Warning! This article contains spoilers for both the game and show of The Last of Us.The Last of Us episode 1 features a time jump from 2003 to 2023, with Joel's brother Tommy seemingly disappearing in the meantime. The 2003 section of The Last of Us features a brief stint of time before the Cordyceps outbreak, with Joel, Tommy, and Sarah living in Texas together. Once the outbreak happens, Tommy is instrumental in helping Joel and Sarah escape, as well as saving Joel's life after Sarah's tragic death.
After this heartbreaking scene, The Last of Us jumps forward 20 years to 2023. Joel is living in the Boston quarantine zone and works as a smuggler with a woman named Tess, portrayed by Mindhunter's Anna Torv. It is quickly made clear that Joel, played by Pedro Pascal, has lost with Tommy (Diego Luna) in the time between 2003 and 2023. That being said, The Last of Us episode 1 offers up some hints of what happened to Tommy after the outbreak.
Why Tommy Isn't In Boston With Joel
Arguably the biggest hint to what happened to Tommy comes in a scene in the latter third of the episode. The scene in question is when Joel and Tess attempt to find Robert and find him dead, thanks to Marlene (Merle Dandridge) and the Fireflies. Joel and Tess question Marlene on why she wants the car battery Robert had that was intended for them, to which Marlene replies she needs it for a better reason than Joel does in HBO's The Last of Us story. She then states that it's her job to know things and that she knows Joel wants the battery to search for Tommy.
Joel then replies, "To know things? You're the cause of it; you turned my own brother against me." This provides the clearest hint at Tommy's time in between the outbreak and 2023. Marlene is the leader of the Fireflies of the Boston area, with Joel obviously holding a grudge against her. This hints that Tommy ed the Fireflies and left Boston to be stationed somewhere else, something Joel clearly disagreed with. This tracks with what is known from the game as well, with Tommy's allegiance to the Fireflies in the game causing him and Joel to grow distant before Ellie's introduction causes Joel to seek out Tommy.
Joel's Search For Tommy Changes His Game Story
One thing that is changed from the game, however, is Joel's search for Tommy. Large portions of The Last of Us episode 1, in 2023 at least, center on Joel and Tess trying to procure a way to search for Tommy. In the game, Joel and Tess come to blows with Robert and meet Marlene simply because Robert stole the duo's guns and sold them to the Fireflies. In HBO's The Last of Us, Robert is selling the duo a car battery in order for them to search for Tommy, a battery that Marlene also needs to transport Bella Ramsey's Ellie out of Boston.
Also, HBO's newest 2023 show makes it clear that Tommy and Joel, while not staying in touch physically, still reassure each other of their safety through a radio. However, Joel and Tess' attempts at getting the car battery are explained by Tommy being radio silent for three weeks. This gives Joel a much greater sense of urgency and desperation than in the game, as he is searching for Tommy to find out if his brother is safe rather than simply tracking down stolen merchandise. Using this to introduce him to Ellie through the Fireflies is one of the better changes The Last of Us has made to its game counterpart.
The Last Of Us' Opening Proves Tommy Will Be Important To The Story
The main reason for this is due to Tommy's character's overall importance to The Last of Us as evidenced by the opening sequence. Having Joel search for Tommy is a great way to subliminally have the latter character as a part of the story even when he is not physically present, something that does not happen in the game, with Tommy largely disappearing between the opening sequence and the last third of the story. With the opening sequence of the show also making Tommy a more prominent part of the story, it is clear that he'll have a big part to play going further into HBO's The Last of Us.
New episodes of The Last of Us release every Sunday on HBO.