The following contains spoilers for The Last of Us Season 1, Episode 2, "Infected," which debuted Sunday, Jan. 22 on HBO.

The first two episodes of HBO's The Last of Us opened with flashbacks, and showrunner Craig Mazin mastered the use of this narrative device. These sequences exist to deliver exposition to the audience, which could easily be done in dialogue. This doesn't include the flashback scenes that Tommy actor Gabriel Luna said explore "the world before it went to crap."

In the games, it's The Last of Us, Part II where flashbacks come into play because of the time-jump between installments. However, it seems as if the series will continue to employ these flashbacks, both to add context to the characters' stories and deliver information about the end of the world to viewers. For example, the talk show scene that opened the series explained the inciting incident. Viewers in the 2020s especially understand what a viral outbreak is. This scene quickly and succinctly sets up how that same idea can work but with the cordyceps fungus. Episode 2's flashback further underscores just how unstoppable this outbreak is. It's a strange choice to tie flashbacks to characters not in the present-day story, but it helps highlight what was lost, especially as audiences become more familiar with the characters' circumstances.

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The Last of Us Uses Flashbacks Much Differently Than LOST Did

Perhaps the most famous 21st-century TV series that employed extensive flashbacks was Lost on ABC. The series began with flashbacks to just before the crash and then continued for half of its run. These were used to reveal information about the characters and add layers to the on-island conflict. Arrow used flashbacks to Oliver Queen's time on his deserted island for its first five seasons, as well. However, The Last of Us flashbacks aren't there to inform viewers about the characters. Rather, these flashbacks give viewers information the characters may or may not know. For example, Joel believes the zombie fungus is unstoppable, but viewers saw that Dr. Ibu Ratna, a scholar, agreed with him.

Joel, and Tommy when he returns to the story, are the only characters who appeared in the other flashback sequence. This introduction was heavily character-focused, but it also showed rather than told exposition. Pedro Pascal certainly would've nailed the emotional scene where he tells Bella Ramsey's Ellie about Sarah's death. Yet, the storytellers wanted viewers to see what he lost more intimately. If the storytelling followed Lost's model (like Arrow did), viewers wouldn't see Sarah's fate until the episode where Ellie discovers it. Though, the storytellers could reverse-engineer story connections. Perhaps one of the scientists Joel and Ellie are heading toward is Dr. Ratna.

Lost and Arrow both eventually ran out of flashback time as they caught up to the present-day story. By keeping the flashbacks disconnected from the central characters' lives, the show will never run out of things it can show viewers in flashbacks rather than simply telling them.

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Joel, Ellie, Tommy and Others May Get Their Own Flashbacks

Actor Gabriel Luna as Tommy in HBO's The Last of Us series.

A bold move by The Last of Us producers is casting an actor like Anna Torv for Tess, only to lose her in the second episode. However, perhaps flashbacks to Joel's more recent past are coming. Joel's character can be shown through his actions and interactions with Ellie. Yet, personal flashbacks could show how these character traits were formed. It also is an excuse to fill in the backstory with Tommy and allow Tess' return. Even if the series continues to use them just to present sci-fi concepts in a more narrative way, it's a masterful use of the device.

Beginning each episode with little vignettes from the world before it ended is a great reminder for audiences just how desperate the world can be. By Season 5, the characters on The Walking Dead were barely scared of the walkers anymore. It's been 20 years, and the clickers, bloaters, shamblers or whatever other fungal horrors stalk the planet are still utterly horrifying to the characters. Instead of making Joel, Tess or Tommy these monster-destroying badasses, keeping them scared helps the audience feel that way for longer, too. Even when they know the characters are safe. Though, Torv as Tess may have felt that way to those unfamiliar with the game.

The current way The Last of Us uses flashbacks is wonderful and something the series hopefully continues. More character-focused looks back wouldn't be unwelcome, either. Both can illuminate the world and its people in ways that surprise and delight even those who've played through The Last of Us game series multiple times.

The Last of Us debuts new episodes Sundays at 9 PM ET on HBO and HBO Max.