The sixth episode of HBO The last of us opens in the dead of winter, with gleaming white snow providing a change of scene for the otherwise somber and dreary apocalypse the show depicts. But that’s not all that’s new – we’re introduced in this snowy setting to an adorable couple who steal the episode with their grumpy charms.
The pair, played by acting luminaries Graham Greene (Dance with wolves) and Elaine Miles (Northern exposure), only show up for about five minutes, but they make more than the best of it. Their chemistry as a couple Marlon and Florence is off the charts and the ease with which they joke around with each other (and Joel and Ellie, unwelcome visitors to their snowy cabin) is an absolute delight.
Joel and Ellie stumbled across their cabin on their way to Wyoming and are looking for directions to reach Joel’s brother. When Marlon enters the cabin, fresh from a successful rabbit hunt, Florence silently lets him know they are not alone and gives him a look clearly informed of their years together. Moments like that and shared giggles at Ellie’s youthful energy speak louder than words and successfully fill in their years together for the viewer.
The jokes keep coming, too, relying on their specific relationship and the way they needle each other to bring a much-needed level of human connection to the show. When Marlon sees Joel, he asks Florence why she didn’t shoot him. As she continues to rock in her rocking chair, she says tonelessly, “The gun is way over there. He didn’t hurt me, by the way.” Marlon says, “Yes, I have eyes.”
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Image: HBO
Later, Joel congratulates Marlon on finding a great place to hide during the apocalypse, but Marlon says they were here “before you were born, kid. Get the hell out of everyone.” Florence quickly intervenes with an “I didn’t mean to,” leading to an annoyed sigh from Marlon, who tells us that this is a conversation that’s happened over and over again. It’s a nice window into a different way of life than we’ve seen in most others The last of us
The couple is so far into their own safe and happy world that when Ellie brings up the fireflies, Florence exclaims, “We’ll get those in the summer.” Ellie quickly replies, “Not the bugs, the people.” Florence says with big ones Eyes: “There are firefly people???” before both Marlon and Florence burst into infectious laughter. Her concerns are different and lighter than Ellie and Joel’s, which is reflected later in the episode when Ellie reads a pre-apocalypse teenager’s journal.
It’s particularly impressive how Greene and Miles steal the spotlight in this scene, because the strengths of The last of us were the quieter moments when Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey can hang out and do their thing as performers. They’re compelling screen presences on the show when they’re allowed (and this episode is particularly outstanding for Ramsey), but nothing comes close to what Greene and Miles are working with here as Marlon and Florence. Their palpable chemistry and easy-going, grumpy sense of humor reminded me of my grandparents, and it’s one of the few moments on the show where I felt like I recognized characters as real people I might meet in our world. It’s humorous, but it resonates; it makes sense.
Sometimes, The last of usThe fast pace can distract from the show’s characterization, as the desire to cram the entire first game into one televised season requires them to move things along quickly. Other times, a five-minute look will give you a lot. This was one of those last times, but HBO, I’m not satisfied. Green light for a show about Graham Greene and Elaine Miles getting instantly grumpy in the woods.
