And similar to that, the Season 1 finale of HBO’s The Final of Us has come to a detailed. The primary 9 episodes of the collection caught fairly near the occasions of the 2013 sport, with some necessary modifications alongside the way in which to deepen character growth. In the long run, although, these of us who’ve performed The Final of Us know the way it has to finish. And even with some added context within the Season 1 finale, the collection superbly landed the story’s conclusion.
Warning: The next accommodates spoilers for the Season 1 finale of The Final of Us, in addition to the occasions of The Final of Us Half II. If you have not seen the episode but or do not wish to be spoiled on the 2020 sport, flip away now.
A real standout on this ultimate episode is a returning Marlene (Merle Dandridge), who not solely bought pivotal moments with Pedro Pascal’s Joel all through the episode however was additionally explored through her personal flashback, which is an extremely necessary piece of her story–and allowed for the return of a fan-favorite performer from the video games.
GameSpot sat down with Dandrige to debate all of Marlene’s main moments within the finale and the emotion that went into the episode.
The start of Ellie
The episode opens with the introduction of Anna, performed by Ashley Johnson, the actor who portrays Ellie within the video games. Now, although, she’s within the position of Ellie’s mom. Whereas in labor, about to provide start to Ellie, Anna is bitten by an contaminated and similar to that, we all know her destiny is sealed. Nonetheless, we additionally study that she is Marlene’s finest pal with the 2 having a connection that stems again to earlier than outbreak day.
Talking in regards to the second and her reunion with Johnson, Dandridge admitted, “Once I first learn that episode and that scene, I do imagine I might need clutched it to my chest and sighed and cried… Working with Ashley has all the time been an absolute pleasure.”
What’s extra, although, this lengthy opening scene allowed Dandridge the chance to discover a chunk of Marlene we have by no means actually seen earlier than. “I believe should you had actually delved deep into the sport, you might need heard some extra of the backstory or the interplay between Marlene and Anna,” the actress stated. “And for these followers, these old-school, deep-dive type of followers, they’re getting that payoff, however for us–I can not converse for Ashley, however for me–the elementary items round what and who I constructed Marlene to be, , by this car of Merle, had been steeped on this relationship and who she was earlier than outbreak day.”
Apparently, this explicit story was nearly explored extra deeply earlier than. Throughout a convention name with the press, The Final of Us co-creator Neil Druckmann revealed that he is had an concept for a narrative primarily based round Anna that he is tried to discover as a comic book guide, a sport, and even a brief movie beforehand.
“I wrote this brief script about Ellie’s mother and the way she gave start to Ellie, was bitten on the similar time and wasn’t positive if she was contaminated throughout that start,” he defined. “And it simply grew to become this little character drama that felt prefer it spoke to the identical themes of parental love for his or her little one and the way a lot you are prepared to do even whenever you’re on demise’s door.”
Whereas that by no means got here to fruition beforehand, it really works as a centerpiece second for the HBO collection. And although Dandridge did not know it might be showcased till she learn the Season 1 finale script, it was on her thoughts from the beginning.
“In my first conversations with [showrunner] Craig [Mazin], Anna was such part of that,” Dandridge stated. “She’s inherent to why and the way I’ve been regarding Ellie and maybe why she’s chosen to maintain her protected and the way in which that she’s chosen to maintain her protected.”
Joel’s selection
In the end, Joel rescued Ellie from the Fireflies’ physician, whose process would have killed her to be able to efficiently extract what he wanted to develop a possible remedy (should you name dooming the remainder of the world a rescue). However earlier than he escapes together with her, Joel comes face-to-face as soon as extra with Marlene, who makes an attempt to motive with him.
An enormous second on this scene is when she tries to impress upon Joel that she understands why he feels the necessity to save Ellie. Let’s not neglect that earlier than Joel got here into the image, it was Marlene caring for the younger woman after her time within the FEDRA coaching camp. What’s extra, now that we all know her connection to Ellie’s mom, in fact, she cares for the woman. Nonetheless, that needs to be balanced with the potential of a world-saving remedy.
In the event you’ve performed The Final of Us Half II, that Marlene didn’t make the selection to sacrifice Ellie evenly. “You see that she is rigorously questioning and pushing again on this physician’s know-how and science that there needs to be another method,” Dandridge stated. “There needs to be one other method and solely after exhaustive time and understanding and work and rationalization and testing has she come to the belief that that is the one method. And that realization when she sees that come over Joel, ‘I do get it. I’ve been within the actual place of denial that you’re proper now. And I can confidently stand in entrance of you and say, I’ve cherished her longer and extra. And that is nonetheless the precise selection.'”
At that time, although, Joel merely would not care. After killing the surgeon, and everybody else in sight, he shoots Marlene as nicely. In any case, he knows–as does Dandridge–that if left alive, Marlene would by no means cease her seek for Ellie.
“She is unrelenting in her sense of goal,” Dandridge stated. “Sure, she would observe Joel to the ends of the Earth if he had Ellie in his arms. And, there’s a world by which a greater end result might have been reached–a higher understanding.”
Was Joel proper?
That is the final word query at play right here, and one The Final of Us followers have been debating for a decade. Joel basically destroyed any chance of discovering a remedy for the an infection simply to avoid wasting one individual. Nonetheless, that one individual is the factor he cares about retaining alive probably the most. It is onerous to know if he is definitively proper or flawed on this scenario. Dandridge has an opinion on the matter, although.
“My breath catches once I simply give it some thought. If there was somebody that I cherished in hurt’s method, I’d do every part in my energy to maintain them protected to guard them from hurt’s method,” she defined. “And happily, I am not making these sorts of credit score choices for the sake of humanity. My goodness. However would you sacrifice that? I imply, that is a biblical type of query. It’s so giant in scope, that it is overwhelming to even contemplate. So [as] Merle, I couldn’t even put my thoughts to contemplate [it].”
What’s subsequent?
Sadly, this appears like the top of the highway for Marlene. We all know she would not survive Joel’s bullets within the video games. Nonetheless, it is not as if modifications have not been made to the video games to date. Even Dandridge doesn’t know Marlene’s destiny. One factor’s for positive, she is aware of it is her want for Joel to know the nice that comes with the sacrifice that needs to be thought-about.
“This high quality of hers finally ends up being her demise,” she stated. “Or is it? I do not know.”
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