Warning: The following article contains spoilers for all three episodes of The Last of Us.
We’re just three episodes into HBO’s jaw-dropping television adaptation in The Last of Us, and the post-apocalyptic drama is already creating waves in the realm of TV and providing plenty of tear-jerking moments. And after the third episode aired on Sunday night — an episode that split the majority of critics and viewers directly in half — wide-eyed fans are beginning to look further into several unanswered questions about the show’s popular characters. Of course, one of these characters that has drawn immense interest would be Joel Miller (Pedro Pascal) — a sarcastic smuggler that is assigned the task of transporting Ellie Williams (Bella Ramsey) across the United States.
But before Joel and Ellie fully set out on their journey — which is arguably set to really begin in the upcoming fourth episode — passionate fans (and we here at WGTC) have confidently composed a list of things that we’ve yet to learn about Joel. From his past history to the complexities of his modern-day circumstances, there are plenty of question marks surrounding Joel’s narrative.
Why and how did Joel and Tommy get split up?
During the second half of the show’s debut episode, fans learn that brothers Joel and Tommy have gone their separate ways — with Joel now in Boston years after the death of his daughter, Sarah (Nico Parker), while Tommy is in Wyoming. In the third episode, Joel reveals to Ellie that Tommy was a former member of the Fireflies — a rebellious group that goes against the totalitarian system instrumented by FEDRA. However, Joel insists that Tommy might be in trouble, seeing as he hasn’t responded to any of Joel’s recent radio messages. And while the two brothers were together during the start of the Cordyceps breakout, we’ve yet to understand why the two ever separated in the first place — but perhaps we’ll get our answer soon.
Were Joel and Tess in a relationship?
Despite spending most of their days together as smugglers and thieves, it’s never exactly stated if Joel and Tess (Anna Torv) were in a romantic relationship. Of course, they shared common survival skills, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that the two were romantically involved or in love with each other. And yet, when Ellie makes the slightest mention of Tess in Joel’s presence, Joel insists that they never share personal information or talk about Tess ever again. In that same vein, it makes perfect sense why Joel wouldn’t want to talk about Tess after her death — for the simple fact that he cared for, and maybe even loved her. Perhaps we’ll get further information about their dynamic somewhere down the line, but for now, there’s no denying that Joel likely cared for Tess in a deeper way.
How did Joel get to Boston?
When we initially meet Joel, Sarah, and Tommy, the trio are living in Austin, Texas. Ultimately, when the Cordyceps fungus fully breaks out, Joel and Tommy decide to leave Austin as fast as they can to protect Sarah and distance themselves from the fungus. However, after Sarah’s death and Joel and Tommy split up, viewers find that Joel is now in Boston during the present day. However, it’s never exactly stated how and why Joel ended up in Boston — but we do know that he’s been there for a while, having gone on smuggling trips with Tess many times before the show’s current events. For now, we’ll have to wait and see if the series addresses Joel’s move to Boston or not.
What happened to Joel’s former partner?
The Last of Us perfectly introduces Joel’s daughter Sarah in the pilot episode, showcasing normal family life before the apocalypse hits. In doing so, the dynamic between Joel and his daughter is enough to jerk a few tears — although the question that remains up in the air is in relation to the identity of Sarah’s mother. Even three episodes in, Joel never addresses the mother of his daughter, or if she and Joel were ever together while Sarah was alive. This is surely one question that we might never get an answer to, but perhaps the growing dynamic between Joel and Ellie will help reveal some personal information about the duo.
The Last of Us airs weekly on Sunday nights on HBO.