Horror and video game fans are less than three weeks away from the release of HBO’sThe Last of Us. In tune with the season of giving, the series based on the critically acclaimed PlayStation franchise of the same name has been dropping new images almost every day in December to count down to the premiere in January. Now, even though Christmas is officially over, the latest image forThe Last of Usteases one of the franchise’s most important groups of characters and their signature mantra.
The new image posted toThe Last of Us’ social media pages, features none of the series’ expansive list of characters. It’s simply a beaten down wall in a post-apocalyptic building with the words “when you’re lost in the darkness” written on the wall in blood-red. That phrase should immediately sound familiar to anyone who has played the games as this is the first part of the Firefly faction’s mantra. The caption for this image completes the slogan, spelling out, “When you’re lost in the darkness… look for the light.” Like every image we have seen so far, this wall in question looks ripped straight out of the games. It sets up the dire mood and setting perfectly.
In the games the Fireflies were a group of survivors adamant in looking for a cure for the virus. They saw themselves as a guiding light in hope for a better world, but many people question the arguably immoral ways they conduct their business. This includes Joel (Pedro Pascal) who’s not shy in voicing his critical thoughts on this faction.Marlene(Merle Dandridge) is the leader of the Fireflies who tasks Joel and Tess (Anna Torv) to safely transport a young girl named Ellie (Bella Ramsey) across the country from Boston to Salt Lake City. Unknowingly to them at the time Ellie was bitten by an infected, but never turned. What’s inside Ellie may hold the key to finally finding a cure. Without going into spoilers, that leads to one of the tensest and mind-blowing third acts a game has ever delivered.
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It’s going to be very exciting to see how the Fireflies are handled and expanded upon in this adaptation. The moral dilemmas this group brings up are some of the most satisfying thematic storytelling in any medium. It’s also going to be great to have Dandridge reprise her role as Marlene for this series. She rejoinsTroy BakerandAshley Johnsonwho played Joel and Ellie respectively in the games, but the pair are playing completely different characters in this series.
The Fireflies promote the “light”, but the way they go about it will make you question their every move. They’re very comparable to a lot of controversial real world groups which has only made their story and “quest” more relevant a decade later. We’ll see the Fireflies, and the rest of this breathtaking world come to life, whenThe Last of Uspremieres on HBO on January 15. Until then, you may start looking for the light by viewing the new image down below.
