This post contains details from Season 2, Episode 3 ofHBOsThe Last of Us.
I think part of me knows that shes going to go.
DEADLINE: Theres a lot of emotional heavy lifting in this episode.
‘The Last Of Us’HBO
How did you start to understand where Tommys headspace would be in the months after losing his brother?
I cant say that I wasnt excited about all the action and wasnt anticipating that.
Its only him thats there.
It was a really interesting night.
It was a nice shoot.
The streets were eerily empty.
They were real streets.
We were in the Jackson set that we built outside, and which was several city blocks of Jackson.
The moment Im in that room, there was something kind of truthful about the whole thing.
He just experienced his own trauma with the attack on Jackson.
His brother is dead.
Hes become somewhat of a caretaker for Ellie overnight.
How did you reflect on all of that while shooting?
I think theres a lot going on.
Number one, hes an instrumental part of the rebuild.
So hes thinking about the community at large.
So in the game, Tommys like, Im Tommy.
We changed all that, because Neil and Craig are brilliant and adaptive people.
Theres a lot of guilt now for Tommy having not been there.
Between he and Ellie, [Bella and I] already have this really beautiful relationship.
I love Bella and care for them so much.
So it was easy to play all that.
Theres the awareness of that within the characters.
Theres also the adult that Ellie is.
I know how capable she is.
But can I protect her?
Can I protect her from herself?
In the game, Tommy goes by himself first and they follow him.
Theres also not any sort of council vote about whether to send a crew.
LUNA:I mean, Tommy votes yes, and hes ready to ride out with her.
I think part of me knows that shes going to go.
Surrender to the events as they play out.
I think theres something to it.
Theres something to Tommy kind of releasing.
At that point, every choice is going to start being made for us, unfortunately, I think.
DEADLINE: In that conversation with Gail, she calls Ellie a liar.
Tommy really bristles at that and tries to defend her.
Do you think he can come to terms with that characterization of Ellie?
LUNA:Shes my family.
Shes talking about my family, and I know the goodness in her, but Gail knows the truth.
Thats kind of what I went there to see.
I think its just a lot of that kind of gut reaction of family looking after family.
DEADLINE: Joel was always a protector of his family and the people he loved at all costs.
I think its just extremely confusing time for him.
Personally, hes not well equipped for it.
Hes somebody who lives to serve.
I think Joel calls him a follower in the first season.
I think thats from Joels point of view.
He says that from a place of hurting, because of the fact that his brother left him.
So hes like, Well, my brother left me because he went to follow something else.
But, in truth, I think what Tommys all about is service.
Thats why he joined the the military.
Thats why he is on the Security Council.
Thats why he serves his wife as her kind of right hand.
For somebody who has that instinct and now hes devoted to Ellie and to being the paternal figure.
Hes now inherited her, and he needs to be there for her.
I think thats very confusing and very hard for him.
DEADLINE: Anything else that you wanted to add?
LUNA:I love the Ellie-Dina dynamic and where thats going.
It makes those choices even heavier and weightier.
But then within that is all these really beautiful, subtle moments that Bella and and Izzy put together.
