All zombie-themed movies and TV shows are filled with creatures so horrifying most of us never really think about who might be underneath all that gruesome costume and make-up.
But the most recent episode of The Last Of Us suggests we should start considering it, cuz hoo boy, have we been missing out.
The runaway hit HBO series based on the video game of the same name centers on the apocalyptic downfall and aftermath of a global fungal plague that turns anyone infected into a walking carnivorous fungus--a mushroom zombie, if you will.
From here is where you'll read and see spoilers, so turn back now if you're not caught up!
The most recent episode of the show features a particularly terrifying fungus-zombie call a "bloater," an enormous, well, bloated mushroom monster who is truly gruesome.
Have a look below.
Pretty disgusting, right? And in a addition to being, you know, absolutely vile, he's also far more fearsome than any other character on the show.
Not only is he essentially bullet-proof, but he's also even more violent and bloodthirsty than any of the other fungus-zombies. He doesn't even seem all that interested in spreading the plague, in fact, he just sort of wants to rip off as man heads as he can instead?
All in all, he's pure, unadulterated nightmare fuel.
So imagine the fandom's—not to mention the entire internet's—shock when everyone found out the man inside the bloater's costume, Adam Basil, looks like this:
In an interview with Variety, the show's prosthetics designer Barry Gower, said Basil was the perfect choice for the "bloater" because he's 6'6" and his "build, girth and fitness" made him able to carry the character's 88-pound costume.
We have to agree. Basil's build, girth and fitness is absolutely stellar.
And when it came to the rest of the internet the thirst was real.
\u201cWomen don't want flowers, we want *checks notes* big daddy mushroom\u201d— \ud835\ude70\ud835\ude97\ud835\ude90\ud835\ude8e\ud835\ude95\ud835\ude8a (@\ud835\ude70\ud835\ude97\ud835\ude90\ud835\ude8e\ud835\ude95\ud835\ude8a) 1676410450
\u201c@TheLastofUsNews now why would they cover all that up\u201d— The Last of Us News (@The Last of Us News) 1676132144
\u201c@TheLastofUsNews Would\u201d— The Last of Us News (@The Last of Us News) 1676132144
\u201c@TheLastofUsNews\u201d— The Last of Us News (@The Last of Us News) 1676132144
\u201cmy water just broke\u201d— tofuboi (@tofuboi) 1676295037
\u201cFiling a workers comp claim bc my coworkers denied me my rights of being thirsty\u201d— Alexis \u201cBring Back Bunheads\u201d Wilson (@Alexis \u201cBring Back Bunheads\u201d Wilson) 1676401664
\u201cGood God.\u201d— Michael Mackie (@Michael Mackie) 1676428016
\u201cHe can break my jaw anytime wants\u201d— Aaron (TLOU era) (@Aaron (TLOU era)) 1676274584
\u201cUh oh\u2026 something\u2019s happening to me \ud83e\uddcd\ud83c\udffb\u200d\u2642\ufe0f\u2026\ud83e\uddce\ud83c\udffb\u200d\u2642\ufe0f... \ud83e\udddf\u200d\u2642\ufe0f\ud83c\udf44\u201d— Thomas \ud83d\udc0bSTORY ARTIST LOOKING FOR WORK\ud83d\udc0b (@Thomas \ud83d\udc0bSTORY ARTIST LOOKING FOR WORK\ud83d\udc0b) 1676266302
\u201cOh I would let him break me in half\u201d— Apollo (@Apollo) 1676265103
So there you go--if you get scared while watching The Last Of Us, just channel your Adam Basil lust and you'll be better in no time.
