The Last of Us TV series isn’t afraid to experiment and deviate from the source material to expand its story and characters. The inevitable death of Joel finally happened in Season 2, Episode 2, and Episode 3 did a good job of portraying the main characters grieving the old man’s death. While this episode lays the foundation for Ellie’s vengeful journey, it also alters the storyline of one of the main characters. It is none other than Joel’s brother, Tommy Miller.
Spoilers Warning:
This post contains spoilers about Tommy’s character in The Last of Us Part 2 video game and season 2 of the TV show, so proceed with caution.
Tommy’s Storyline in The Last of Us Part 2 Game
In The Last of Us Part 2 video game (review), Tommy paid a visit to Ellie‘s home right after Joel’s unexpected death at the hands of Abby. Tommy was concerned about Ellie’s future actions, fueled by anger. Worried about her safety, Tommy tried to talk her out of this revenge quest, but Ellie was hellbent on revenge and getting justice for Joel’s death. So, Tommy pleaded with Ellie to spare him one day to convince Maria to put together a squad to take down those who killed Joel.
In the video game, in a sudden turn of events, it is revealed that Tommy headed out to Seattle before Ellie. Tommy was torn apart by his brother’s death and wanted revenge. At the same time, he didn’t want to leave Jackson vulnerable by grabbing their best patrolmen for this mission. Hence, he wrote a letter to his wife and set out to get justice all on his own.
Maria. I’m headed to Seattle. I wish I could let it go, but I can’t. I have to bring these people to justice. Ellie’s going to try to come after me but stop her. Take her guns. Lock up the horses. Maybe lock her up. Buy me some time so I can end this. Love you always – Tommy
Moreover, he didn’t want Ellie to go down the same path he had, so he urged his wife to find a way to convince Ellie to stay in the town. However, there was no way one could stop Ellie and talk her out of this. Therefore, Ellie and Dina set out for Seattle on a retaliation mission, and the duo would eventually come across all the terrible things Tommy had to do to find his brother’s killers.
Tommy’s Story Rewritten for The Last of Us Season 2
Meanwhile, in The Last of Us TV show, there is a three-month time-skip after Joel dies. The show approaches the calm before the storm moment drastically differently from the video game. Jackson Town gets breached by the infected, which didn’t happen in the game. As one of the town’s council members, Tommy helps to rebuild the ravaged town. In the meantime, he does want to get justice for his brother, but he aims to tackle this situation smartly instead of being driven by his emotions.
Similar to the game, Tommy is distressed about Ellie’s well-being and safety. Tommy talks with the therapist, Gail (Eugene’s wife), about Ellie’s actions, and this is where he spills out that he doesn’t want Ellie lashing out like his brother. While the show pretty much followed the route of the game with minor changes up until this point, the showrunners decided to keep Tommy in Jackson.
The creators introduced us to Tommy’s son recently, and with Jackson Town being vulnerable, it is understandable that Tommy chooses to stay by his family’s side. Still, it feels underwhelming as the showrunners are wasting the potential of Tommy’s character.
TLOU Part 2 video game didn’t have the time to focus more on Tommy’s story, as it was busy with Ellie and Abby‘s intertwined story. So, I wanted to see Tommy’s character properly fleshed out and get his time to shine in the live-action adaptation.
However, this unwelcome change of keeping Tommy locked up in Jackson Town leaves the fans like me (who played the game beforehand) disappointed. Still, not all hope is lost. There is a chance that Tommy might go after Ellie and Dina, who just set out on a revenge quest in the recent episode. But this change will also affect the story significantly, as Tommy’s actions heavily drive the plot.
Spoilers for TV show fans! But Tommy comes back to convince Ellie to get her revenge in the climax of the TLOU 2 game, even though she has given up on the fight and settled with Dina. However, we have to wait and see how these changes add up and whether they will result in the same fate as the game.
In the meantime, let us know your thoughts about changes to Tommy’s character in the comments below.
Aparna Ukil
