The Last of Us spoilers follow.
The videogame curse has been well and truly put to bed, as Craig Mazin's The Last of Us brings Naughty Dog's survival horror to life on the small screen. While a movie was given the green light as early as 2014, it has evolved (like the Infected of the source material) and is now an HBO series.
Game director Neil Druckmann promised The Last of Us would stick close to the source material, and only one episode in, we've seen a faithful recreation of the game. Away from the tragic arc of Sarah Miller (Nico Parker), the second half of episode one took us to the Boston Quarantine Zone to focus on the war between FEDRA (the Federal Disaster Response Agency) and the Fireflies.
If you're trying to "look for the light," here's everything you need to know about the Fireflies, who they're fighting for, and what's next for the rebel sect in the rest of the nine-episode season one… and beyond.
Who are the Fireflies?
Appearing as an opposing force to FEDRA's martial law, the Fireflies are led by Marlene, who is played by Merle Dandridge (reprising her role from the games).
Although the timelines are different in the series, the Fireflies were originally founded in the 2010s and saw support grow when six of their members were executed. Jump forward to the Boston Quarantine Zone, where the Fireflies are an underground rebellion.
Scrawled over the walls is the repeated mantra: "When you're lost in the darkness, look for the light." The Fireflies use the slogan as a way to greet each other, but here, HBO has used it as a clever marketing tool for the series.
Even if the Fireflies are considered a dangerous offshoot of society, they're clearly gathering power in the apocalypse. One shot shows the Firefly insignia being painted over, with the group presumably recruiting.
Later, an explosive attack against Tess (Anna Torv) leads to FEDRA soldiers fighting a rooftop shooter working for the Fireflies. Ellie (Bella Ramsey) refers to the Fireflies as terrorists, which sparks leader Marlene to ask, "Was Riley a terrorist?" This is a nod to Ellie's girlfriend from the Left Behind DLC, who we know will be played by Euphoria's Storm Reid later in the series.
It's implied that Riley was a Firefly, which would follow her arc in The Last of Us: American Dreams prequel comic – but we also know Joel's brother Tommy (Gabriel Luna) has joined their ranks during the 20-year time jump.
When Joel (Pedro Pascal) wants to leave the zone's safety to look for Tommy, he's warned there's more than the Infected to be wary of out there in the wilderness. The Fireflies have a common goal, but with their factions scattered, they're struggling to hold on to power.
As for Marlene, she has a history with Ellie's mother, and says, "Do I look like your mum?" Marlene is the one who put Ellie in military school, and while we don't know what happened to Ellie's mum, it's possible she died fighting for the Fireflies.
Major spoilers (from the game) follow...
Despite her fiery spirit, we know Ellie's allegiance is to the Fireflies as she'll later go on to get a moth-like tattoo in The Last of Us Part II. Druckmann told The Washington Post it honours the Fireflies and her old life with Joel, which is ironic when considering what happens to Ellie with Marlene's group.
Going into spoiler territory, the Fireflies are the main antagonists in the first game. Ellie is something of an apocalyptic saviour because she's immune to the Cordyceps infection, meaning Marlene tasks Joel and Tess with taking her across the USA to meet with other Fireflies and work on a cure.
In the end, it's revealed that the only way to make a cure is to remove the infected part of Ellie's brain, thus killing her. The Fireflies have tried this on others who are immune, but ultimately, are never successful in finding a cure.
Even though Marlene is trying to use Ellie for the greater good, Joel develops a paternal bond with the young girl and refuses to let her be canon fodder for the Firefly cause. From what Mazin and Druckmann have promised about The Last of Us being true to the game, we guess things will play out in a similar way.
The Fireflies might be a thorn in FEDRA's side, but in the first episode, we're told they're losing ground and support in their war against military rule. The insignia being painted over suggests the Fireflies aren't as popular as they think they are, and following the games, even Tommy will become disillusioned with them.
The Fireflies are the primary force in trying to find a cure, but their methods of getting there make the likes of Marlene some of the story's most complicated characters. Still, the Fireflies aren't alone in their anti-establishment quest.
Another force we're sure to come across is the Washington Liberation Front (WLF), although we're guessing that'll be saved for season two. For the time being, expect the Fireflies to spread their wings in The Last of Us season one.
The Last of Us airs on HBO in the US, and on Sky Atlantic and streaming service NOW in the UK.
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