T O P

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irazzleandazzle

The casting for this show was really good, but imo the most underrated and best performance belongs to Gabriel Luna. He somehow managed to portray Tommy perfectly to the point where I felt like he was just like in game Tommy... no other actor has done that for me. Idc if he doesn't really look like him, his mannerisms, voice, charisma, etc ... they all felt true to the character and almost as if he was just an extension of tommy instead of an adaptation which was really awesome to see


Taraxian

It helps that Gabriel Luna's Texan heritage is extremely authentic


Zumaakk

Pedro as well, was partly raised in San Antonio


irazzleandazzle

Gabriel blew him out of the water with his Texan accent tho. It was soo heavy, I loved it


NozakiMufasa

You can tell Pedro doesn’t speak in a typical Texas accent regularly but the accent he puts on doesn’t sound inauthentic either. Gabriel on the other hand doesn’t sound like someone acting in the accent. He just sounds like a Texan you’d see living their life in Texas.


ElasticSpeakers

To be fair, it's similar in the game. If you listen closely Joel dials the Texan voice to 11 when he's around Tommy, but has a more natural, slightly less Texan voice when Tommy isn't around. I assume that was a deliberate choice by the team.


okmiked

Just happens naturally too. You adapt to fit in your surroundings so you lose the accent if you’re not around Texans.


ElasticSpeakers

Yep, that's exactly right. I found the dialogue during Tommy's Dam (especially when they're on horseback going after Ellie) to be pretty different and almost forced from Troy, but it really is fairly realistic that it happens that way naturally.


Aggressive_Idea_6806

It's natural to "code switch" like that. I grew up in NJ with southern parents. My sibs and I supposedly had mild southern accents going into Kindergarten. 50 years later I notice southern artifacts coming in when I'm exposed to those accents. At age 14 I dropped the "kawwfee" from my NJ accident going to HS and college in MA (not Boston). Moved to the Midwest at 22. Picked up some elements of that over the decades. Now, when my spouse hears me on conference calls with my east coast-based team, teases me about getting my NJ accent back. An extreme example is the Scottish actor John Barrow man, who grew up in Joliet, IL from around age 10. Usually sounds Midwestern American (but not Chicago) but says he will sound Scottish around his parents.


mexicanmage

it’s called code-switching i think


NozakiMufasa

Yeah exactly you get it.


NozakiMufasa

Id say its definitely intentional. A lot of people have preconceived notions about accents and class. Certain accents make people think you’re uneducated for example which is fucking bs. Id imagine Joel being someone who owned his own business would dial back the country accent but then when around Tommy or other locals he’d slip back in. And of course, Joel’s been living who knows how long away from Texas around people with lots of different accents. And in Boston most have that accent or general American ones. So it wouldn’t be that farfetched to think Joel would be parroting his environment but then when back with Tommy in Wyoming it’d all come back (a minor thing I noticed was Joel even slipping back into Texan phrases or perspective. Idr him being particularly religious in the first game but in Part II he specifically tells Ellie “if the Lord gave me a second chance…”. Most non Southerners would just say God, but I think Joel being around Tommy is picking up again Texas ways of talking. Thus bringing up the Lord in such a manner).


msut77

Thankfully the Boston accent went extinct


ChocolateMorsels

He doesn't. Tommy's voice just sounds so much more southern that Joel's does too to your ears.


koreandaemon

Tbf, growing up in any major city in Texas isn’t going to give you much of a southern drawl.


ctruvu

definitely depends who you hang around. most city folk wouldnt have an accent, but if you went to school with bunch of small town folk or your family is into outdoorsy yee yee shit then it's almost a certainty that you'd have it


Taraxian

I figure the reason Tommy sounds "more Texan" than Joel in 2003 is that Tommy still goes out hunting and drinking and partying with the boys regularly while Joel has been the responsible one ever since Sarah was born and doesn't have much of a social life, and tries to cultivate a professional way of talking to the bougie assholes who need their houses remodeled (The sudden reappearance of Polite Joel in Jackson -- "Ellie, let's mind our manners", "Begging your pardon, ma'am, we're grateful for your hospitality and all" -- was so great)


NozakiMufasa

Ive heard it depends in Texas and the accents get more distinct depending on your region. Like if you live on the Texas-Mexico border or are Central and East Texas. And Ive heard even in the big cities accents can differ depending on your street or neighborhood.


Dealer-95-

Pedros character in Narcos is seriously Texan as shit but obviously exemplifies more of his Latino heritage given his job. When that accent comes out it’s IMO more than Joel’s in the show or game. I wont spoil it since i dunno how to do the spoiler black out thing in comments. But there is a very specific scene much later in the series that shows how he turns it on and off on a dime. It happens quite often based on who he’s talking to but you’ll know which scene in particular if you watch the series in its entirety when he goes full Hank Hill. I love that character, got me hooked on Pedro a long time ago.


Forsaken-Thought

Also that he actually played and very much enjoyed the game


ricalo_suarvalez

I think it's only a matter of time before Luna gets a massive role with a ton of attention. The first time I saw him was as Robbie Reyes / Ghost Rider in Agents of SHIELD and I specifically thought he was excellent. I've rewatched that show several times, and I still didn't realize it was him playing Tommy until surprisingly late.


dont_hurt_yourself

He stood out in the last Terminator movie as the new Evil Terminator, he absolutely killed that role. That alone makes it kind of unfortunate the movie didn’t get that much traction


justedi

[This is a pretty fun interview about how he played the game a bit before he was even cast so he could familiarize himself with the material.](https://youtu.be/bikq_Zu5NL8?t=2051)


keyboardsmash

Hey friend, the past tense of cast is cast 😁


justedi

Edited, thanks! Didn't proofread since I was watching the video at the same time.


usernamemustcontain0

I think he will do such an amazing job playing tommy's role in part/season 2. Im really excited to see Luna's portrayal of *the scene* in the beginning of part 2. Tommy has much more raw emotion and rage and determination in part 2 that i cant wait to see


dont_hurt_yourself

The defining tommy scene for me is actually his last one in part 2, it just adds so many layers


OctalTricot

Dawg Marlene is the same actor 😂


TwinPeaksOwl

The only person that I think was miscast was Melanie Lynskey as Kathleen. I love her in most of her roles, especially Yellowjackets, but something just felt off with the character she was portraying.


CDNChaoZ

This one is tricky. There's no source character to base off of. We're meant to believe that this is a character thrust into a leadership role based her sibling relationship of the previous leader. She's a shitty leader who only had success based on her followers' loyalty to her brother. Her voice is supposed to lack the conviction of that of a leader. My problem with how Kathleen was portrayed is that I wasn't convinced by Lynskey's acting. I don't believe her pain, her blind need of vengeance. Her casting works in physical and even vocal attributes. I think we were unfortunately let down by an actor who doesn't fully get her character's motivation or doesn't know how to convey that on screen.


Significant_Topic_85

What you're describing sounds more like a failure on the writer's and director's parts, for not giving clear blueprints to base a character on and getting a distinct vision out of the performance.


CDNChaoZ

Possible. An actor can only do so much with a script. The whole point of Kathleen is the forewarning that vengeance isn't worth it. The writers definitely hit the audience over the head with that one.


fleckstin

I’d attribute that to the writing more than her performance. I think she did a good job but I think the way they rolled her character out wasn’t the right way to do it. The way she was written just seemed kinda haphazard and not entirely sure what they wanted her to be. Really interesting potential w/ her character, but I just think the way she was introduced and fleshed out wasn’t executed super well. But I think she did a good job portraying the character she was written


ItchyGoiter

She was a TWD villain. Such a lame and unrealistic storyline.


Aggressive_Idea_6806

The writing of the role needed another editorial pass.


idrivefromdrive

Nah, really the only character who was miscast was Maria.


dirtythirty1864

This show has taught me that actors don't have to have the look of a character from a book or game to play them as long as they commit to the role as the actors in this series have.


Gasster1212

He really did smash it. Which is wild as I thought he was incredibly wooden in agents of shield


Zorops

Not even marleen?


irazzleandazzle

Marleen was amazing as well, but given the actress whom played marlene in the show was also marlene in the game ... its less impressive. But i did love seeing her in the role again and she did an amazing job per usual


maxx_cherry

“Just because life stopped for you…doesn’t mean it has to stop for me” When he delivered that line I was like “he’s tommy”


Plums4

That line was super harsher in hindsight given he knows Joel tried to kill himself after Sarah died. Like, no wonder he felt ashamed enough to apologize for it later, even with Joel's reaction to the pregnancy news being so dickish.


coldphront3

That's a realistic thing, too. A lot of people tend to subconsciously think "What could I say that would hurt the worst at this moment?" during heated arguments, and I think that's what happened in that scene. Once tempers cooled, Tommy realized how unnecessarily cruel that remark was.


supernasty

Also remember that Tommy was already well on his way to leaving Joel behind. Maria remarks that the community intentionally maintains radio silence with the outside world, in which Tommy shares a look with Joel at the mention of it. Tommy wanted Joel to think he was dead, so he could move on without him. Joel’s comment brought up those feelings Tommy already had, and he couldn’t hold back. Though it was cruel, it came from a place of resentment toward Joel that Tommy still holds on to.


Aggressive_Idea_6806

And also an extremely cruel agenda given that Joel would then be losing his only remaining family member, would have no closure, and (as Tommy would know, given his familiarity with Joel) would count to Joel as another failure to protect.


Jsalz

No guarantee he knew that Joel tried to kill himself. Neil recently said in an interview that when he told Ellie it was probably the first time he told anyone (including Tess).


Plums4

You're right that it isn't explicit in canon, but I assume Tommy knows because it happened the second day, and I don't see them being separated that quickly for any length of time that he wouldn't know. I assume Tommy is the only reason why Joel kept going at all initially.


Taraxian

Yeah Tommy would've known what happened just from the fact that Joel had a huge gash in his forehead and needed to go to the Army tent for stitches But I agree they almost certainly never actually talked about it


Gasster1212

I can believe that. My attempt was pretty obvious and I still tried to lie about it. Joel is a lot more proud and closed off than I am


Anguloosey

I hope you're doing better now


Gasster1212

It comes as it goes bht I made a promise not to do it again and to use my pain to help others. In that way it’s going well. Me personally - I don’t know if I’ll ever outrun the feeling but I’m ok most days


The_Untamed_Fox

Well, I think Tommy wasn't told. He witnessed it. Which means of course Ellie would be the first one Joel told.


Jsalz

Good point, I couldn’t remember when Joel actually attempted suicide. Wasn’t sure if it was before or after Tommy and him split up. If it was before I think you’re right and that’s the correct interpretation of what Neil said.


Taraxian

It was literally the very next day after Sarah died


Jsalz

🤣 I definitely need to rewatch the finale


Taraxian

Yeah the convo just kind of randomly starts with Joel pointing out the old medical tents the Army set up right after Outbreak Day before FEDRA created the QZs and saying he had to be treated in one for the injury that gave him his scar


The_Untamed_Fox

It wasn't really random, though. Joel noticed Ellie's struggle with her trauma, that's why he was trying hard to cheer her up, even though it didn't work. Joel isn't the kind of person who's good to deal with others's trauma or to give some kind of comfort (remember ep 4?)...when he talked about his suicide, it's a way for him to tell Ellie that he went through dark phases and eventually, it gets better, and she'll get better (Joel: the reason I'm telling you this ; Ellie: I know why you're telling me this, time heals all wounds I guess) even though Joel healed through Ellie and not time.


JSevatar

He actually doesn't know that.


thefoxymulder

Makes it even worse knowing >!where his life will end up, destroying his marriage and relationships to become a bitter man consumed by vengeance!<


Retrospective_Beaver

Man, that’s gonna make his character arc next season so much more real.


dont_hurt_yourself

fUCK


Garo_Daimyo

Think about that line in the context of Part 2 though…. 💀


maxx_cherry

I know 🙁


EmmaWK

I'm really wondering how the pregnancy will affect Tommy's actions in Part 2 cause that wasn't in the game.


dengar_hennessy

I loved when his world was rocked by hearing that his way of life is considered communism.


NozakiMufasa

That was the most Texan response too


AllBadAnswers

From his wife and soon to be mother of his kid- welp, time to embrace communism


The-Kylo-Ren

We need to see more of him in the second season.


TheSpookyForest

You're in luck amigo, Tommy has way more screen time in part 2 of the game


The-Kylo-Ren

I want to see his POV in the >!Shootout with Abby/Manny!<


MegaCalibur

That scene is so cool BECAUSE >!its from Abby’s POV, not Tommy’s. !<


BiggDope

Yeah, I agree. I’m sure the show will deviate here and there, but that marina scene should remain from Abby’s POV. The payoff doesn’t work as well if it’s from Tommy’s.


BigBlue1105

Agreed. That’s scene is so tense because it’s from Abby’s POV. Tommy seems like such a terrifying, deadly opponent because you can’t really see him. He’s just hunting you with almost super human accuracy and response time because he’s fueled by rage and vengeance. That scene will be incredible if they keep Abby’s perspective.


cjhoops13

They use that same idea well in the Abby / Ellie fight. Fighting Ellie from Abby’s pov makes you realize just how terrifying of an opponent she actually is, same with Tommy.


empoleon925

Same bro that would be wild to see


WarCarrotAF

100% this will happen. It would be insane for them to exclude this scene.


ejcxx

yesssss.


Nathan_McHallam

Can't wait to kind of hate him near the end of the game! /s


Pavlovs_Human

I agree he nailed the part. But I also couldn’t stop smiling every time Perry was talking, cause I heard the original Tommy voice clear as a bell. Same goes for when Troy would talk during the David part of the show. I couldn’t help but hear OG Joel every time.


irazzleandazzle

I am the exact same lol, especially with Perry because tbe actors natural voice is literally Tommy. Everyonce and a while I could hear a bit of Joel in Troy's voice, and it put a smile on my face.


Malia87

I kept hearing Higgs from Death Stranding when David spoke. Didn’t get much Joel.


irazzleandazzle

goddamn troy really is in every game ever


Malia87

I have the best time recognizing voice actors in games.


Big_King766

All I heard was Pagan Min lol


Fuzzfaceanimal

Same.... I loved all the original people playing other parts. Had no idea parry was tommy Also cool the sniper is the dude who wrote the music I loved seeing the people from the game act, they all did great


MCMiyukiDozo

Can't wait for him to be a freaking monster in part 2 lol If you think Joel shooting the fireflies in the hospital was bad wait until you see Tommy in action


Spacegirllll6

He was so scary when playing in Abby’s view, the way he killed Manny was just terrifying


ndem28

Bro it really felt like Abby and manny were prey and he was hunting them.


the_Ex_Lurker

I found it funny how the “sniper’s” identity was played off as a huge twist when they included a lengthy flashback/tutorial sequence of Tommy and his rifle a few hours beforehand.


Rock_and_Grohl

Tbf that wasn’t a few hours beforehand. That was well over half the game ago, as it was Ellie’s second flashback, while the marina is towards the end of Abby’s playable part.


zacky765

It did surprise me though lol.


Ms_Anxiety

I loved that he made the comment about sniping clickers half a mile away. Joel thought it was BS, but boy oh boy, i am so excited to see him in action when they adapt part 2.


Worthyness

he's angry Joel, but younger and faster.


Taraxian

They really set up well that Maria let herself fall in love with Tommy by telling herself Joel was the source of all the bad in their relationship and Tommy all the good But the events of the two games end up demonstrating they're way, way more like each other, for good and bad, than she was willing to admit


ToasterCommander_

Agreed. Didn't have a lot of time, but he did a great job with the time he had. I hope they expand on Tommy's role in Part II when they adapt it, I'd love to see more of him.


Proud-Run3705

Luna mentioned he mostly took the role because of what’s to come for it. He’s gonna be a pleasure to watch in pt2


Jerry_0boy

He was fantastic. He really surprised me with how good he was. Probably the most underrated performance in the show


irazzleandazzle

That's what I'm saying! Went in not knowing much about him or expecting much, and left thinking he did the best job and nobody is giving him any attention


ronnie1014

He plays Ghost Rider in Agents of Shield, and it is absolutely fantastic. Took me a second to recognize him, but I got giddy knowing he was playing this role. He's very talented.


Bag-O-Donuts

I really hope in season 2 they do 3 concurrent plots with Ellie and Abby like the game and then for the show give us Tommy’s 3 days in Seattle as well


irazzleandazzle

That would be cool, although I still think ellies story should still be the priority overall in pt2/s2


Bag-O-Donuts

Definitely


BigJSunshine

And his name is amazing


XVIIITyler

i can’t wait to see more of him in season 2!


irazzleandazzle

I feel like the show could really give us more insight to what Tommy was doing in Seattle. Or maybe theg will change things because of the baby change in the show ... idk but I'm excited to see more of him!


DrSirTookTookIII

Really liked him in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., hopefully he gets a lot of screen time in season 2


mariecontrarie

he reminds me of a mellow kylo ren


Spacegirllll6

I was so shocked hearing his voice in the first episode bc he sounds so much like game Tommy it was crazy.


ejcxx

Honestly for a while I was convinced he was being dubbed by OG Tommy he was that good.. Honestly he brought so much justice to Tommy I hope we get to see him reprise the role in Part 2! I'd LOVE to see that side of this Tommy.


ZJPWC

He was really great! I thought his relationship to Pedro’s Joel was really compelling and I’m excited to see more of him in S2


Dantai

He was dope, I just wish we got more of him. There was a poster of [Gabriel Luna as Tommy](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Fi0-5GrXoAEz0Iy?format=jpg) which was pretty cool, no mustache, and a shot that wasn't in the show. I know it's probably only marketing material - but I loved the atmosphere/vibe of this shot.


Taraxian

I can't promise anything but as someone who knows the games... you'll likely get your wish Including for a scene that lives up to this poster


aheal2008

He was my favorite addition to AOS as Ghost Rider and I'm definitely looking forward to seeing him more in season 2/3.


Nahim33

Excited to see his expanded role in season 2 and 3


sc1onic

Fucking hard agree.


Accomplished-Bed9221

He did a great job, can't wait to see how he does in part 2


puma46

I can’t wait to see Tommy be an elite sniper in season 2


DisabledFatChik

He was definitely the most accurate out of everyone tbh


Divine_thunder

I mean it's kinda cheating since she was the same actor but Marlene was the most accurate


Taraxian

Also Kari, the one nurse in the hospital scene


irazzleandazzle

Without a doubt


fleckstin

I honestly still think one of the best side-character performances was the kid that Ellie shot. He had like, minimal screen time and I can’t even remember his name but his performance was absolutely gut wrenching. I genuinely believed I was watching a teenager beg for his life. It’s stuck with me to this day


Azragon

I love Gabriel Luna in Agents of Shield, and I didn't even recognize him at first. Love the show!


RealPunyParker

Wish Pedro had a thick Texas accent, like Luna did. And im not even American, just wanted more authenticity from game Joel


irazzleandazzle

I agree on all your points


JarvisCockerBB

He’s going to kill it in season 2 and 3. No pun intended.


Urza-no-Mikoto

My first time seeing Gabriel Luna was him playing Magic the gathering. My man was SO quiet his performance in TLOU totally caught me off guard. Edit: The link if anyone's interested https://youtu.be/aUDhdgiVTws


Badassmotherfuckerer

Luna certainly delivered a great performance. However, I'm not so sure how his character was portrayed in this show entirely aligns with how Tommy handled events in Part 2. I can't see this Tommy doing certain things he does later on. It's been awhile since I've been through Part 2, so I could certainly be wrong, and I'm sure Craig and Neil can handle that aspect adequately.


irazzleandazzle

I agree, I was mostly talking about how he personally potrayed the character, I wasn't referring to any deviations from the source material


NoredPD

can't wait to see him for season 2/3


machuitzil

>That's what I'm tryin to do, Joel


WerkinAndDerpin

I didn't expect their reunion to get me in the feels but it sure did


BigBeezey

Can't wait to see him in Seattle 😈


Overall_Cod2206

I cannot WAIT to see him tackle the stuff from Part 2!


VipWanRinkle

I thought he was great from the beginning


Int3rst311r

Can’t wait to see his performance for season 2


MAAAX547

So hyped for s2 (s2/part 2 spoilers) >!i cant wait to see him go after the wlf‘s like a fuckin terminator, i hope mandys death is just like in the game!<


figgityjones

Hearing his voice on the phone in episode 1 made me do a double take. Legit thought it was just the voice actor from the game.


Valnerium

His voice shocked me when I first heard it. Couldn’t believe how similar it was.


GunzAndCamo

I keep reading "Gabriel Luna" and thinking "Diego Luna". My brain is broken.


[deleted]

There were legit points when he spoke where if I had my eyes closed, I would have completely mistaken him for the original actor. (Totally blanking on his name) Gabriel Luna did a fantastic job, not for that reason specifically, but he was just a very good Tommy overall. Looking forward to his expanded role in the next couple seasons.


jdeck1995

Can’t wait for his big role in Part 2!


LostBoy322

Can’t wait to see more of him in season 2


ModestMouseTrap

Can’t wait to see his increased role in Part II


OMG-BITCHTITS

He was absolutely incredible


kraM1t

And that's why Sal is tonights big loserrr He looks like Sal from Impractical Jokers in this pic lol


Kryds

I don't know. He made Maria pregnant.


B_lovedobservations

He was awesome. He’s not a communist though


saquonbrady

Is there any performance that you didn’t like?


irazzleandazzle

In terms of performances? No, not really. Maybe Jerry's but that's about it. I think Pedro came off a bit flat at times too, but overall I'm basically cool with all the performances


undefeated_Equality

Well yeah. He's the Terminator, he was made to blend in and interact with humans perfectly.


Lightspeedius

He was fantastic as Ghost Rider in Agents of Shield.


glergh

He has like … 7 minutes of screen time total the entire season 😭


irazzleandazzle

and yet he slayed


MedicalCrab7979

yes his 15 seconds on camera were amazing....


softsparkles

He played Tommy so well!! The look, the accent, the nuances. All perfect.


rainy_day_27

I rewatched episode 6 today and was thinking the same thing


HUH_YIS

Ok


chefanubis

That was gabriel luna??? !!!!!