Is Tommy still alive in ‘The Last of Us?’

When it comes to most zombie shows, character deaths are to be expected. So far, HBO’s The Last of Us has killed a character in every episode. With six episodes to go, and a bloody source material, it’s certain that more people will get offed along the way.

With death so rampant people may start wondering: what happened to the younger Miller brother?

Warning: This article contains spoilers for The Last of Us.

What we know about Tommy so far

Right away, Tommy is established as mostly reliable. He and Joel work for the same construction company, and Tommy is clearly comfortable in his brother’s home. Joel views his brother as more of a nuisance, accusing him of being a dependent, and this sentiment is later supported by Tommy’s arrest. Despite this, Tommy is shown to be self-reliant and a decent shot, managing to save Joel’s life.

After the 20-year time jump, not much is known about Tommy’s whereabouts. Joel is searching for his younger brother, who was last seen somewhere in Wyoming a few weeks ago. Armed only with the location of the radio tower, Joel tells Tess they need to head west. We know through conversation with Marlene — the leader of the Fireflies — that Tommy works with the group, and Joel blames her for turning his own brother against him.

When will Tommy come back?

Tommy may not be around right now, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he is dead. The primary messages in The Last of Us are of hope and love. This isn’t The Walking Dead, these characters won’t die just to get a ratings boost. Tommy is an important part of Joel’s journey. The brothers have plenty of healing to do, and it’s certainly going to be just as heart wrenching as “Long, Long Time”‘s dive into Frank and Bill’s relationship. This episode’s welcome detour has thrown off the pacing somewhat and unless the showrunners want to try and cram everything that happens with Sam and Henry into 50-ish minutes, we won’t see Tommy until midseason at least. All that we do know about Tommy in the show is that his wife Maria has already been cast, and Joel is well on his way to finding his wayward little brother.

All right, here come those spoilers.

Tommy is an integral part of both stories told in The Last of Us games. He is a hopeful, loyal and caring person, largely the antithesis of his brooding older brother. This dichotomy is wonderful to experience within the game, and to say I’m excited to see it play out on screen is an understatement. The first game ends with Joel and Ellie making their home in Wyoming, at the compound Maria leads. Tommy is one more prominent side character in the second game as well. The events of the story warp the once empathetic man into one obsessed with vengeance, embittered and alone. His slip is another story that will make an incredible adaptation.

We may not have seen much of him yet but buckle up, there is far more of the younger Miller brother left to come.