HBO’s highly-anticipated adaptation of the 2013 game,The Last of Usdebuted on July 21, 2025. Six episodes have come out so far andThe Last of Ushas broken several viewership records already. It beat HBO’s beloved hard-fantasy drama,House of the Dragon’s streaming numbers, and continues to soar as a successful video-game adaptation.
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The Last of Usfeatures multi-faceted characters with incredibly rich dialogues. One such example is Joel’s smuggling partner, Tess. With her no-nonsense attitude, she manages to stand out in the show. She also has thoughtful pieces of dialogue to her credit that perfectly represent her character.
10"Now, Your Sh*t Has Pretty Much Ruined My Week, And I’d Like To Go Home And Drink Till My Face Stops Hurting."
Tess is introduced as a smuggler and Joel’s partner in the second half ofThe Last of Usseason 1, episode 1, “When You’re Lost in the Darkness.” She and Joel live together in a QZ under the military rule of the Federal Disaster Response Agency (FEDRA).
Tess is first seen in a chair, held captive by a man named Robert who’s ripped her off by selling the truck battery that she paid for to someone else. He won’t let her go because he fears a reaction from Joel. When Tess finally loses patience, she demands that they forget about the whole deal, and he let her go home. She has grown intoone ofThe Last of Us' best survivorsand doesn’t care for the likes of thugs like Robert.
9"I Am Not A Firefly!"
Survivors like Tess who have managed to stay alive since the outbreak day aren’t scared of anything. Once Robert lets her out, she’s caught in a crossfire between one ofThe Last of Us' strongest human groups, FEDRA, and the rebel militia, Fireflies.
Unaware that she’s going to be mistaken for a rebel, Tess raises her hands above her head and walks toward armed FEDRA officers. As they restrain her, she repeatedly yells that she’s not a Firefly. Tess' bravery makes it clear that she isn’t afraid to look death in the eye. She has been cheating death since the day of the outbreak.
8"It’s A Miracle Any Of Us Are Alive."
Tess says this when Joel tends to her injuries. Tess returns home after taking a beating from Robert’s men and FEDRA officials. She is tough and relentless, and when Joel points out she’s miraculously survived the assault, she, in turn, points out the obvious.
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Just like Joel, Tess is hardened by the loss of her previous life. She lives in a dingy apartment with Joel, works odd jobs to make a living, and smuggles illegal contraband on the side.
7"Now I Promised Robert That You Wouldn’t Hurt Him. But I Would Very Much Like For You To Hurt Him."
While there seems to be a wedge between Tess and Joel (due to their battered state of affairs), it’s clear that they trust each other whenever there’s trouble. She tells him everything from Robert’s men hitting her to being in a FEDRA lockup all day.
Joel (Pedro Pascal)is furious after Tess tells him that Robert has sold their car battery to someone else. She wants him to take a breath and think things through because she fears an overreaction from him. Joel reiterates he needs the battery because he wants to get to his brother, Tommy sooner than later. Tess then suggests they find out about Robert quietly and get their battery back.
6"This Has Been Construction Corner With Joel Miller."
Joel and Tess are trying to get to Robert through a subway. As they make their way up the ladder, Joel’s experience as a contractor comes into play. They have to maneuver their way through a narrow space which reminds Joel the apartment sizes were cut down in the ’80s to sell more condos.
Without missing a beat, Tess makes a funny comment about Joel’s past work life. It’s a rare moment inThe Last Of Uspremiere that’s otherwise filled with ghastly scenes and grim faces.
5"So, This Is Who Robert Screwed Us Over With? The Che Guevara Of Boston?"
As it turns out, Robert sold a dead battery to Joel and Tess and to the leader of the Fireflies, Marlene. Tess, who has the predisposition to use sarcasm to convey contempt, compares Marlene to the Argentine revolutionary, Che Guevara.
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The scene establishes that Tess' character picks her moments and knows her jokes well. Her humor obviously isn’t ha-ha funny, it’s dark, and that’s something that perfectly complementsThe Last of Us' grim setting. Later, Ellie, whose game version figures amongthe best gaming successors, takes her place as the show’s vehicle for comedic relief.
4"What Was Marlene Doing With An Infected Kid?"
After Tess sees Ellie’s bite mark, she wants to know what Marlene was doing with an infected kid. Ellie (Bella Ramsey) retorts back saying she isn’t infected and that nobody lasts more than a day.
Ellie explains Marlene found her after she was bitten, and she was locked up and tested every day to check if she was getting sick. Tess forces Ellie to reveal everything about her, beginning with why she is so important to Marlene. She looks Ellie dead in the eye and demands to know why the Fireflies are so invested in her.
3"Joel And I Aren’t Good People. We’re Doing This For Us Because Apparently, You’re Worth Something."
When Ellie refrains from giving Joel and Tess a clear answer about why she’s important to Marlene, Tess walks up to her and tells her why they agreed to cargo her in the first place.
Earlier, Joel and Tess run into an argument over their concerns about Ellie’s bite mark. Tess thinks Ellie making it through the night means something and Joel says she’s going to be infected sooner or later. Tess has developed a thick skin, and she means business with Ellie. That of course is going to change as she spends more time with the kid.
2"Wow, You Got Some Balls On You Sister."
Tess is pretty much awed after hearing Ellie’s backstory. Though she is doubtful about Ellie being some potential cure tothe Cordyceps infection, she goes along with it because there is a big reward in it for her and Joel.
Ellie says she snuck into a mall, explains how she’s an orphan, and that nobody is going to come after her. Tess admires her strength of character and courage after learning she’s only fourteen. This scene and a couple more help them warm up to each other until their separation in the climax ofThe Last of Usseason 1, episode 2, “Infected.”
1"This Is Your Chance. You Get Her There, You Keep Her Alive And You Set Everything Right."
Ellie is the first person to realize Tess is bitten when she insists on staying and refuses to return to Boston. Tess compares her bite mark to Ellie’s and believes the kid could be the cure to the infection because she’s immune to it.
Tess suggests Joel take Ellie to aninterestingThe Last of Uscharacter, Frank, and his partner, Bill. She’s running out of time, and they are under attack from the infected. Joel agrees and as the infected start coming towards them, Tess sacrifices herself inThe Last of Usepisode 2’s climax and lets Joel and Ellie escape.
