For author Craig Mazin, the scariest factor in HBO TV collection The Final of Us is not the Clickers, Bloaters or any of the opposite horrors from the acclaimed Sony PlayStation sport it is primarily based on. It is the second a lone scientist realizes a fungal mind an infection will scale back the world’s inhabitants into savage cannibals. This scene seems in a flashback newly created for the present — it wasn’t seen within the 2013 sport or its 2020 sequel.
“That is terrifying to me,” Mazin informed me throughout a roundtable Zoom interview forward of the present’s Jan. 15 premiere on HBO Max. “It grounds the whole lot, and the extra we will make the peripheral really feel actual, the extra the middle will really feel actual.”
Mazin utilized that very same curiosity to a real-life catastrophe when he created 2019’s acclaimed HBO miniseries Chernobyl. For The Final of Us, flashbacks and pseudo-scientific supply of the an infection have been derived from speaking to collection co-writer Neil Druckmann, who wrote the sport and can also be artistic director and co-president of developer Naughty Canine. He relished the chance to increase the Final of Us universe past what we see within the video games by way of an knowledgeable’s response to this apocalyptic revelation.
“Not solely is it scary to listen to the scientist say it is over, however the second the place she accepts it for herself and seeing the drama on her face is one thing distinctive for this [adaptation] that I am so glad we’re in a position to present,” Druckmann mentioned.
The flashbacks aren’t the one change that followers of the sport will discover — the timeline has been shifted so the outbreak occurred in 2003 (somewhat than the sport’s 2013), with the postapocalyptic narrative occurring in 2023 (as an alternative of 2033). As a result of the sport passed off the yr it got here out, Mazin and Druckmann agreed that the chronological repositioning made sense because it did not essentially change the story.
“If I am watching a present within the yr 2023 and it takes place in 2043, it is just a bit much less actual. I believed it is likely to be attention-grabbing to only say, ‘Hey, look, on this parallel universe, that is occurring proper now.’ So it was actually nearly serving to individuals join somewhat bit extra,” Mazin mentioned.
“Virtually talking, it did not change a lot apart from giving us a barely totally different palette of props, set design and automobile alternative. Curiously, as we go on by way of the collection, we maintain discovering new locations and new relics of the previous world, [always] coming again to that 2003 vibe.”
Pushed by grief
Additional grounding the story is relatable human drama at its core. Over the primary season’s 9 episodes, we observe curmudgeonly smuggler Joel Miller, who’s been charged with escorting cheerful teen Ellie throughout a postapocalyptic US (we cannot say why, to keep away from spoilers). The pair are performed by Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey.
Pedro Pascal says Joel is “formed by loss.”
HBO
Pascal, whom you may know from Recreation of Thrones and The Mandalorian, mentioned that the tragic loss Joel endured because the outbreak started continues to drive him 20 years later.
“He is utterly pushed by trauma, and the whole lot that he does, for higher or worse, is formed by that loss and never experiencing that sort of loss once more. It is one thing, sadly, so many people can relate to,” Pascal informed me on Zoom.
“It is superb to step into an adaptation of a beloved supply materials that has such an emotional human story on the middle of it, to make it all of the extra painful. Which we apparently love, as viewers members … we’re masochistic.”
Fellow Recreation of Thrones alumnus Ramsey famous that Ellie sees Joel’s ache, which leads to them forming a bond on their journey.
Mysterious teen Ellie (left) is central to the story, and characters like Tess (proper) quickly learn the way essential she is.
HBO
“Ellie is conscious that there is one thing up with this man — there’s extra to him, he is not only a grumpy asshole for the sake of it,” the actor mentioned. “She sees a shared expertise; Ellie’s misplaced a really key individual in her life [as well]. If you see somebody who’s been by way of one thing like that too, you need to join with them [even though] Joel may be very proof against it.”
Greater than surviving
The duo are searching for Joel’s idealistic brother Tommy, who’s discovered a goal attempting to fix this horrifying world. He is performed by Gabriel Luna, identified for his roles in Marvel’s Brokers of SHIELD and Terminator: Darkish Destiny.
Characters like Tommy discover new goal in a ruined world.
HBO
“He wishes what his brother has in the beginning, which is household — to plant a seed and watch it develop,” Luna informed me over video chat. “He is searching for a world the place you possibly can reside with nature, and it is not attempting to actively kill you on a regular basis. He believes that we will really get again to it.”
Seemingly spearheading that return to civilization are the Fireflies, a gaggle of rebels pushing again towards the army’s harsh authoritarian management over survivors. They’re led by Marlene, who’s performed by Sons of Anarchy and The Flight Attendant actor Merle Dandridge. She informed me that the Fireflies symbolize “hope,” as they hunt for a strategy to give individuals their autonomy again.
Merle Dandridge (left) performs Marlene within the video games and the present.
HBO
This casting alternative will delight followers, since she additionally voiced Marlene within the video games. (Joel and Ellie sport actors Troy Baker and Ashley Johnson additionally present up in unrevealed roles.) She additionally confirmed that the work she did for the 2013 unique proved helpful when she was returning to the function within the present, however the legendary standing the collection achieved within the years since opened up new avenues to discover.
“I completely did revisit the preparation. And checked in with Neil to ensure I acquired it proper, as a result of over time, your reminiscence could erode the precise information,” she mentioned. “The good present of getting an current supply materials that’s so beloved, extensively performed and broadcast all over the place is that you would be able to return, have a look at it and [immerse yourself].”
Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann will reveal extra in a companion podcast that’ll go behind the scenes of the present, HBO mentioned Monday, with podcast episodes dropping every Sunday. It’s going to be hosted by actor Troy Baker, who performs Joel within the video games.
