The Last Of Us Season 2 Should Unveil Further Layers of One Character's Narrative

Highlights

HBO's The Last of Us TV show can use cross-cutting to simultaneously follow Ellie, Abby, and Tommy in season 2, showcasing Tommy's off-screen revenge adventures.

Expanding on Tommy's actions prior to Ellie's arrival would amplify the revenge storyline and elevate his significance in the narrative. In season 2, it is crucial to grant Gabriel Luna's depiction of Tommy more on-screen presence as it adds intricacy to his persona and strengthens the overarching message advocating against retaliatory justice.

Tommy's journey for revenge, ahead of Ellie, is largely unseen in The Last of Us Part II. However, the HBO TV show adaptation of The Last of Us has the unique opportunity to use cross-cutting in season 2 to follow the simultaneous paths of Ellie, Abby, and Tommy. In the game, Joel's shocking death ignites Ellie's quest for vengeance against the woman responsible, while Tommy embarks on his own vengeful mission. Yet, since the player only experiences the aftermath of Tommy's rampage through Ellie's perspective, the TV series can explore the events leading up to these moments, enhancing the themes of revenge. The first season of HBO's The Last of Us successfully utilized storytelling techniques exclusive to television, bringing depth to the pursuers and introducing Kathleen's ruthless militia. It is expected that the second season will continue to utilize this ability to provide different perspectives, with Tommy's being one of the most crucial to showcase.

The Last Of Us Season 2 Can Show Tommy's Off-Screen Adventures

The Last of Us season 2 presents an opportunity to delve into Tommy's unseen escapades from the game. While Ellie explores Seattle, Tommy has already launched a successful assault on the city, eliminating a significant number of the W.L.F.'s soldiers. The TV show has the freedom to showcase how this transpired. This would mean that the show would have to forgo adapting a few of the game's major moments, such as the shocking revelation that Tommy was the sniper tormenting Abby. However, sacrificing these twists would be worthwhile to grant Tommy a more substantial role in the narrative. The primary focus of The Last of Us Part II is Ellie's quest for revenge and how it ultimately ruins her life. Nevertheless, Tommy has an equal, if not greater, right to avenge Joel's death as his brother, and because he was present when it happened. While Ellie arrived too late to save Joel, Tommy was by his side from the beginning and still failed to rescue him, thus burdening him with immense guilt.

Gabriel Luna, being a wonderful actor, flawlessly embodies the character of Tommy. He captures both the warmth of a family man who welcomes Joel and Ellie into his community and the hardened demeanor of a post-apocalyptic warrior who had to make difficult choices to survive. Luna deserves to be elevated to the main cast for season 2 of the cinematic Last of Us TV show. As Ellie embarks on her journey to find Abby and seek revenge, and Abby becomes entangled in her own adventure with Lev and Yara, the show should dedicate some time each week to follow Tommy's pursuit of Abby. This would provide Luna the opportunity to add further depth to Tommy's character, and his morally ambiguous actions would reinforce the story's underlying message that retaliatory justice is inherently flawed.

The Best Moments From The Last Of Us TV Show Adapt Unseen Story Events

Some of the most memorable moments from the inaugural season of the HBO series delved into story events that occurred off-screen in the game. In the game, the narrative begins on the night of the outbreak, whereas the television show presents Sarah's entire day starting in the morning, attending school, and buying a birthday gift for her father—an emotional twist that amplifies the devastation of her death. Bill and Frank's relationship, only vaguely hinted at in the game through Frank's suicide note discovered by Joel, was masterfully transformed into an exceptional episode of the first season—widely regarded as one of the most visually stunning episodes of television ever produced. The series cunningly portrayed David's facade of being a benevolent leader in front of his followers, allowing his sinister transformation in the steakhouse scene to be even more chilling.

Due to the nature of TV production, the series cannot replicate the same level of action as the games. The constraints of time and budget make it impossible to include as many infected individuals in the TV show as there are in the games. However, this limitation also presents an opportunity for the writers to expand upon details merely mentioned in the games, such as Tommy's quest to avenge Joel. While The Last of Us Part II already granted Tommy a more substantial role than in the first game, the second season of the HBO show can further develop his character. While maintaining a focus on contrasting Ellie and Abby's perspectives, which is the core of the sequel's storyline, Tommy should be given significant prominence and recognition as well.