Warning! This article contains spoilers for The Last of Us episode 1 and the original game.The Last of Us episode 1 introduced the show's central characters, two of whom are Ellie and Marlene, with the latter somehow knowing the former's hidden past. The show's first look at Ellie comes with her chained to a pipe in a rundown room in the Boston QZ. Ellie is questioned by a woman, running monotonous tests on Ellie's intelligence. Ellie, going under the name Veronica, es these tests that are later revealed to be related to her immunity to the Cordyceps brain infection.
The second scene featuring Ellie, played by Bella Ramsey, shows her being freed from her restraints by Marlene. Marlene reveals herself as the leader of the Fireflies in the Boston QZ and calls Ellie by her real name. Marlene, played by Merle Dandridge who is a returning The Last of Us game actor, reveals that she knows a lot about Ellie's past, leading many to wonder just how this is the case.
Marlene’s History With Ellie Explained
Most of what is known about Marlene's connection with Ellie can be explained using The Last of Us episode 1's source material. The game establishes that Marlene was a very close friend of Anna, Ellie's mother. While this has not been confirmed as of yet in HBO's The Last of Us, the show provided a few big hints about this in Marlene and Ellie's scene together.
The fact alone that Marlene knows Ellie's name, alongside the revelation that she was the one who put Ellie in the FEDRA institution, is enough to hint that Marlene is heavily connected to Ellie's past. While the show doesn't follow every minuscule aspect of the games, this is one plot detail that makes the most sense being copied from the original The Last Of Us game lore. With Ellie evidently not knowing Marlene to the same extent, it is only logical to assume Marlene was linked to Ellie's parents.
Marlene’s Past Can Give HBO’s The Last Of Us New Scenes
Through this connection, some important The Last of Us scenes can be created to expand the game characters in ways the source material could not allow. One of these potentially important scenes has already been hinted at in the trailer, with Ashley Johnson - who voiced Ellie in the games - seemingly playing Ellie's mother. If this turns out to be the case, Marlene and Anna played by Johnson could have scenes together further establishing the connection between Ellie, her family, and the Fireflies.
With the events and The Last of Us: Left Behind DLC confirmed to be included in HBO's show, Marlene could be used to further flesh out Riley, another person mentioned in The Last of Us episode 1. Marlene has connections to Ellie from a young age, as evident by her placing Ellie in the FEDRA school and the game's connection between her and Anna, and also Riley through the latter ing the Fireflies at some point. All of this means The Last of Us could expand Marlene's past, explore her connection to Riley, and more importantly, further explore her relationship with Ellie and Anna Williams.
New episodes of The Last of Us release every Sunday on HBO.