Warning: Spoilers for the latest episode of The Last of Us are listed below.
The second episode of The Last of Us said goodbye to a major character. After she was bitten and infected, Tess (Anna Torv) sacrificed herself to give Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey) a chance to escape from a swarm of infected hosts. Although the details surrounding the sacrifice differed, Tess’ death remained constant in both the game and the series. However, The Last of Us creators spoke about the original backstory they planned for Tess on HBO’s The Last of Us Podcast, which included dark and tragic details about the death of her family.
“We wrote it; we never shot it. It was a little bit of a backstory for Tess,” said Mazin. “She had a husband and she had a son, and they were infected and she had to kill them. She killed her husband, but she could not kill the son, she couldn’t do it… Locked him in the basement, where theoretically he’s still a clicker.”
“We had a cold open where we just, where the camera pushed on this door and you just hear this pounding coming from this basement, and then we cut out,” Druckmann added.” Later, Tess would tell the story of how she couldn’t kill her son. Like Craig was saying, it didn’t fit. But it was fun to think about.”
RELATED: The Last of Us Show Creators Explain Changes to the Clickers
The second episode centered around Joel (Pedro Pascal), Ellie (Bella Ramsey), and Tess (Anna Torv) heading toward the Old State House to rendezvous with the Fireflies. The group faced off against two Clickers along the way but eventually killed them after a rigorous battle. However, it came at a price as a Clicker bit Tess, infecting her with the fungus.
Upon reaching the Old State House and seeing the Fireflies are dead, Tess shared the news of her infection with Joel and Ellie. Joel then revealed their location to a nearby swam after he killed an infected host. Left with few choices, Tess sacrificed herself by soaking the area in gasoline and grenades, drawing in the swarm of infected hosts, and igniting the building, killing herself and all the infected. This allowed Joel and Ellie time to escape and continue with their journey.
The Last of Us airs Sunday nights at 9 p.m. ET on HBO.
Would you have wanted to see Tess’s backstory on The Last of Us? Let us know in the comment section below!
Recommended Reading: The Art Of The Last Of Us
We are also a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. This affiliate advertising program also provides a means to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
