Warning: spoilers ahead for The Last of Us episode 1.
Since the premiere of episode 1, The Last of Us TV series, based on the video game franchise of the same name, has caught fans by storm.
In the first episode, fans of the show, which airs on HBO in the United States and Sky in the United Kingdom, encounter a group of characters known as the Fireflies, who are crucial to the plot that unfolds.
The cast of the post-apocalyptic thriller is lead by Pedro Pascal as Joel and Bella Ramsey as Ellie, two strangers who wind themselves on a life-threatening trip across the United States in a world decimated by a fungal outbreak.
The Fireflies initially appear in episode one, when it is revealed that they are keeping Ellie chained up and hostage after discovering that she did not convert into a horrible creature despite being bitten by an infected person.
Who are the Fireflies in The Last of Us?
In the world of The Last of Us, society is largely governed by the Federal Disaster Response Agency, known as Fedra.
The organisation is viewed negatively by the general public due to the fascist dictatorship that it runs, which includes carrying out public executions for anyone who violate quarantine zone restrictions (QZ).
The Fireflies are a rebel group that opposes Fedra and is attempting to liberate territories under their control while being labelled terrorists by the authorities.
Joel and Ellie live in the Boston QZ, where the Fireflies are led by Marlene, played by Merle Dandridge, who also performed the character in the video game series.
In episode one, Marlene organises a group to transport Ellie out of the QZ, but their base is attacked, resulting in severe casualties.
So, despite the protests of her fellow rebel, Kim, she goes to Joel and his partner Tess (Anna Torv) to sneak Ellie out (Natasha Mumba).
‘It’s quite great that the original voice actress from the game is portraying the same character in the live action series,’ one video game fan said of Merle’s return to her role as Marlene.
‘Perfect casting,’ commented another, while another added, ‘Good to have you back in the role!’
Merle published a photo on Twitter after the first episode aired of herself getting her first costume fitting for her live-action portrayal of Marlene.
She placed it next to an image of the video game character, illustrating how close the likeness was.
‘First fitting in Summer 2021 and Marlene in game. Yeah…it was clear from Day 1 it would be special. I hope you loved the first episode!’ the 47-year-old tweeted.
When it was first revealed that she would be returning to the role in May 2021, she tweeted: ‘Queen Firefly returns. Honored.’
Merle recently talked out on what she believed was Marlene’s motive for remaining so dedicated to the Fireflies’ cause in a recent interview.
‘I think someone who is perceived as a terrorist by one person can be the hope and inspiration to another. Presenting both of those things, side by side, is an important thing for the player in the game, and now the audience in the series, to examine and really ask questions, and personally investigate why they feel that way, in one way or the other,’ she told Collider.
‘But as far as why Marlene chooses to march this out and to lead this resistance is that it’s steeped in her own experience and her own pain and everything that has been ripped from her, so that this doesn’t happen to other people and so those that are around her understand that the status quo of this regime that Fedra has brought in and kept us under their thumb with, is not the only option.’
The actor added: ‘You can’t forget the fullness and the beauty of who you were before this, along with the hope, belief, and vision for what can be in the future, if you just believe in the Fireflies.’
The Last of Us is available to watch on Sky Atlantic and NOW, with new episodes released on Mondays.