Anna Torv ‘The Last of Us’ Performance as Tess in Season 1 Episode 2

THE PERFORMER | Anna Torv

THE SHOW | HBO’s The Last of Us

THE EPISODE | “Infected” (Jan. 22, 2023)

THE PERFORMANCE | To say Torv made probably the most of her temporary time on The Last of Us can be fairly the understatement. In simply two episodes, the Fringe vet crafted such a fancy, multi-dimensional character that we have been genuinely heartbroken when Tess was killed off in Sunday’s tense hour.

Although 20 years of dystopian residing hardened Tess’ outer shell, Torv at all times remained tethered to her alter ego’s underlying humanity. The actress introduced that quiet vulnerability to the fore in the ultimate act of “Infected” when Tess — unbeknownst to viewers at first — was bitten by one of the cannibalistic creatures.

From the refined word of heat she flashed to apocalyptic accomplice in crime Joel as he bandaged her wounded foot to the frustration she unleashed when he refused to see their End of Days glass as half full, Torv subtly shifted Tess’ vitality from badass survivalist to badass residing on borrowed time.

And when Tess got here clear about her terminal situation, Torv razed all of her character’s self-protective partitions in one fell swoop. Filled with a combination of desperation and anguish, Tess begged Joel to see their Ellie-centric mission by way of and save himself (and, in flip, mankind). “I never ask you for anything, not to feel the way I felt… ” she cried out, Torv layering every anguished phrase with 20 years of sophisticated romantic baggage. “This is your chance. You get her there. You keep her alive. And you set everything right.”

Tess saved the day in the top however Torv was the episode’s true hero.

HONORABLE MENTION | Earlier this season, Leverage: Redemption hinted at Sophie’s sophisticated previous with somebody who was like a daughter to her. So when icy Interpol Inspector Astrid was revealed final week to be mentioned stepdaughter, we have been, frankly, whelmed. But that merely paved the best way for the finale to actually transfer us, as sequence vet Gina Bellman and visitor star Alexandra Park (The Royals) every let down their characters’ partitions. Park actually impressed us when stone-cold Astrid had her elusive stepmom at gunpoint, solely to ultimately and decrease her weapon as Sophie defined her years-ago vanishing act. Following a enjoyable bit of theater in which the duo collaborated to catch a thief, Bellman in the women’ closing scene exuded such a candy, maternal heat, as Sophie and Astrid mirrored on a fond reminiscence.

(*1*)HONORABLE MENTION | Gossip Girl showrunner Josh Safran says the one factor that may preserve him up at night time is understanding that the sequence ended with its beloved throuple — Audrey, Aki and Max — on the outs. Sure, we perceive his frustration in the absence of closure, however conserving that trio collectively in Thursday’s finale would have disadvantaged the viewers of Thomas Doherty‘s devastating performance as the victim of a failed romantic experiment. In contrast to his character’s signature swagger, Doherty is at his finest when Max permits himself to be susceptible, and we haven’t seen him this uncooked since a sure trainer messed together with his coronary heart again in Season 1. From now on, the Max in HBO Max is for Max Wolfe.

HONORABLE MENTION | One of probably the most difficult roles performed on TV this week was Ava, a Deaf surrogate who in the second episode of Fox’s Accused anthology determined to kidnap the child she had birthed for a pair, upon suspecting that they might not let their Deaf little one develop up in a signing surroundings. Switched at Birth alum Stephanie Nogueras met the problem, although. Yes, her Ava acted brashly, criminally. And in Ava’s on-the-run exchanges with boyfriend KJ, Nogueras communicated a regarding diploma of impulsivity. But when Ava later took the stand at trial, Nogueras saturated her signing with a lot ardour and sincerity that you just kinda understood when the couple withdrew their case.