The clickers for the HBO series “One of Us” will look amazing, according to the image published by HBO Max. Showing the main characters Joel Miller (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie Williams (Bella Ramsey) hiding behind the counter, a clicker can be seen against a dark background. In games, clickers are creatures that have reached the third stage of infection with the cordyceps brain fungus. They get their name from the screeching and clicking sounds they produce for echolocation, their primary way of perceiving the environment, as fungal growths have covered most of their face and blinded them.
The Last of Us takes place in a post-apocalyptic world in which the cordyceps fungus has destroyed most of humanity. Ellie, whom Joel is assigned to guard on the way, is considered the key to creating a cure for the cordyceps brain fungus. One of the differences between the show “One of Us” and the games is that the show is more focused on drama rather than action. In turn, clickers will have a chance to become more intimidating. The emphasis on drama will give the characters more chances to develop, raise the stakes and emotional impact in the face of danger. In addition, clickers are likely to appear less frequently than in games, which makes their screen time even more valuable.
The photo posted by HBO Max (via Twitter) is a scene that could easily be pulled from a horror movie, where Joel and Ellie are seen crouching in silent fear of a formidable monster in the background. While the clicker is shrouded in darkness, increasing the exposure of the image further shows their growth, fungal formations on the face and their general representation in the frame. The image is in line with HBO’s promise that the clicker design will match the games, and the scene perfectly embodies the experience of encountering clickers in the game, hiding behind a small showcase, and the horror that this situation creates.
Although this is only the third of the four stages, the prevalence and atmosphere created by collisions with clickers in games make them especially frightening. However, one teaser change for Last of Us suggests that there could be something worse. Connor Stanhope from Smallville got the role of an “Infected person of the fifth stage”, which goes beyond the four known stages of infection from the games “One of Us”. In games, the stages of cordyceps infection are the following in order: “runner”, “stalker”, “clicker” and “bloating”. In “The Last of Us, Part II”, the “shamblers” are introduced, but they represent an alternative fourth stage, not the fifth stage, and the Rat King is a creature that seems to be completely separate from the stages of infection.
The clickers in the series “One of Us”, as in the game, will no doubt still be terrifying. In addition, the plot of the second part of the games may expand in HBO’s “The Last of Us”, as the series may expand even further into unexplored parts of its universe and thus involve more potential characters, plot points and stakes. Despite the fact that the show promises further development of the franchise, formidable clickers have even more potential in The Last of Us.
