanup on the roof is one of the most intense and dramatic scene in that series, despite everyone is wearing anti radioactive suit the whole scene

[@haydenwhitlatch466]

also relative to Mando, gas masks are used very scarcely in the game

[@APersonTM]

I have to say this is a brilliant way to bring in science to show why fungus spreads through flour instead of spores, all just because the director didn’t want to loose the drama factor due to gas masks covering faces Brilliant

[@TomaAndreev]

Tom Hardy never stood a chance for the role.

[@TomaAndreev]

Jon Favreau did need to watch Pedro's face.

[@enthusiasticallydry]

i actually might like this version more. it seems more realistic for it to spread that quickly if it was from a very common ingredient, than a sterile hospital environment, which is where you can find a lot of zombies

[@tihseht472]

Its actually more realistic. Ergot poisoning is the leading cause for the salem witch trials. Ergot is a pretty similar fungus that even the two scientist characters talk about ergot in the first few minutes of the last of us tv show n honestly am a lil surprised film theory didnt catch it as i knew for sure in the first episode by knowing about ergot from the salem witch story.

[@tihseht472]

@@enthusiasticallydry one of the leading theory's and most historians agree with it is the salem witch trials being caused by contaminated barley or wheat (cant remember) by ergot. Ergot makes humans trip basically so in reality the whole town was tripping n freaking out n thats why the accusations of witchcraft actually happend. Everybody lost thier minds and then it was all good the next harvest as they ate it all n stopped tripping.

[@stephenwhite4136]

Training to run my own flour mill here, the reason fungus and mold is so prevalent (especially in larger mills) is the lack of proper cleaning, and in the process of milling, you "temper" the wheat basically soak/clean the wheat to wash away as much as dirt as possible. However, the wheat can sit in temper bins in our mill up to 8 hours while we run. In short, it just makes a very humid moist environment and the flour makes an excellent source of nutrients.

[@Lunaia101]

As a Jakartan, I was pleasantly suprised by how the portrayed the city in the show, and even going the extra mile to get the GOAT Christine Hakim to play the professor/mycologist! Really great show tbh.

[@yeeloongong]

And all Malaysian got is Michelle Yeoh and Singaporeans got is Chin Han

[@I_love_CreamPuffs]

I am both from jakarta and just ate pancakes made from flour. I was also very surprised to hear my city and country mentioned.

[@yeeloongong]

Indonesia luckily wont get over sensitive and ban HBO for them insinuting that a fungus breakout may arise from the world's largest flour mill . Because Indonesia isnt the largest flour exporter in the world because it eats most of it themselves. The biggest exporter of wheat - is RUSSIA. And the biggest producer? CHINA. No one dares to insinuate either of this two obviously

[@jesenjin8467]

@@I_love_CreamPuffs keep us posted how you are felling...

[@the_unholynjh3513]

@@jesenjin8467 I don't know if it was intentional or not but saying felling makes it so much more ominous

[@thiagoteixeira6537]

Craig Mazin said something very interesting recently: he said that them using spores isn't out of the question for season 2! I'd love it if they do, because I love it and it differenciates it more from The Walking Dead! I know they added other stuff instead but Idk I think the spores are important!

[@Drzuk07]

I was wondering where they were during the subway scene

[@Aisha_Luv]

I’d hate it lol. I like that it makes more scientific sense lol.

[@theexchipmunk]

Well, it´s what makes it otside of the expanding fungal growth more unique and interesting than your standard zombie media.

[@doomgod314]

I'm genuinely looking into leather working as a new hobby. Leather amor is cool, but I always said leather amor should be standard issue for everyone in a zombie apocalypse. Light weight, low maintenance, very bite and scratch proof and the material is rentable with local resources you'll want to be growing to feed your people anyway. It's not like you'll be taxing the depleting steel supply

[@Rexwizord]

Yeah easiest way not to get bit is at least roll some newspaper around your exposed bits like arms

[@themossyroad]

@@Rexwizord more like books like Brad Pitt did in WWZ

[@incredibleflameboy]

Yep leather offers good bite resistance because it's skin and has all of the beneficial properties that skin offer. It flexes against the biter so whilst you'd take crushing damage from the bite force you have an ablative layer which will stop a penetrating injury.

[@TheDragonsDreamer]

Yep. That if you wear a long sleeve shirt and pants. You can put a few layers of duck tape on (except at your joints) to act as a temporary armor. As long as there no super human strength going on, humans and zombies can't bite through like two to three layers of duck tape.

[@koyoliver8750]

@@Rexwizord do it bro, my uncle dose leather work and he’s really loves it. better make some holsters when the world ends ahahah

[@101gamelord]

What i love about the 'explaining how the infection spread' thoery is that its spot on to how they actually explain it in the later episodes. Spot on work !

[@crunchy_mystery_meat2458]

The consistent quality of his theories is so comforting like I know I'll never be disappointed.

[@BeyondTilted]

8:00 "this practically confirms our theory" then the next episode (ep3) literally confirms it with dialogue. nice one.

[@Batmanstabbingadog]

They had Pedro pascal as one of the main characters and said “I don’t think we can make him as dramatic covering his up”

[@Sp00kyB00per]

mat n steph are so real for straight up denying the red carpet. these channels are the definition of content created out of passion and not just about clout and money. bless team theorist for continuing to share the positive energy and influence that mat knew his channels would always have 🙏💯✌️❤️‍🔥

[@khaos-is-online4569]

As a person who has a gluten allergy, I see this as an absolute win.

[@TheZumm17]

My thoughts exactly! 😂

[@TBlazers]

Exactly common gluten free w

[@beep_beep_]

I was just about to comment this lmao

[@duggggggg]

This and edge runners have shown me their are 2 ways to get a great game movie. Either have a completely separate story from the game, like edge runners, or just have an extremely good adaptation

[@hassassinator8858]

Don't forget Arcane!

[@CouchSpud91]

Not to mention Detective Pikachu and the upcoming Mario movies show that faithful adaptations lead to successful movies and the Sonic movies prove that you can adapt the vague video game plot while still sticking to the source material and, again, be successful.

[@alphenhousplaysgames4565]

to be fair, it's all in the delivery. edge runners is made by trigger, the gods of animated style. while last of us has really good suspense and sense of helplessness, which also works.

[@christopherbowers7236]

Ah yes of course. The best way to get a great game movie. Make it good

[@duggggggg]

@Christopher Bowers it's alot harder to have a good movie when making an adaptation. Lots of things have to go right. And even then there's no guarantee that fans will like it.

[@Nova17947]

MatPat will always make the most kid friendly game into something traumatic and something that is depressing even more depressing or give it a little more hope (The Last of Us is the depressing part)

[@Wisper200]

True. But this game wasn't kid friendly XD

[@finn4135]

This isn’t a kid friendly game...

[@SomethingHere357]

@@𱁬 ok

[@strangedudee]

This bot is wrong in so many ways. First off the last of us is not kid friendly, second off this is film theory. We're talking about the last of us show not the game

[@Slicerz-S]

Ya

[@Commander_vortex]

The left stalker at around 3 mins is Boris from day 2 who gives you the bow as Ellie

[@MegaTech81]

Craig Mazin also stated that one of the reasons the spores had to go was because they moved literally everywhere in the air which made it harder to buy into the notion that they only localize in certain areas and don't spread properly like in they did in the game.

[@miguelpatino443]

I’m pleasantly surprised he’s still at it with the theories after so many years

[@thesfnb.5786]

Mee too

[@mutantbrain92]

This was all explained in the show pretty clearly. I'm sure people with celiac disease are gonna be thriving if this happened in real life. I saw someone comment that why would people take the time to make bread if they can't eat it? I find that question the real question of all questions.

[@catherinesanchez1185]

The outbreak was 20 years ago . Bread is made from grain which is a plant . There is probably 1000 different species of grain on this planet . The bread she’s eating was made from recently grown grain to flour . We don’t know where it was grown or if it was a wild strain or what . I didn’t find this illogical at all

[@NotAFanOfHandles]

@@catherinesanchez1185 Exactly. It could also be a bread made from non-grain sources such as almond flour and potato flour - there are plenty of options that might not have been similarly contaminated.

[@bigsprucerabbitry6238]

@@NotAFanOfHandles The issue is Joel drinks beer which is made from wheat (there are other grains that can be used but all are similar types of grain). Using almonds or potatoes to produce alcohol are possible, but those are not called beer and what he is drinking is explicitly called beer and it looks like a beer not something brewed from potatoes (I am an avid homebrewer).

[@Cl0v3r-o5h]

I’m pretty sure in the game it spread with food too because if you read the newspaper in the bathroom of the beginning game it talks about how the food was contaminated.

[@jamiem.9443]

I actually like this way of spreading WAY more then the spores... Its fantastic and well thought out.

[@matthew8153]

This is also how it spread in the game (except the wheat was from Brazil). Spore didn’t start spreading until after the body started altering/decaying.

[@heyho4770]

Except there's only one way for the fungus to contaminate the global wheat supply...which is spores. Harvesting and Processing of Wheat is being done on every continent except Antarctica there's literally no way Cordyceps could break out everywhere at the same time.

[@Its-Just-Zip]

These channel collisions are like crossovers but without all the crossover stuff :) Keep up the good work theory team

[@tritonbard7704]

It’s probably a good idea to make shorts for ongoing series theories so that stuff like this stops happening

[@osc3892]

Regarding 11:33, I assume the fungi itself would have to reach 140-160 Fahrenheit in order to die, not the oven itself. So in theory any food that was cooked below those thresholds could still have living fungi in it

[@KonRoge11]

You were saying how crazy it is that civilization deteriorates so quickly, and that’s almost an understatement; in the most recent episode, (spoilers ahead) the makers of the show decided that they wanted to demonstrate a full-scale Infected assault, to help us visualize, in their words, “how humanity lost.” Lemme tell ya, the scenes of the assault are not just crazy, they’re *batshit insane.* They did a good job showing the horror of it all.

[@chacdk6780]

This is also part of the explanation in the game itself. In the opening act of The Last Of Us part 1, you can find a newspaper in the bathroom that says "The FDA's investigation of crops potentially tainted with mold continues across the country."

[@olivermahon5618]

The one problem with the flour theory is that Ellie is eating bread, while she may be immune you wouldn't have fresh bread lying around if the ingredients gave people the virus, this might just be a slipup from the producers though

[@elisenikitas9899]

yeah

[@TealJosh]

Or maybe the cordyceps was only able to attach to certain species of grain and flour.

[@JoshuSamaa]

Also people within the QZ’s end up getting infected all the time without even leaving the zone. So it’s very possible there is bread or wheat products being made in the QZ’s and slowly infecting the remaining human population without them knowing it

[@mr_nothingness_1232]

@@TealJosh species of grain and flower? LMAO they are not animals

[@Kilioh15]

Yeah it's obvious the survivors found a way to make safe bread. They wouldn't risk their lives to make bread for one person. Also: When Joel saw the sandwich, he wasn't surprised about the bread, but about the chicken. He would have asked about the bread if it wasn't normal to eat it.

[@DakoOfTacos]

omg this is so validating - i remember having a quick thought while watching ep 1 hearing about the "wheat factory" and going "huh", just cause months ago i got really into looking into mushroom growth and seeing so many mushroom substrates being made from blocks of grain - and knowing the zombies were fungi brain, had the brief thought "huh, i wonder if there's any relation!" and then ep 2 going AHA anyway thanks Pat

[@tot.musica]

I know this is primarily about episode 1, but I'm surprised Future Mat didn't come back in and mention Ellie's comment about fungus spores in episode 2. "So, there aren't super-infected that explore fungus spores at you?" Whether that's the creators honoring the video game but going their own primary route with flour/wheat, or them actually telling us it's both just like it was in the video games is remained to be seen. But I feel it's worth mentioning at least.

[@unknownchoujin1436]

Did you know when ants are infected with the "zombie fungus", it climbs a tree, locks its jaws into a branch, and when it dies, the fungus spores explode out of the back of the ant's head. The spores then fall onto whatever other insects are below. In that sense, I like the change in the show where there's not really a need for gas masks since there aren't really zombies really high up.

[@XWierdThingsHappenX]

Cordyceps even changes what it does to ants in different climates. In forests where trees drop their leaves. They clamp on bark and twigs. In a forest where the trees leaves don't drop they clamp on to leaves.

[@Yassty]

This is a real phenomenon known as Cordyceps and it is an example of how fungi can manipulate the behavior of their hosts for their own reproductive purposes. It is interesting to see how this concept has been incorporated into the The Last of Us series and how the show has adapted it to fit their own narrative. The change you mentioned, where the need for gas masks is reduced due to the absence of zombies in higher places, makes sense in the context of the show's story and adds a new layer of realism to the portrayal of a post-apocalyptic world.

[@Axxidous]

The video literally mentions this by showing us the part where the show mentions this in the very first scene….

[@naramurasaki]

I remember seeing a tweet right after the first episode aired that pointed out how ironic it was that the Millers avoided wheat, and they were fine. I think the creators might have confirmed it in a tweet (or else they liked the tweet), but I nearly dropped my phone when I saw it.

[@Thebenneb]

But they didn’t avoid it. The pancake mix was gone, meaning they had already eaten it

[@naramurasaki]

@@Thebenneb They probably ate from a batch that had already been produced before the infection began. Different mixes are made at different times, and pancake mixes tend to have a slightly longer shelf life. They're not saying pancake mix was ALWAYS contaminated, but they just happened to have pancakes BEFORE the outbreak begins, meaning their batch was safe.

[@Thebenneb]

@@naramurasaki But the whole show was implying they narrowly avoided turning because they didn’t eat any of the contaminated flour. But if they still had that uncontaminated pancake mix it wouldn’t have made a difference and they would have been fine eating it

[@STAYCJP]

@@Thebenneb tbh i think they were just adding more hints that they couldnt eat food that contained flour lmao

[@Youcriedcozbayernwasoffside]

I’m here after the show had finished and we can now confirm this theory as 100% fact, well done 👏

[@AmazingJuju]

It is also possible that the bread Ellie eats is a non-wheat flour, like potato bread. That’s only if the fungus doesn’t like potatoes… also would be weird to have only flour for bread to be made for a select few people only. The Fireflies probably just had good hookups while Joel had life a little harder and could only get jerky since he used (tried to use) his other food tickets for things like car batteries.

[@elisenikitas9899]

its unlikely tho

[@TTRPGSarvis]

Or they just scan batches of flour for it the same way they scan people.

[@RamitMehra]

It makes sense. Why make bread if no one can eat it?

[@h4m899]

I swear if we all did our work like Matt does his research we would be having no problem with our works.

[@Camilita523]

LMFAO its so true

[@NameWitheldByRequest]

Mat, I cannot stress enough. Food theory was a genius move! Where as not everyone plays games and watches movies. Everybody eats food!

[@T4nkE-ng1ne]

Fun fact: the average resting human temperature lowers throughtout generations, meaning if the cordicepts do have limit of how hot a body can be that it infects: humans are steadily getting closer to it bit by bit

[@deepfriedvibes7480]

The flour theory is actually referenced in the game, when playing as Sarah in the beginning of the game, a newspaper can be found that tells about a 300% admittance spike in hospital areas because of a mysterious infection and that the FDA has expanded the list of contaminated crops

[@ur_crabmom]

I was thinking about that as well

[@bigdoubleu117]

I bet the fact they got rid of the gas mask, spores thing, is in addition because of Pedro Pascal's dislike of having to wear a helmet in most of Mandalorian.

[@pentax2551]

This theory is great because Ep.3 confirms it but also it shows how much attention the creators paid to the details

[@blu12gaming44]

9:05 Truth be told: yeast naturally exists inside most/all flour, which is why you can create sourdough starter with just the flour and some water to get it going. Fungi is everywhere and has always been.

[@jazzingpanda3190]

The flour being responsible for spreading the pathogen? It is thrown at us quite aggressively in the first episode lmao.

[@wrathybear]

Sorry for being that guy but fungus is not virus

[@jazzingpanda3190]

@@wrathybear that’s fair enough, was a mistake on my half for the original comment. I quite clearly meant pathogen / disease spreading germ (as you know) but if you felt the need to correct me that’s okay☺️

[@Ociloc]

​@@jazzingpanda3190 there is no germ. It's a fungus. They threw that at us pretty aggressively in the first episode

[@itslashitsgeorge]

@@jazzingpanda3190lol stoopid

[@jazzingpanda3190]

@@itslashitsgeorge man you can’t be calling the people responding to my comment here stupid for not understanding things :(

[@B20C0]

I cant wait for the episodes that are based on the 2nd game. "You're breathing spores!" -> "You're eating cookies!!"

[@carndela7032]

I remember they were filming a portion of it in my hometown. So cool seeing the setup for this show!

[@ImBarelyMe]

That excitement from mat about getting a theory right, will truly be one of the things I miss most

[@I.____.....__...__]

Matt is missing the obvious, it's not ophiocordyceps, it's a mutant strain of YEAST. It spread so quickly because it's ALREADY EVERYWHERE. Lots of molds and fungi are already omnipresent in small amounts and don't grow to noticeable sizes unless the conditions are amenable. For example, see the Taste Emporium video _There's no such thing as a "yeast shortage"_ in which he points out that yeast is present everywhere, including on your face right now (just like demodex) and actually bakes some bread using some yeast he swabs from his own face, barely even touching it. 12:18 It's not that fungi _in_ the freshly-baked bread survived cooking, it's that when the bread was taken out and sat to cool, it was both warm and moist and so the fungi spores already present in the air land on it, finding their utopia and proliferating.

[@DinoRicky]

It’s literally called “Cordyceps Brain Infection” It’s mutated Ophiocordyceps

[@kidknight6498]

Great theory MatPat. Congrats on getting it right. Joel also spells it out to Eli in the 3rd episode as well. Excellent writing so far, loving the show. My fears of them ruining this amazing franchise are almost gone.

[@ianschultz9567]

Never before has matpat been proven correct so quickly after releasing a theory

[@sleepwell7718]

The TV show had so much potential. It did amazing in a lot of areas and failed so hard in others.

[@leschatssuperstars1741]

I absolutly love those theory vids. They always keep me entertained and i never find them boring.

[@oscaruniv2]

Film Theory never disappoints!

[@serious.humor_a0z]

The Cosmonaut Variety Hours Never Disappointed ❤

[@thesemicolon7269]

pain (don’t worry guys I’m a real person)

[@Johnhorsey]

It often does

[@Spartan8676]

About that...

[@vincentwaubiness8556]

7:15 bro literally predicted the next episode before it came out no joke. i just watched it

[@lucifchristo]

"Over thinking, over analyzing separates the body from the mind Withering my intuition leaving opportunities behind"-Lateralus

[@heyyall8283]

Please do a How to Survive Final Destination? Now that they announced a FD6 will be made?

[@thedurn8560]

I love how he got it exactly right after it's explained after episode 3

[@thabreez456]

Man I love when Mat makes a theory video acting like he cracked it but then the show/movie/game confirms the theory before or during his theory rant.

[@jughead18sp]

same with other channels. also some of those got the first 4 episodes early

[@unknownedleaf]

0:32 the fact that this could be a food theory is also hilarious