The second episode of The Last of Us has hit screens, and viewers are conflicted about the most recent character death.
It seems as though fans didn’t know what to make of the way the show chose to kill off Tess.
A little over a week ago, audiences were introduced to the HBO Max series, which is the first live-action adaptation since the video game wowed audiences way back in 2013.
Just like the games, the series is set in a post-apocalyptic world ruled by an unstoppable, brain-eating, fungal outbreak that transforms humans into cannibals.
The writers have been commended for honouring the original source material, which rapidly gathered a devoted fan base when it first came out. The engaging storylines, impressive visuals, and music propelled it to its massive success.
Joel, portrayed by Pedro Pascal, is a ruthless smuggler who is responsible for transporting the young teen Ellie Williams (Bella Ramsey) to a medical facility situated on the opposite side of the country after it turns out she’s immune to the infection, leading him to believe she could hold the cure to the deadly parasite.
The Last of Us premiered on January 15, and has been met with rave reviews from both critics and fans, resulting in an unbelievable score of 99 percent on Rotten Tomatoes.
It’s clear the show is going down well with viewers, and many have taken to social media to share their thoughts…
One wrote: “I’ve been a big The Last of Us fan for years and know the story beats, but nothing in the video game introduced such scary foreboding dread than the opening scene of the show.”
While another tweeted: “As a fan of The Last of Us series for years, I have to say this adaption from the pilot alone has to be one of the best I’ve seen in ages & I just know this is going to be one of the best pieces of TV this year. I really loved it.”
Some are even claiming the show is better than the games.
The show has stuck to the gameplay religiously, in parts, recreating scenes frame by frame. And it has really paid off, as original fans are loving seeing the story come to life in a different way.
However, when it came to Tess’ death in the second episode, the creators veered away from the source material, giving her a more emotional final scene and it seems not everyone was impressed with the move…
Fans already had to say goodbye Sarah Miller in the first episode, who is a pivotal character, and one that fans felt a deep connection with in such a short amount of time. But due to her death being identical to the game, most were impressed with the way the show pulled it off.
Tess’ death this week was slightly different, Joel and Ellie team up with hardened survivor Tess, and all three set off on a mission to transport Ellie to their next destination before heading to the quarantine zone.
Sadly, we learn that Tess has been infected, and she chooses to sacrifice herself so that Joel and Ellie can escape the infected area and carry on with the mission.
What made viewers slightly conflicted was the was the show portrayed Tess’ death, as before she sets off the bomb she planted to wipe out the infected, we get our first glimpse of a clicker, and the bizarre “kiss” it shares with Tess before the area is wiped out.
After watching the latest episode, one viewer wrote: “Her death was PERFECT and the ‘kiss’ scene, the Infected recognising her as Tess as one of their own and finishing the job with a kiss like ITS A KISS HELLO A WELCOME INTO THE FOLD IT’S SO INTENSE AND SCARY AND POETIC,”
While a second added: “Tess’ death and sacrifice being a million times more emotional than in the game.”
However, a third disagreed, commenting: “Changing Tess’ death […] def took away any emotional impact that was supposed to have like why is she not standing her ground and submitting to the Infected and kissing it like so unserious.”
