Editor's note: The below contains spoilers for Episode 4 of The Last of Us.After the devastating events of last week’s episode, “Long, Long Time,” The Last of Us delivered another phenomenal installment with “Please Hold My Hand.” With Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey) headed off to find Joel’s brother Tommy (Gabriel Luna), the world opens up to show the other types of threats that they might encounter within their journey. “Please Hold My Hand” marks the first appearance by Melanie Lynskey as the revolutionary leader Kathleen, but she’s not the only familiar face within the rebel group. Fans of The Last of Us games may have noticed that it's none other than Jeffrey Pierce who plays Kathleen’s right-hand man, Perry.

The details about Perry are relatively scarce, as he was not featured in the original game. He’s clearly a major factor in Kathleen’s operation; while the game featured a mysterious group of human hunters that threaten Joel and Ellie, they weren’t named and given backstories. Kathleen may have given a few details about her past that explain her ruthless demeanor, but Perry has kept his personal comments close to the chest. It’s a far cry from Pierce’s original role in the game; he’s best known as the original actor behind Tommy.

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Who Is Perry?

Jeffrey Pierce in Episode 4 of The Last of Us
Image via HBO

While the original The Last of Us game was widely praised for the quality of its writing (that frankly was better than many feature films), there were some elements of the gameplay that needed expansion in order to flesh out a series and justify a season of storytelling. One of the brilliant decisions that showrunner Craig Mazin and original creator Neil Druckmann made was to spend more time focused on individual characters that served expositional or transitory roles in the games. This was best seen in the previous episode, as the heartbreaking relationship between Bill (Nick Offerman) and Frank (Murray Bartlett) was a new edition that underscored the hope that exists within this chilling world.

If the tender romance between Bill and Frank was enough to temporarily lift the viewers’ experience, it looks like we’ll be getting the opposite sort of experience with Kathleen and her group. Mazin has indicated that he wants to “humanize” the series’ villains, and based on their actions in “Please Hold My Hand,” Kathleen and Perry are among the next threats that Joel and Ellie will run into. Kathleen’s aggression seems to be driven by fear, as she wasn’t necessarily expecting that she would end up killing the doctor. Her lack of experience witnessing bloodshed is evident from her shocked expression upon discovering the bodies that Joel left behind.

However, Perry appears to have some sort of background or training that makes him more receptive to the nature of the bloody aftermath. He suggests that mercenaries or outsiders were responsible for the deaths, and helps direct Kathleen to the evidence that’s been uncovered. Perry looks to be taking a nuanced approach to his investigation, as he helps draw Kathleen’s attention to the crayon drawings of superheroes and the caved-in room. Anticipation is high for his next appearance, as Pierce has teased that Perry "has huge implications" within the series that recontextualize elements of the game.

Jeffrey Pierce’s Role in 'The Last of Us' Game

the-last-of-us-game-tommy
Image via Naughty Dog

Fans of the original game were right to voice their skepticism about any potential adaptations of the beloved source material; given the cinematic quality of storytelling in the original, an adaptation would seemingly either feel bland and repetitive or add unnecessary details that only diluted the story’s impact. However, The Last of Us benefits from having many of the original crew and writers returning to ensure that the series is a respectful adaptation that still stands on its own as a compelling piece of genre storytelling. While Druckmann has been actively involved with the storyline and has worked with Mazin since the beginning, we’re starting to see some of the familiar actors return as well.

Pierce’s performance as Tommy in the original game was highly acclaimed, and earned a BAFTA Games Award for Performer in a Supporting Role; he also reprised his role in The Last of Us: Part II. Tommy is a complex character who is involved with Joel’s story from the beginning, and witnesses the horrific death of his daughter Sarah. Although Tommy wants to care for his brother and help him heal from this devastating loss, they begin to drift apart as they begin to differ in their survival tactics. Tommy initially stays with the Fireflies, but later departs in order to have a touching reunion with his brother later on.

Beyond The Last of Us, Pierce has an extensive career acting in films, television, and video games. After making his screen debut on Pacific Blue in 1997, Pierce worked on a number of genre shows like The Sarah Connor Chronicles, Castle, NCIS, Justified, Nightshift, The West Wing, Criminal Minds, and CSI: Crime Scene Investigations among others. He also appeared alongside Jean-Claude Van Damme in the 2003 action film The Foreigner, as well as Topher Grace and Richard Gere in the 2011 action thriller The Double.

Perry Is a Different Type of Performance From Jeffrey Pierce

It’s certainly interesting to see such a different type of performance from Pierce, as Tommy’s gentleness is the complete opposite of Perry’s ruthlessness. While Tommy shares Joel’s physical abilities and experience, he has a softer and gentler side to him and seems to be more open to joining causes and helping others. The sequence in the original game in which Tommy sees Joel with Ellie and understands that his brother doesn’t trust himself to shepherd another young girl is one of its most heartbreaking moments; given how emotionally impactful the first few episodes of The Last of Us have been, it will certainly be interesting to see how these critical moments will play out on screen.

Pierce’s appearance comes at the right time in the series, as Joel and Ellie are on their way to find Tommy. We saw a brief glimpse of Luna’s performance in the pilot episode, and he certainly fit right in next to Pascal during the gritty outbreak sequence. It will be interesting to see what his return will add to the last few episodes of the series; Luna is a terrific actor in his own right, but it will be challenging to live up to the high precedent that Pierce initially established.

New episodes of The Last of Us come to HBO and HBO Max every Sunday.

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