Doctor Ratna Pertiwi[1] is a supporting character in HBO's The Last of Us. She was a professor of mycology at the University of Indonesia before the Cordyceps brain infection outbreak.[2]
Biography[]
Background[]
Ratna studied and became a professor of mycology, the scientific study of fungi, at the University of Indonesia in Jakarta. She dedicated her life to the profession.[2]
Events of HBO's The Last of Us[]
On September 24, 2003, Ratna was in the middle of having lunch when two military officers approached her and asked her to come with them. In the car, she asked Lieutenant General Agus Hidayat if she was under arrest, which he assured her she was not: the local government required her expertise in mycology. Arriving at a local lab, Ratna was shown a microscopic sample that she immediately identified as Ophiocordyceps, but was puzzled at the manner it was prepared. Agus explained it was a sample taken from a human, to which Ratna expressed skepticism as she believed it was impossible for Cordyceps to manifest in humans.
Agus escorted her deeper into the lab, where she was shown the corpse of a woman. Inspecting it while wearing a hazard suit, Ratna noticed the woman bore a human bite mark on her leg, under which she found Cordyceps growth. Inspecting the woman's mouth, she was horrified to discover threads of still-living mycelium, and immediately ran out of the lab. Recovering a few minutes later, Agus brought her some tea and she inquired how the government came upon the body. Agus explained the woman was a worker at a local flour mill, to which Ratna gravely noted flour was a perfect substrate for Cordyceps; approximately 30 hours before, the woman went into a sudden frenzy and bit three of her co-workers, all of whom eventually had to be executed, and that they had no idea who bit her.
Upon learning 14 other workers were missing, Ratna realized that an outbreak of the Cordyceps brain infection had begun. She anxiously put her tea down as Agus inquired how they could stop the infection from spreading, be it through a vaccine or medicine. Ratna gravely explained there was no cure, and the only thing the government could do in hopes of stopping the spread was to bomb the entire city with everyone in it. She then tearfully requested that she be allowed to go home and be with her family.[2]
Appearance[]
As a professor, Dr. Ratna dressed neatly while going about her day, wearing a black jacket, glasses, earrings, and a scarf around her neck. She bore a beauty mark on the right side of her face.[2]
Personality[]
Ratna was polite, brushing off Agus' apology for interrupting her lunch. She was quite observant, noticing the use of chlorazol to prepare the Ophiocordyceps slide, and correctly identifying the corpse's bite mark as human. She took her work in the field of mycology very seriously, questioning the nigh-unthinkable prospect of Cordyceps surviving in humans. Her knowledge on the subject left her in the unique position of having to inform Agus that there was no cure, and the only way to stop an outbreak was to wipe out the entire city. Despite the dire circumstances, Ratna kept a brave face as she shared the information, only to lose some of her composure as she decided she wished to be with her family during that time.[2]
Behind the scenes[]
- Ratna is portrayed by Indonesian actress and activist Christine Hakim. Hakim, who is a major figure in Indonesian cinema, was cast via Instagram. She was initially reluctant to play the part as it meant traveling to Alberta in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, while she was caring for her mother and husband. However her grandniece, a fan of the game, convinced her to take the role. Hakim was impressed by Neil Druckmann's direction and the production team's care in accurately portraying Jakarta, and even brought some of her own traditional Batik scarves and Indonesian jewelry, which the costume department incorporated into her outfit.[3]
Gallery[]
References[]
- ↑ The Last of Us, Infected at HBO Max. HBO. Retrieved January 26, 2023.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 HBO's The Last of Us episode 2: "Infected"
- ↑ Newsome, Kate (January 21, 2023). "Watching HBO's ‘The Last of Us' with Christine Hakim at her home". The Jakarta Post. Retrieved January 23, 2023.
