#like ....Tess was a fucking crimelord

[theskyexists]

Holy shit, just reread how Joel and Tess are depicted in the game. Tess is NOT kidnapped, NOT arrested by Fedra, is NOT putting everything on the line to save Joel's brother.

She was trading pills for ration cards (something Joel gets to do in the series). TESS is feared more than anything - not even Joel. This is made explicit. The opposite happens in the show.

They are trying to get a WEAPONS cache back. Tess leads the way through the zone, she uses her contacts to find a way to Robert, she gets propositioned for a smuggling deal but she says she's busy, Joel gets provoked but Tess just sends the other guy away with sheer authority, she negotiates and trades ration cards for info like she's got the plan and the control. You can tell that she's known and respected and feared in the qz.

Then she literally breaks Roberts leg, has Joel torture him, then kills him.

SHE THEN GOES AFTER THE FIREFLIES just for... weapons. (because scarcity. And living on the edge. Weapons are essential and valuable. And they scrape by despite being feared because that is the world). Joel asks what now? And doesnt ever question her. He also needs zero fucking soothing or coaxing or calming.

She agrees to smuggle Ellie - FOR WEAPONS. no saving Tommy nothin. She's the brains and ration cards are everything and they get them through smuggling. No honest work burning corpses for Joel. THEY SHOOT PEOPLE. THEYRE RUTHLESS AWFUL SURVIVALIST PEOPLE.

And FEDRA sucks and makes it a NECESSITY.

Why did they change so much of that. 'were not good people' Tess tells Ellie in the show but we don't see any of that shit.

In the game you KNOW they fucking aren't. The world is GRIM. And they've responded accordingly. It's a SHOCK. Normal world. Trauma. 20 years later and everything has clearly gone to shit.

The whole point of her choosing to die later trying to give Joel and Ellie time is that it's a CONTRAST with her survivalist dog eat dog attitude so far. It's selfless and suicidal and BRAVE. It's a formidable woman choosing to go out on her terms.