‘The Last of Us’ fans demand a standalone spinoff for a pair of instant scene-stealers

Today’s streaming shows have a way of making fan favorite MVPs out of some of the most dark horse, limited-screentime characters around. Whether it’s She-Hulk: Attorney at Law‘s Madisynn or Timothy the octopus from The Boys. Indeed, a good many of the world’s most popular shows have some of the most unlikely X-factors to thank for the volume of their fanbase.

So, for a show like The Last of Us, the HBO Max adaptation of the beloved video game franchise and what’s surely one of the earliest Emmy contenders we’ll get, it was only a matter of time before we were introduced a character (or two, in this case) who would instantly commit a highway robbery on the hearts of fans, and last night’s episode “Kin” did just that in its opening minutes.

“Kin,” the sixth episode of the nine-episode series, opened with Joel and Ellie interrogating an elderly couple, Marlon and Florence, living out in the wilderness, hoping to figure out which direction to head next. It would have been a tense situation if not for the gut-busting back-and-forth that the two newcomers shared with one another during the scene.

Fans ate up every ounce of screentime that these two had, at once proving their status as some of the show’s most quotable characters we’ve gotten so far.

Some extra love was poured out for Elaine Miles, the actress who portrayed Florence, for evoking a unique essence that many first fell in love with during Northern Exposure, a comedy-drama series from the 90s set in a small Alaskan town.

Of course, the Academy Award-nominated Graham Greene, who portrays Marlon, got quite a few shout-outs of his own.

For all the drama and tension we so delectably ate up over the course of “Kin,” we can certainly add Florence and Marlon to the list of the episode’s biggest draws, especially considering the levity they brought to an otherwise heavy show.

The Last of Us is available to stream on HBO Max, with new episodes releasing every Sunday until the season’s conclusion on March 12. A second season has been announced.