recontextualizing Tommy | Character Analysis - The Last of Us Part II

what makes you think I'd do this for you this isn't for me Tommy this is for your damn cause my cause is my family now Tommy I need this to have the guys that we would need to do this smart we'd be leaving Jackson vulnerable so they just get to get away with this nobody want what that yeah but that's what's happening well I can't go I know all [Music] right [Music] welcome back to my analysis Series where I study scenes and characters from The Last of Us Part Two in order to deepen our understanding of this story as well as certain facets of Storytelling in general this is now my fourth video essay that I've posted and before we dive in I just want to take a quick moment to thank everyone who has been so supportive of these videos so far I've Loved reading all your comments and I have an evergrowing list of scenes characters and story elements to analyze based on yourest quests your feedback and your engagement has meant a lot to me so thank you today I want to talk about Tommy Miller Joel's younger brother and specifically about the way he behaves in the Farm chapter of the game this scene takes place about a year following the confrontation between Abby and team Jackson at the theater in Seattle and depicts a very different Tommy from the affable and caring man we know and love here he is bitter and mean and I think a lot of people were taken aback by his behavior and especially by the way he talks to Ellie what I'd like to do today is to analyze as a character in order to facilitate an understanding of how he ended up like this because I do think that given everything he has been through and just who he is as a person it makes perfect sense that he would act this way there are three key scenes we will need to analyze in order to recontextualize Tommy but before we jump in I want you to keep in mind the concept of [Music] Honor in times of a crisis a man must be able to fight and Prevail in times of Peace he must be able to care for his family cultivate his mind and serve his community and state civically at all times he must stand ready to serve whatever capacity he has needed this to me is the ideal circumscribing hard virtues and soft virtues into one hole this is the complete man he's a loving husband and father loyal friend and brother and yet would also not just be able to survive but to completely lead into disaster and he could be called up by the military tomorrow to serve without breaking a sweat in boot camp he's good at being a man and he's a good man too I promise you that as you sty to live a code of manhood that encompasses both strength and courage and goodness and virtue you will find true fulfillment in a sense of purpose and pride until next time this is Brett McCay telling you to stay manly as a noun honor can refer to one's adherence to doing what is right a position of high respect or great esteem or a privilege or rare opportunity to obtain pride and pleasure it is a quality that places value on respect Pride loyalty morality nobility and honesty as a verb to honor something can mean to pay deep respect to someone or something or to fulfill an obligation or promise honor and the pursuit of it also happens to be Tommy's driving motivator throughout the Last of Us series as well as his fatal flaw we first encountered Tommy as a young man at the beginning of The Last of Us Part One in the TV adaptation of The Last of Us on HBO they established that Tommy was a war veteran who served in Operation Desert storm also known as the Gulf War Tommy is what we used to call a joiner dreams of becoming a hero so he enlists in the Army right out of high school few months later they ship him off to Desert Storm point is being in the Army didn't make him feel much like a hero given that the HBO adaptation expanded on elements that were hinted at in the games I think it's safe to include some of the details they added in order to analyze the characters game counterparts in retrospect Tommy having a military background makes a lot of sense considering serving the army is usually seen as an honorable occupation especially for a young man raised in the Southern United States and there were other Wars he could have served in during the game's timeline like the Iraq War Tommy serving in the Army would also explain his prowess as a sniper that we witnessed in The Last of Us Part Two and which they also established in the HBO adaptation all this Open Country out here it's turkey shoot I still got my 700 but I found a variable Power Scope sub MOA and head shot those [ __ ] from a half mile out on the night of the ceps outbreak we first got a glimpse of Tommy's moral alignment when he and Joel argued over whether or not to stop and help some civilians see what they need who do you think you're doing keep driving I got a kid Joel so do we we have room keep driving Tommy this is also an introduction to the fundamental difference between the Miller Brothers Tommy's predilection for doing the right thing even if it puts him in danger versus Joel's pragmatism and prioritization of his loved one's safety over everything else as the older brother and as parent Joel has been in the role of protector all his life whereas Tommy the impulsive and Reckless younger brother has only ever had to look out for himself if we think about it in terms of traditional character archetypes Joel would fall into the caregiver category whereas Tommy would be the hero later that night Tommy witnessed his niece Sarah die in Joel's arms this was an extremely traumatic event which would have a profound effect on each of them going forward and would solidify their respective philosophies Joel would become more nihilistic rejecting hope and any obligation to other people people and the greater good in favor of looking out for him and his Tommy on the other hand viewed Sarah's death as a call to action every day the CBI will directly and indirectly claim more lives and Tommy will want to prevent that rather than contribute to it he will want to save people especially since he wasn't able to save Sarah unfortunately Sarah will be the first in a line of people he loves whom he will be unable to save in the Years following Sarah's death Tommy and Joel traveled to Boston together and it's implied in both the games and in the show that they committed terrible acts of violence during that time so uh you kill a lot of innocent people I'll take that as a yes in the HBO adaptation they implied that Tommy and Joel's more ruthless methods were not altogether necessary for their survival but a course of action that they chose out of what they may have thought was necessity at the time we murdered people we survived the only way we knew how but there were other ways we just weren't any good at them the brothers violence supposedly instigated by Joel was traumatizing Tommy he wanted to help people not hurt them and so he joined the fireflies hoping that their anti-oppression movement would better align with his values this didn't sit well with Joel who believed the fireflies initiative to overthrow fedra restore society and cure the infection was futile and he couldn't understand why his brother would risk his life for a doomed cause I was close with his brother Tommy said if I was ever in a jam I could rely on him during his time as a firefly Tom Tommy worked alongside Eugene a deceased member of the Jackson Community and former Firefly who left his family in order to join the revolution they got into some real dark [ __ ] like what he said he blew up a checkpoint at Denver qz killed three soldiers and two civilians after witnessing the fireflies Revolution lead to more violence and death which didn't give Tommy The Honorable heroic feeling he was after he became disillusioned with them too at some point between Tommy joining the fireflies and quitting them he and Joel had a massive argument which would be their last conversation for a decade Tommy saw the world one way I saw the other and that's why he joined the fireflies yeah your friend Marlene promised him hope she talks me to join in the fireflies same mistake he made when he was 18 wants to save the world that kept him busy for a while but just like Tommy he eventually quit that too how was it last time you saw him I believe his last words to me were I don't ever want to see your Goddamn face again somehow Tommy wound up in Wyoming where after meeting his wife Maria and her father Tommy contributed to the founding and development of the settlement of Jackson Tommy and Maria became the unofficial leaders of the town which would become a Utopia in the Wast of the postoutbreak landscape this place gives him a second chance gives us all a second chance The Last of Us is a amongst other things all about people finding something to fight for in this harsh and unforgiving world looking out for people protecting the town and being a leader gave Tommy back his sense of purpose it also gave Tommy an opportunity to make up for his violent past and reconnect with who he truly is an altruistic man who was always searching for a cause that would serve his internal Pursuit Of Honor so uh communism n no I didn't like that it is that literally this is the commune we're Communists creating a place free from violence and depression where people could be safe and live as normal a life as possible is Quite a feat and a noble cause in Jackson Tommy could be part of something bigger than himself and save people like he has always wanted to do in Jackson Tommy found his light and so we have arrived at the first scene we will be looking at more in depth in storytelling the given circumstances are relevant information and events that inform characters actions in a scene in this case the given circumstances include Tommy and Joel's estrangement over the past 10 or so years years as this will be the first one-on-one conversation between the brothers since Tommy left Boston another relevant circumstance is this exchange right beforehand here it's a little faded but still looks pretty good I'm good you sure I mean I've said I'm good a reminder of Sarah was the last thing Joel needed here when there was a walking talking one he was at that point intending to offload onto Tommy Joel's growing attachment M to Ellie was terrifying him because he was afraid of failing her or worse of losing her the way he did Sarah Tess and to a lesser extent Tommy himself on the other hand now that the initial shock of being reunited was wearing off Tommy was wary of Joel's intentions for being there he was probably suspecting that Joel wanted something from him which wasn't entirely Off the Mark a character's desired outcome of a scene is how they want the scene to end or what they want to obtain from their scene partner over the course of the scene the best scenes are often ones where the character respective desired outcomes are opposing each other and each character therefore has to fight for what they want here Joel obviously wants the scene to end with Tommy agreeing to take Ellie the rest of the way to the fireflies Tommy on the other hand wants Joel to demonstrate that he's changed since Tommy last saw him that he's not the violent selfish and nihilistic person Tommy perceived Joel to be now let's analyze the subtext which is the underlying unspoken meaning to any line of dialogue it's quite the crew you got here he the good man this place gives him a second chance gives us all a second chance this line sums up what I was talking about before Jackson has given Tommy a second chance at the kind of life he wants to lead as opposed to the path he was walking with Joel in Boston so why'd you leave Boston I've been on quiet the adventure little brother I reckon he's got something to do with that girl he's got everything to do do with that little girl well go on then Tommy's already on the defensive because he suspects Joel is only there because he wants something from him she's immune immune to what I know I've seen her breathe enough spores to take down a dozen men and nothing I wouldn't have believed it neither but I can show you all right I'll bite why bring her here I supposed to deliver to the fireflies the way I figure they're your boys you finish the job you collect the whole damn payment and at this point Tommy's suspicions have been confirmed I haven't seen a firefly in years but you know where they are now I'm not asking for much Tomy I just want some simple gear enough to set me on my way what makes you think I'd do this for you this isn't for me Tommy this is for your damn cause my cause is my family now this line is probably a slap in the face for Joel Tommy was moving on with his new family and Joel felt left behind by the brother he had only ever tried to protect during a terrifying and dangerous period of time Maria is of course Tommy's family by virtue of them being married but Joel is also Tommy's family and the only blood relative he has left but of course a large theme in the last of a series is how the bond between found family can be just as strong as blood you ain't talking about some walk in the park here Jesus boy have Maria get some of your Born Again friends to do it they got families too the term born again is used by Protestants to describe somebody who has discovered faith in Jesus Christ clearly Joel isn't talking about finding Jesus here but rather the Jackson residents Newfound faith in community humanity and purpose to Joel this lifestyle seems unrealistic naive and unsustainable perhaps he could also be accusing Tommy of playing God by Leading these people towards a path of light a path that Joel himself doesn't believe in Joel scoffs at any semblance of Hope because he has rejected it so absolutely though in meeting Ellie his conviction is beginning to crack Tommy I need this this is the most honest Joel will be in this scene unfortunately because he didn't elaborate further on why he needs Tommy to do this for him Tommy probably assumes it's because Joel doesn't believe in the Firefly's cause and so he simply wants nothing to do with it he is remaining Resolute in his choice to stay in the darkness while Tommy pursues the light in that sense Tommy perceives Joel as not having changed at all in the time they've been apart which which is likely as disappointing as it is frustrating you want some gear sure but I ain't taking that girl off your hands this is how you going to repay me huh repay you for all those goddamn years I took care of us took care that's what you call it I got nothing but nightmares from those years you survived because of me it wasn't worth it because Joel's attempt at honesty didn't work he changed tactics by playing on Tommy's honorable nature Joel kept Tommy alive during those years for better or worse and Tommy knows it this has generated a debt of Honor between them which essentially means a debt that one is morally obligated or HonorBound to repay even if you don't want to judging by the way Joel interacted with Bill earlier on we know he is not above calling in favors when he needs them and Tommy's response is admittedly quite Petty his survival led him to Jackson and to his wife and though Joel may have been the instigator of their violence during those years ultimately Tommy alone is responsible for his own choices and actions I bring you the cure for mankind and you want to play the pissy little brother we ain't back in Boston you lay your hands on me again it won't end well for you the insinuation here is that back in Boston Tommy would have rolled over under Joel's intimidation and is implying that Joel had been physically aggressive towards him before the relationship between the brothers was far from healthy and may even have been abusive it also contains a threat regarding the fact that Joel is an outsider to this community and Tommy has backup if something goes Ary they're now on Tommy's Turf and he will not tolerate being bullied by Joel any longer after this scene the dam was set upon by a group of Bandits the Miller Brothers sprang into action and Joel put his life on the line to defend Tommy his people and his home while they made their way towards where Maria and Ellie were trapped they were coming in from every direction the Maria was like we got to run and so we Dove over these tables and this huge guy blasting with a shot SL Slow Down slow down listen hey hey are you hurt no God damn it this was Tommy realizing what Joel was trying to tell him before the real reason why Joel needed him to take Ellie to the fireflies Tommy was witnessing how Joel had come to care for Ellie combined with the fact that Joel didn't hesitate to protect Tommy from the bandits and the way he reacted when Tommy tried to give him the photo of Sarah it all clicked into place for Tommy at that moment Joel had changed and he was afraid afraid of losing someone he cared about again Tommy was reminded of his brother's grief and Trauma of why Joel is the way he is but he was seeing the protective caregiving Jewel he loved emerge again his brother needed his help and Tommy owed him his life and then some perhaps in a way Tommy blamed himself for Sarah's death for not showing up in time to save her and though he couldn't save Sarah 20 years ago maybe he can make sure Ellie makes it now and in that moment Tommy's needed to do the right thing by honoring his debt to Joel outweighed his responsibility to his found family in Jackson I have to do this I don't know what else to say when Joel eventually changed his mind and decided to take Ellie to the fireflies after all Tommy offered both of them a place within Jackson once their mission was accomplished this was a significant first step in the brother's journey to repairing their relationship as Tommy was offering Joel the same second chance that he felt Jackson had given [Music] him at the end of the last of us part one following Joel's Massacre of the fireflies in Salt Lake City Joel and Ellie returned to Jackson to start a new life with Joel holding fast of the LIE he told Ellie about what really happened at the hospital the prologue of The Last of Us Part Two takes place a few weeks later as Joel and Ellie settled into life in Jackson Joel became unable to Bear the burden of his choice and subsequent lie alone while on patrol with Tommy Joel confided in him about what really happened Jesus Christ Joe what do you [Music] do I saved her God damn that's so that's a lot since Tommy himself used to be a firefly hearing that his brother murdered a bunch of them people he probably knew like Marlene would be a hard pill to swallow I think Tommy had to come to terms with the trolley problem of it all the sacrifice of a cure for Humanity for one person's life as well as the realization that Joel was still capable of the violence and brutality Tommy was all too familiar with then there's the fact that Joel lied to this little girl about what really happened in order to keep her in his life but Tommy also had to weigh all of that against the reason why Joel did it Tommy was witnessing his brother become a parent again and he still bore the traumatic memory of watching Joel's only child die in his arms so I think it's safe to say he could empathize with Joel's choices after all what would he have done if he had been given a second chance to save his niece about what we were talking about earlier I can't say I'd have done different I'll take it to the Grave if I have to this moment between the Miller Brothers is so significant Tommy agreed to share this burden with Joel and to keep it a secret for the rest of his life he understood that Joel made an impossible choice but really only had one option it acknowledging this Tommy also let Joel know that he didn't judge him for it which is huge considering the resentment Tommy felt towards him for their violent and tumultuous path in the director commentary for this game the writers frequently mention the concept of tribalism as a key theme Joel and Tommy are a tribe within a tribe they have a bond that they don't share with anyone else this whole opening sequence demonstrates the brothers have made great strides in repairing their relationship and reestablishing Trust 2 years later we next see Tommy in the finding strings flashback when Ellie was 17 years old anyway this silent treatment man I mean I forget my own birthday if she didn't remind me when it was here we're getting a first Glimpse at potential issues developing between Tommy and Maria because the implication here is that Tommy forgot her birthday and she was icing him out as a response it was clear that something was on Ellie's mind and and so Tommy taught her how to use his sniper rifle in an effort to get her out of her own head for a bit see that sign there red one try hitting that good way to draw them out of wherever they're hiding what the [ __ ] is he doing [ __ ] his luring them to us during this flashback we got more context about the growing Rift between Joel and Ellie Tommy did his best to connect with Ellie and Joel's behalf to gently pry into why she had been so quiet and distant I'm not supposed to say anything but Joel's worried about you there's there's nothing to worry about well I'm sure there isn't but if you don't talk to him he's going to think something's wrong this indicates that Joel had confided in Tommy his concern about Ellie and Tommy was trying to fix it albeit against Joel's wishes though Tommy was well intentioned here triangulating himself in their relationship Joel and Ellie's own little tribe and playing Uncle likely only made Ellie feel more uncomfortable it seems like Tommy and Maria tended to involve themselves in other people's personal matters in an effort to keep the community healthy likely because infighting could put the town at risk unfortunately there are some issues an outside third party just can't fix two more years later the morning after the Jackson Winter Dance Tommy and Joel were sent out on patrol in response to the increasing reports of infected in the area it was then that they discovered a lone young woman cornered by a horde of infected after saving her and escaping the immediate threat Tommy introduced them to her hey I'm Tommy that's Joel what's your name Abby Abby are you okay yeah this was Tommy's attempt to reassure Abby establish trust and put her at ease with their presence after all she's a young woman shaken up and alone with two male strangers doing this was not out of character for Tommy by any means who has on more than one occasion placed altruism over caution and from his perspective he's just rescued a lone kid from a life-threatening situation she also hasn't given him any reason to suspect she's there on nefarious business in fact until he uttered their names she meant no harm towards the brothers at all Tommy of course didn't realize that this act of kindness had just sealed his brother's fate imagine being ambushed overpowered and knocked out only to discover when you wake that your brother had been tortured and murdered while you lay unconscious just feet away from him that night Tommy came to visit Ellie who had shown up at the Chalet and witnessed Joel's death this is the second scene that we will need to analyze and it will be crucial in our understanding of the scene at the farm as far as given circumstances go the scene takes place less than 24 hours after Joel's death Ellie shocked and traumatized has already argued with Maria regarding assembling a crew to seek Vengeance against Abby and Tommy who likely has a concussion from being pistol whipped is stuck in the middle keep in mind also that at this point both Ellie and Tommy know what Joel really did at the Firefly hospital but they might not each know that the other knows and on the first playthrough the player doesn't know that Ellie knows they don't know that we know they know we know when it comes to desired outcomes Ellie clearly wants Tommy to side with her to demonstrate the same determination to get revenge at all costs instead Tommy is here to convince Ellie not to go Maria wants to make sure you're eating she can't stop us this implies that there has already been a discussion about pursuing Joel's killers and Maria has has already expressed resistance to the idea which has obviously not sat well with Ellie maybe they had already had a fight about it the scene between Ellie and Maria the next day definitely contained some already established animosity to have the guys that we would need to do this smart we'd be leaving Jackson vulnerable this is Tommy letting Ellie know that Maria's verdict is final she won't allow multiple of Jackson's Defenders to leave on this dangerous Revenge Quest it also calls to mind Jesse's repeated saying of be smart about it which seems to be a tagline or rule of thumb in Jackson AKA don't be stupid don't take unnecessary risks don't put yourself in danger don't be a hero which ironically is the antithesis to Tommy's sense of honor and almost Reckless pursuit of heroism notice how Tommy can't even look Ellie in the eye here he knew she would be unhappy with this result he himself isn't thrilled with it but he's stuck between a rock and a hard place so they just get to get away with this nobody wants that yeah but that's what's happening what if we get hit by hunters again is this you talking or is this her it's a valid point if it were you or me Joel would be halfway to Seattle already no he wouldn't Tommy knows Joel better than anyone he knows the violence that Joel is capable of but he also knows that first and foremost Joel is a protector and a parent he knows that Joel's primary obligation was to Ellie and her safety as brutal as Joel's past was he never enacted violence for the sake of violence there was always a reason for it usually to protect someone he loved or to ensure their survival Joel wouldn't risk taking Ellie with him or leaving her behind if Tommy had been killed and if it was Ellie that had died he would simply have nothing left to fight for because his purpose had been to keep her alive he absolutely [ __ ] would be well we don't even know for certain that they're from seatt Washington Liberation Front that's what you said was on those patches what if they stole those jackets that's what the wlf move what are you doing in this interview with Laura Bailey she mentioned that in a cut flashback sequence it would have been established that Isaac the leader of the wlf was himself a former Firefly and a friend of aby's fathers this connection with the fireflies could explain how Tommy was familiar with the wlf and knew where they were located it would also mean that he'd already begun to suspect who Abby and her friends were and why they had been looking for Joel Ellie's journal entries will later reveal that she suspected as much too even before she speaks to Nora Tommy knows better than anyone went Joel sacrificed at St Mary's Hospital that night he also knows that Joel had made peace with his choice and didn't regret it and if Ellie died on this dangerous Quest it would render Joel's sacrifice completely pointless you know what I'm leaving tomorrow and if you want to come with me great you have no idea what you're walking into you don't know how large that group is how armed I don't care you can't talk me out of this Tommy is completely torn between Duty and loyalty he wants to go after his brother's killers of course he does but he's also the unofficial leader of a town full of people who rely on him Tommy is struggling with the need to honor his brother versus the life he has carefully constructed for himself his family and hundreds of others over the past several years remember that Jackson is Tommy's light give me a day to talk to Maria okay there's got to be some folks she can spare and if she won't buch well I'll figure something out one day please fine Tommy asking Ellie to wait a day so he can try to convince Maria is a lie he has realized that Ellie is hellbent on going and he also knows that Maria will not budge the only way he thinks he can resolve this is to delay Ellie instruct Maria to detain her and go himself I think this was also Tommy's attempt to protect Ellie from w ing down a violent path that Tommy already has experience in but she hasn't yet been exposed to he's willing to take one for the team so to speak to sacrifice his own purpose and potentially even his soul in order to protect Ellie this in his eyes is the right thing to do the noble thing to do he couldn't save Sarah or Joel but he can honor the Legacy that Joel left behind this is Tommy's true motivation for going to Seattle the next morning Tommy left Maria a note took a horse from the stables and headed out Al to Seattle traveling hundreds of miles to a strange city filled with Waring factions while still freshly grieving the death of his brother of course Ellie and Dena went to Seattle anyway and they spent most of their time there trying to catch up with him on Ellie's first day in Seattle she and Dena came across a scene where Tommy used Nick one of the Salt Lake crew members against another wlf Soldier to extract the code to the gate outside the cavina Hotel this method of interrogation is the same Technique we saw Joel use in part one and we'll later see Ellie attempt Tommy did this this no way that was definitely him he one of the ones that killed Joel since settling in Jackson Tommy had strayed so far from his dark past that Dena who only knew Tommy in the context of Jackson couldn't even fathom him carrying out such brutality as this Tommy's actions are emulating Joel's a sign that he is regressing to his post outbreak years when he and Joel used violence to get what they wanted he and Tommy slow tortured some big fedra General I don't know I I don't buy Tommy doing that though he could do worse what do you mean he and Joel did a lot to survive after the outbreak it's not surprising that Tommy and later Ellie would take a page out of Joel's book in order to avenge him since they both knew the lengths he had been willing to go to to protect his loved ones in fact both of them might think that this was what real love looked like but neither Tommy nor Ellie are similar enough to Joel to be able to adopt his methods without it eventually taking a toll on them neither of them were able to dissociate from the violence it affected them differently this is evidenced by the deterioration of Ellie's mental health that we will witness as well as in what we know of Tommy thus far that he has jumped from cause to cause in an effort to find one that didn't enact senseless violence as a means of achieving their goals which ironically is exactly what he has now doing I know you said Tommy had a rough pass but [ __ ] I know during her time in Seattle Ellie becomes less concerned with Tommy's whereabouts and more concerned with aby's Tommy eventually becomes Ellie's scapegoat for remaining in Seattle and continuing to hunt the Salt Lake crew despite the fact that Dena is pregnant H we know her location maybe Tommy does too I can't just leave Tommy he's out here because of me on Ellie's thirdd day she and Jesse overheard our WF radio call reporting a sniper at the marina Jesse wanted to head straight there convince the sniper they mentioned was Tommy that Ellie wanted to continue on to the aquarium in pursuit of Abby she and Jesse parted ways here with Jesse finally seeing Ellie's true motivations simultaneously in aby's perspective the sniper of course did turn out to be Tommy himself as Abby and Manny pursued Tommy through the fairy terminal Tommy killed Manny shooting him through the eye Tommy had likely been specifically targeting Manny who was sent to the marina to retrieve boats for that night's raid on seraphite island and happened to catch a glimpse of his main target at the same time at Abby however after a brief fight Abby overpowered Tommy with the help of Yara who stabbed him in the side and Tommy fell into the ocean beneath the Pier from there we can deduce that Tommy surfaced somewhere and ran into Jesse who had gone to the marina to find him Jesse must have told him that Ellie had gone to the aquarium and so the two of them rushed to find her there when they arrived Ellie had already killed Mel and Owen and had just discovered that Mel was pregnant fun fact the muffled voice that Ellie hears here isn't actually Tommy it's Joel [Applause] who whoa whoa whoa whoa hey Tommy pulled Ellie away from the gruesome scene still limping from the Stab Wound Yara had inflicted on him back at the theater Jesse and Tommy were planning their route home when Ellie arrived Tommy misread her silence as guilt for what she had done to Mel and Owen but really she was upset that they were leaving without having found Abby they got what they deserved but she gets to live yeah is that okay it has to be remember that Tommy's main motivation for being in Seattle was to prevent Ellie from going until Jesse found Tommy Tommy would have had no idea that Ellie Jesse and Dena were in Seattle now that he knows Ellie is there and there're together again the best way for Tommy to protect her is to take her home seven of the eight Salt Lake crew m members are dead three of the four members of Team Jackson are injured or sick they didn't find Abby at the aquarium and they have no other leads to her whereabouts it's time to go but then of course you know this happens hands up back away from your [ __ ] I said back up it making a big mistake don't [ __ ] turn around love keep your bow on him get on the ground you don't kill me like a coward you [ __ ] people Jesse stand up hands in the air I shoot this one too don't you do it Ellie get out of here stand up now Mo your [ __ ] dare shut the [ __ ] up [ __ ] all right stop stop T your weapon toss your weapon [ __ ] no no I know why you killed Joel he did what he did to save me there is no cure because of me I am the one that you want just let him go you killed my friends we let you both live and you wasted it get off of her I used to be an adventurer like you then I took an arrow in the knee once again Abby had overpowered him once again Tommy was helpless while another person he cared about [Music] died now implicit in this twofold notion of honor is that it depends on the opinion of others you can have a sense of your own honor but that isn't enough others must recognize your honor for it to exist being the sole judge of your worth skill and manhood leads to narcissism and mediocrity you know a trophy means nothing if you make it yourself and then give it to yourself and you can't declare yourself to be an Olympic champion no one would recognize that other people have to recognize that you we like to flatter ourselves and feel like we're better men than we are and that's why we need men to compete against to keep us accountable thus honor isn't just an interstate but it's your reputation as judged by one's peers now Abby attacking team Jackson at the theater changed everything there's a reason why both the midpoint and the climax of the game take place during this sequence all of the characters were irrevocably Changed by this encounter and it switched up everybody's motivations originally Tommy's main driver was to honor Joel by doing what he thought Joel would want to keep Ellie safe he was also motivated by his own desire for justice and on a deeper level his need to do the noble or heroic thing but Tommy was unsuccessful in every goal that he set out to Seattle with instead he was overpowered again Ellie was beaten nearly to death and Tommy sustained life-changing permanent injuries at the hands of the very person he had spent days if not weeks hunting to no avail and there is nothing Honorable in any of that in the HBO adaptation one of the reasons Joel asked Tommy to take Ellie to the fireflies is because he's not the Unstoppable survivalist he once was he is getting older he's deaf in one ear and his instincts aren't as sharp he fears that his shortcomings in that regard will prevent him from adequately protecting Ellie and might even get her killed when Abby attacked Tommy at the theater that was the third time she or her crew had overpowered him and the third time he'd been left helpless while someone he cared about died in addition to re-traumatizing him this was likely a hit to his ego as well as a reminder that his skills aren't what they used to be after all Tommy is in his early 50s and he has been fighting trained soldiers more than half his age the shame Tommy feels towards himself for having failed so spectacularly in Seattle as well as his injuries being a permanent reminder of those failures likely generated a lot of self-hatred during the year-long time Jump between the theater and the farm now Tommy's motivation is to reinstate his own honor to prove to himself and everyone else that he is still competent and capable of being an honorable man who pays his debts and settles scores and so we have arrived at the third and final scene we will be analyzing today the given circumstances include everything I just mentioned about what Tommy has gone through over the past year Ellie and Dena left Jack when Ellie was no longer able to Bear living there and have settled in a farmhouse with their son JJ we also know that Ellie is suffering from PTSD and is having flashbacks to the day Joel died we don't know however whether Tommy is aware of that or how often they see each other he shows up at the farm with a tip about aby's location possibly the first he's had after a year of searching as far as a desired outcome goes He likely expects Ellie to jump up and go immediately to make good on her promise to him and to be as eager for Abby to be dead as he is on the other hand Ellie's desired outcome is a bit more difficult to discern especially since she is more reactive in this scene it could be that she simply wants this conversation to be over however I think Ellie actually had a deep subconscious need Satisfied by Tommy's visit maybe she was hoping he would tell her where Abby was Ellie's journal entries which the player will read after this conversation Express her deep unhappiness the somatic symptoms of her trauma being unable to meet dena's needs as a partner and generally feeling suff ated by life on the farm maybe what she needed from Tommy was a reason to leave the writer suggests that at this point Ellie may be suicidal she has been looking for a way out a reason to risk her life for a year and now she finally has it as I mentioned before usually the best scenes are ones where the character's desired outcomes are at odds with each other in this scene their desired outcomes are actually aligned Tommy wants Ellie to go and deep down Ellie does want to go too or at least she feels she has to where the conf comes from is Ellie's hesitation and dena's interference Ellie is torn between doing what she desires to do on a visceral level versus her obligation to Dena and JJ in this way her and Tommy's motivations have completely switched from the scene between them following Joel's death with dena's position marrying Maria's in that scene they both wanted to go but Tommy was torn and Ellie was incensed by his reluctance in this scene it's the other way around ow ow that's quite you got there hey Tommy there you are here let me take him come here bud oh yeah here oh I got it I got it hey hey it's good to see you you too he's getting heavy no he's just a big ball of muscle Town's good Maria good oh she's fine we uh we're taking some time apart AKA Maria left him I'm sorry we talked about it a lot and uh yeah what we both want so we know that Tommy and Maria are not the best at communicating with each other as evidenced by Tommy's inability to explain his decisions to her in part one Maria's apparent use of the silent treatment that he tells Ellie about in the finding strings chapter and the fact that he wrote her a letter prior to going to Seattle rather than talking about it with her I would not be surprised if communication between them had been even worse since Tommy returned from Seattle especially due to his Newfound obsession with revenge and the fact that he had betrayed her by going at all Tommy going to Seattle was the second time we had seen him circumvent Maria's wishes and put himself and by extension Jackson at risk given his and Maria's poor communication Tommy's repeated prioritization of his own need to be a hero over Jackson and his marriage and Tommy's increasingly volatile nature it's unsurprising that their relationship didn't work out it's also unsurprising that Tommy minimizes this in front of Ellie and Dena whom Tommy perceives as having a good and healthy relationship perhaps he's reluctant to be vulnerable in front of them or to draw attention to the fact that while they've been living what he thinks is a comfortable life on the farm his life back in Jackson has been falling apart okay come sit I got something to show you so I've been putting out feelers for months now and this new guy heard my story he told me about a woman that he traded with while he was moving through California described her as built like an ox traveling with a kid with scars across his face he said they're living along this Coast in a beach sailboat right here that's got to be her quite simply the subtext to this is I found her now go get her we're done with that so Dina inserts herself into the conversation to draw a boundary both on Ellie's behalf and also to protect their family and their relationship Dena specifically said we are done with that which could imply they have discussed it and mutually agreed that they or she would not pursue this Vendetta any further it somewhat takes the blame directly off of Ellie too since Dena asserts that this was a family decision rather than one she made on her own it is also a warning for Tommy Dena doesn't like where this conversation is going and knows Ellie will likely find it triggering okay I'm [Music] sorry well I can't go I know this is Ellie acknowledging what this means that Abby will get away again and the lead will run dry they will be leaving Joel unavenged and her promise to Tommy is broken and Tommy is looking at her like what are you doing all right rean it's easy forget about her you sitting all comfy way out here hey this is a bitter accusation coming from a place of pain as we have discussed Tommy's life has fallen apart since returning from Seattle but Ellie from his perspective has a beautiful partner and baby no lasting physical injuries and a peaceful home out in the country Tommy could perceive Ellie as thriving while he is drowning he's also witnessing her make the choice he couldn't make to honor her responsibility to her family her choices are making him feel insecure about his own I'll make her pay Tommy that's what you said when we got back to Jackson Tommy Tommy is reminding Ellie of the promise she made to him that she'd make Abby pay but this time it wouldn't just be for Joel's death it would be for everything else for killing Jesse for permanently disabling Tommy for Ming Ellie and Dena and for ruining their lives and walking away again what a joke this was an intentionally hurtful way for Tommy to end this conversation the joke I think he's referring to is Ellie's Behavior which he perceives to be dishonorable giving up breaking promises and being a coward Tommy had sacrificed his own family and risked his own life for Ellie's sake and now she won't return the favor so not only has she broken a promise she isn't repaying a debt and we know that as an honorable person Tommy takes promises and debts very seriously can you take him please yeah here I got you I got you hey what the [ __ ] was that nothing God damn it Tommy you know what we've been through I'll save it she made me a promise I don't [ __ ] care with Tommy and Dena out of the room we can see Ellie's subconscious desire begin to surface she is tempted by the tip by the map that Tommy Left Behind which indicates aby's location she is taking on all the guilt shame and blame that Tommy just lobbed at her and internalizing it she has been secretly looking for a way out for a year and now she has it by refusing to go after Abby Ellie has extinguished any hope Tommy had of affirming his own selfworth and evoking a sense of meaning in his life Tommy has become who Joel was before he met Ellie someone with nothing left besides a fragile sense of purpose and when that is threatened he reacts badly as we have witnessed from Tommy before when Tommy feels guilty about his own choices and actions he tends to lash out and blame someone else for them projecting his own shortcomings onto Ellie is an outlet for all the shame and anger he feels towards himself for having failed he failed to avenge his brother he failed to protect Ellie he failed in his marriage and he failed as a leader of Jackson and in that failure he has Dishonored himself his family and his community this is probably the furthest from a hero he has ever felt by relentlessly pursuing the reinstatement of his honor he has forsaken the other parts of his life which once gave him purpose his brother is still dead Ellie left town and his marriage fell apart due to his injuries his inability to walk and being blind in his shooting eye he likely can't go on patrol and protect Jackson like he used to splitting up for Maria likely cost him his position as a leader in Jackson considering the town was originally her and her father's initiative and so he has also lost the thing that gave him purpose Tommy has lost everything he hasn't been able to save anyone for all his Goodwill and out truism and so perhaps he has also lost hope that a pacifistic life and a path of light is possible he is once again lost in the darkness he literally has nothing left besides the possibility of killing the person he holds responsible for all of it because if she is dead then all of this everything he has sacrificed and lost wouldn't be for nothing after all we've been through everything that I've [Music] done it can't be for nothing Tommy's fate serves as a warning for how Ellie could end up if she follows in his footsteps if she continues to intertwine her own sense of purpose with Joel rather than to Define it for herself all right that's it dishonor dishonor on your whole family make a note of this dishonor on you dishonor on your cow the idea that anyone's actions can be unequivocally good or Honorable in this world is continually challenged in this story especially since honor is subjective and inherently selfish one person's seemingly honorable act could be destroying someone else's life we see this in Joel's choice to Doom Humanity to save Ellie Ellie's desperation to avenge Joel to ease her own sense of guilt aby's Act of Justice resulting in the deaths of all her friends Tommy's savior complex and on a more micro level in the finding strings flashback Adam and Sydney were a pair of runaway teenagers who fled Jackson in an effort to help survivors in the area in their goodbye letter they claimed that they felt guilty for living comfortably in Jackson while people out in the wild suffered but no good deed ever goes unpunished in this world and it wasn't long before they both succumb to the harsh realities of the post CBI landscape leaving their families behind to [Music] grieve trauma both psychological and physical can permanently alter one's brain chemistry I think an element that frequently goes overlooked or underappreciated when discussing Tommy is the extent of his injuries and the toll they have taken on his body and mind head injuries like the one Tommy sustained can lead to personality changes including increased agitation and aggression and a tendency to be self-centered all of these are symptoms that we witness in the scene at the farm considering everything Tommy has been through and all he has lost from his sense of purpose and identity to the only family he had left it's not surprising that at the end of it all he is almost an unrecognizable shell of the man he used to be both Tommy and Ellie believe that killing Abby will ease the pain of the psychological burden they're both carrying will ensure that their suffering isn't for nothing but it won't in a perfect world they would rest and undergo lots and lots of therapy but they don't live in a world where that's possible they don't have access to healthy coping mechanisms and treatments and they don't have the foresight and hindsight that we do as an audience and underneath all their pain trauma guilt and shame there is still grief grief for the people they used to be and the life they used to have even if it wasn't perfect grief for the man who brought them together and then left them behind and grief for their relationship which has been irreparably damaged by this confrontation complicated grief is defined as being an ongoing heightened state of mourning that keeps you from healing throughout the Last of Us Part Two Ellie demonstrates almost all of the symptoms of having complicated grief including but not limited to intense sorrow pain and rumination over the loss of a loved one numbness or Detachment feeling that life holds no meaning or purpose inability to enjoy life or think back on positive experiences with your loved one trouble carrying out normal routines isolating from others and withdrawing socially depression deep sadness guilt or self-blame believing you did something wrong or could have prevented the death feeling like life isn't worth living without the loved one wishing you had died alongside your loved one Tommy demonstrates a lot of these symptoms too and the others could be inferred I think some players of this game have a tendency to acknowledge only the feelings and experiences of Joel and Ellie without equally considering those of the other characters in the story and how they have been impacted by the events this is especially true for Tommy Dena and of course Abby and her crew one of the main messages of this game is that everyone has a story and a perspective and there is always an explanation for how they behave even if what they do or say is not fair rational or easily comprehensible to you a lot of the stronger negative reactions to this game amongst other things are due to a cognitive bias called the fundamental attribution error which essentially means that we as humans attribute our own behavior and by extension the behavior of the characters we play as in games to the context and the situation we are in but we attribute other people's behavior to their character if someone behaves rudely you think that they are a rude person but if you behave rudely you know that that's not who you really are we're so quick to judge other people as bad even though they are just like us human beings who are trying to get through their day making mistakes as they go the next time that you catch yourself judging another person pause and say to yourself what circumstances are they in right now that might be affecting their behavior are they stressed ill lacking support navigating a major challenge in their lives if so think about a time that you were in a similar situation and how you might have acted I bet you'll be able to find some new compassion for them thank you so much for watching this video If you enjoyed it please interact with it as it help helps me out a lot and let me know in the comments which scene you'd like me to analyze next follow me on Tik Tok and X for more Last of Us content and until next time endure and [Music] survive

Channel: TLOU Explained

Views: 121,288

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Id: lSsq2eJT4tQ

Length: 54min 20sec (3260 seconds)

Published: Mon Apr 08 2024