An “Atkins Diet” Prevented Joel From Getting Infected in Last of Us Episode 1

HBO adaptation of Naughty Dog’s hit title, The Last of Us, is in the midst of one of the greatest runs in television history. After a roaring debut in the first 48 hours, the show continues to reach homes at a devastating pace.

The show’s success has been warranted, as the show’s talented cast of writers has taken the liberty to successfully adapt the show’s material while rewriting lore points to create a much more coherent experience. The latest discovery comes from Reddit, as viewers have discovered Joel managed to dodge the leading cause of the infection due to his early dieting habits, or rather, his excuse of being on one.

**This post will contain minor spoilers from the first episode of The Last of Us on HBO. If you haven’t seen it yet, please come back when you do. Otherwise, proceed at your own risk.**

Early in the first episode, The Last of Us takes viewers to the days leading up to the infection in 2003. Joel and Sarah are living normal lives, with the latter reflecting that there’s no flour to use for Joel’s birthday pancakes. The show continues without this seeming like a big deal. Later on, viewers meet the Adlers, who offer biscuits to Joel and Sarah, to which Joel politely declines, claiming he’s on a diet.

It may not seem like much, but declining the biscuits and the lack of flour for the birthday pancakes play a larger role. Assuming food contamination is the source of the outbreak, the lack of the necessary baking ingredients and Joel’s “fake diet” seemingly may have saved Joel and Sarah from becoming infected.

Again, a moment like this showcases the creative liberty the showrunners have taken to make this a much more seamless viewing experience. The Last of Us is currently showing on HBO and HBO Max, and we’ve got plenty of related content below to keep you up-to-date.