‘The Last of Us’ Star Gabriel Luna on season 2, episode 3

Spoiler alert: This story contains spoilers for “The Last of Us”, season 2, episode 3, now streams on Max.

If the second episode of “The Last of Us” season 2 would give a tragic blow to both viewers and the survivors of Jackson, episode 3 would be 3 when everyone gets a collective breathing and the consequences of Joel is killed and what could happen.

“There is a little processing to do,” says Gabriel Luna, who plays Joel’s brother Tommy. “It is interesting, because the city still feels the destruction of what happened at home at Jackson, but also losing such an important element, not only for the Jackson community, but also our family. The true patriarch of all this has disappeared.”

With Joel (Pedro Pascal) Death, Tommy is in the position of the recovery of Jackson chairing while he deals with his own sorrow. And he knows that it does not all sail smoothly in the future, because Ellie (Bella Ramsey) leaves the hospital and formulates her plans for awning Joel.

A way in which Tommy Ellie tries to understand is to look for the lawyer of the therapist of the city of Gail. Their conversation was a meaningful thing for Luna, who worked with Catherine O -Up artist was on this photo that we took in Austin, Texas 15 years ago, “said Luna.

Luna spoke with Variety About making the opening scene of the episode in Jackson’s Morue, how Tommy navigates his responsibility for Ellie and what Tommy wanted to get from that interaction with Gail.

The episode opens with Tommy who will see Joel’s body. Tommy does not break, but you can see that he is in pain. Can you tell me about calibrating the right emotional response for that scene?

I remember that I chewed it on the day. It was directed by Peter Hoar, who did the “long, long time” episode, so I knew that I was in good hands when it comes to the emotional quality of all this. I do know that there was a few where there was a complete breakdown, but I am really happy with the reluctance of Timothy Good, our editor. There is a lot of anger there, but also a bit of comfort in the idea that Joel is with Sarah, he is with my niece, he is with his daughter for what that is worth. Losing him is a huge, huge loss.

When I was there at night, every take was a different emotional reaction. And it was interesting what was finally chosen when editing. But I think it’s good, there is just a lot of anger there when I only see the damage caused.

There is a bit of dismissal in the fact that Tommy is a character who has seen a lot of death. I am a bit happy with what was chosen. It is more a resolute reaction to losing the only blood you have on earth. And as we will see progressing to what that decision leads. We shot that, and there was much more dialogue in that scene, I am happy that they have cut that too, because what else should you say, other than “giving Sarah my love”?

How did things change during production after Pedro Pascal had left?

Well, he is a nice actor who has a very busy schedule, and it was funny because we all shot it, but we were Blokbites, so several things that happened earlier in the season happened later. So we would know he would return. It didn’t feel like too much goodbye.

But it certainly felt when I photographed the scene in the Mortuary, the feeling of the transition to Bella Ramsey’s stewardship, to the steward of Kaitlyn Dever, for myself and the people who would bring this story forward. And to honor everything that Pedro did, he did absolutely beautiful work on this show, so much of himself.

In the dialogue that was cut, it was all about how: “Ellie, she was wounded. She is really wounded. She’s coming well. I will take care of her”, and as I say these words, I remember that I thought: “Wow, this is just as much of the moment of the story as about the production itself.”

By the time Ellie comes out of the hospital, how do you think Tommy has processed Joel’s death?

The point is how much he is responsible for those who remain. [They] He needed him, and they all need him, and part of him has to let it go because he is that person in his heart. His Spirit is one of life and goes ahead and tries to find a way to survive and thrive and grow and to be in this positive, progressive state. If he holds that, are the only people who suffer his wife and his son. And then everyone who trusts him. But as we will see, while we go to the story, he is now obliged to bound Ellie, who is now his indictment.

What is it like to act opposite Bella Ramsey?

Bella is my hero and they are one of the most beautiful, talented, just emotionally adult people I know. If you work at a certain point, it is just like: “I want to be there to catch you.” They are always there for me, to catch me and everyone else around them. It’s so easy to love them. That is the relationship of Tommy and Ellie, it is one of love and pride and who they are and how strong they are. But their strength and ability will also be what will bring them to their own downfall if I do not entry, if I don’t try to manage it and help them.

Although Tommy does not necessarily approve Ellie to go after the murderers, he still says, he still says that he will back up her proposal in the town hall. Why do you think that’s?

Individually he wants to determine justice himself. If the city chooses and when it goes through the trial, and we decided that we had to do it, then he is justified to do it. So he definitely votes yes, let’s go, against all his better judgment, against the will of his wife, against – although I think Maria also votes yes – which is interesting. He is currently allowed to pursue these dark feelings because he knows that he is able to do what they want to do.

That was an interesting scene because originally my son, Ezra, feeds the chickens while I am so hesitant about it. But he fell ill that day, as if he was literally projectile, Linda Blair, Green vomit. So he’s not in this scene, so it changes a bit. The whole scene, I play it, I see my son feeding these chickens, and that is the only reason why it would keep me there. It is difficult, I think that a bit of the intention is lost only because of the events and how it all was played in the day and how to shoot. But when I talk to Ellie, and I am from “of course” and in those words, “of course”, is the subtext that is there: “I love you, you are me, and I will do what I have to do for you and for us and to get the resolution we need.”

How does the conversation on the baseball field affect Gail after the town hall than Tommy’s understanding of Ellie?

It is usually about trying to predict the storm, like what will she do? What will Ellie do? She is always described by [“The Last of Us” co-creator] Craig [Mazin] And everyone around us as a natural force. And that is true about the character, and that is true to the performer Bella Ramsey. And it just tries to understand, now that she has been awakened from this coma, and now that the true process and the true act of stewardship and paternal involvement and duty begins and is now trying to find out: how far will she take this, and can she be saved? Can I keep her here with us, and can she like to live with this for the rest of her life that I have seen? I am just looking for a kind of reason to deny her that, in order to refuse her the revenge she is looking for and the righteousness she is looking for, and also to deny myself the same.

The desires that we share, to go for our individual law in one way or another. That discussion, it’s just as good about Ellie as about Tommy. It is as if, is there an external perspective that matches our pursuit?

Gail has her own experience with my family, with Joel, with what happened. It’s really interesting, because Tommy has never been in therapy, and this is his first session, and [he’s] Being outside watching these children who fall on the baseball court. It is personally – for me, as an actor – one of the great gifts to work with Catherine O’hara and to have that scene.

This interview has been edited and condensed.