Joel and Tess' relationship. HBO's TLoU vs. game: differences and similarities

In the game, Tess is referred to as Joel's partner, but their behavior may indicate that it's a purely professional relationship. Despite many years of acquaintance, we never really find out what they actually have in common, because the woman didn't get much screen time in the game, and the events in Boston are only an introduction to the story proper.

In the TV adaptation, the authors clearly wanted the viewers to have no doubts about the emotional relationship between the two characters. In the prologue, we can see Tess approach sleeping Joel, lie down on the bed and cuddle up to him. It's thus easy to conclude that they have a deeper, probably romantic relationship, which gains an additional dimension once Tess leaves the group.

Tommy in custody

In the series, Joel has to leave the house to bail Tommy out of jail after a bar fight. Tommy knocked out a man who went berserk and attacked a waitress (another reference to the pandemic). He was arrested and called his brother to ask to pick him up before the weekend. This is why Joel is not home when Sarah wakes up.

In the game, we don't know why Joel was out, but it's certainly not about Tommy. His brother calls home, waking Sarah up, asks for Joel, leaves him text messages, and arrives shortly after.

Sarah's wake-up call

In the adaptation, Sarah wakes up alone, looking for her father, and strange sounds lead her in front of the house. There she finds a frightened neighbor's dog and decides to walk it back to its owners. In their house, she finds the infected Mrs. Adler has massacred the family. During the escape, the girl meets her father and uncle.

In the game, Sarah is woken up by a phone call. On the other end of the call, uncle Tommy asks her to pass the phone to Joel. The call is disconnected and the girl gets up to look for her dad. She doesn't leave the house and finds him as he enters the study through the back door.

The neighbors dog

In the series, Sarah finds a frightened dog outside the house, whose name is Mercy. It's her neighbor's pet, so she decides to walk him home. Interestingly, the dog also briefly appears in the game. While exploring the house, barking can be heard in the background, but Sarah doesn't leave the house in the game.