How ‘The Last of Us’ Creators Turned Game Cult into a Shocking TV Horror

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Warning: This tale reveals plot points from Season 2, Episode 3 of HBO’s “The Last of Us“. It is currently available to stream on Max.

In the wake of Joel’s demise on “The Last of Us,” episode 3, titled “The Scars,” presented an opportunity for a more introspective and character-focused narrative as Ellie (Bella Ramsey) and Dina (Isabela Merced) embarked on their voyage to Seattle. This change in the storyline brought fresh challenges for Emmy-winning makeup artist Barrie Gower and costume designer Ann Foley, who were now tasked with creating and designing new characters.

In this installment, the sinister cult – well-known to gamers – makes its appearance, portrayed as an enigmatic faction that uses whistles for communication while journeying through a woodland path situated on the outskirts of Seattle.

In episode X, the secretive cult, popular among video game enthusiasts, emerges as a shadowy collective that relies on whistling to communicate as they traverse a forest trail near Seattle.

Both Gower and Foley found it crucial to draw inspiration from Naughty Dog’s initial visual concepts, specifically the brown ponchos and intricate braided crowns worn by the female characters.

Gower and his team brainstormed about how the scars on the actors’ faces should vary depending on factors like skin type, ethnicity, and age. For instance, children under 11 or 12 wouldn’t display such scarring. Initially, they experimented with the U.K. crew to achieve a “spotless” appearance as a starting point.

In my line of work, I frequently use a pliable, adhesive substance that’s similar to paste. This material is not only used as an adhesive for many prosthetics but can also be whipped up in a food mixer and thickened. By sculpting diverse shapes and sizes, and dividing some into two parts, I can create a variety of generic pieces that can be tailored to suit different performers by mixing and matching.

Gower and his prosthetics team experimented with four distinct designs for the scars to achieve the desired aesthetic. As explained, they opted for an “inverted scar,” which is a concave indentation in the skin, and additionally tested raised keloid scars, a less common occurrence in the game. Ultimately, they chose the concave scarring, similar to that seen in the game, with the daily application procedure on actors taking approximately 30-45 minutes each time.

Although Episode 3 fails to reveal the real motives behind the Scars, Gower emphasized that their appearance shouldn’t be overly threatening. As Ellie and Dina encounter a slain group of Scars, Ellie ponders aloud if Abby, her target, might be responsible for this brutal act. The identity of the Scars remains a point of contention among players of the game versus the broader audience of the show.

In simpler terms, Gower explains, “We wanted to depict them as a single unit, like a clan, because they have a very strong tribal bond. These people are unique and separate from others, so we used subtle markings or scars to differentiate them. We didn’t want these marks to be too extreme or alter their appearances drastically. The scars are barely noticeable – the appliances used are so subtle that we had to ensure they didn’t cover too much of the actors’ faces. These marks should not interfere with the actors’ performances.

For Foley (“The Spiderwick Chronicles”), this episode allowed her team to shift their attention away from the infected, she chuckles, indicating a change of focus. When it comes to the Scars, they are renowned for their self-sufficient nature.

The concept behind the ponchos was, perhaps they had salvaged this from an antique boat and then fashioned waterproof ponchos for their own use. We found a fantastic canvas material and repurposed it, some of which was so rigid that it could have been used to build a tent. So we sent it to be stone-washed and added paint to it. The seraphite symbol on the back was all meticulously hand-painted by my team.

During filming in Vancouver, standing in for Seattle, the crew made sure to address practical issues by incorporating waterproof materials into the actors’ costumes. This was necessary as rain scenes were unavoidable, and there were instances when it actually rained on set. As Foley explains, “We continued shooting despite the rain, and they ensured that the cast stayed dry.

As the Scars setting transitions to Seattle, Foley views this fresh tribe as a logical progression for the characters’ development.

Foley explains, “This season emphasizes the importance of community. Even those with scars or, as Craig [Mazin] noted earlier, the infected, form their own unique communities. Our goal is to give each community its distinct identity. This helps viewers understand and quickly identify our characters by their costumes.

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2025-04-28 05:18