how do you think tess wouldāve handled telling joel she was bitten if things actually went to plan at the capital and they handed off ellie? i have been thinking about this lately
I think about this a lot too! Honestly, if everything had gone to plan and they successfully handed Ellie off, Tess wouldn't have told Joel until the very last second.
She is incredibly practical and realistic. She knew there was no cure for her, and she wouldn't have wanted Joel to waste time or risk his life trying to find a medical miracle that didn't exist.
Tess likely would have waited until they were safely away from the Fireflies, maybe on their way back to the Boston QZ or at a safehouse. She wouldāve laid it out exactly how she did in the game: blunt, no-nonsense, and forcing him to face reality. Sheād tell him she was bit, show him the mark, and tell him to go back alone. She wouldnāt want a dramatic goodbye; sheād just want him to survive.
Also, Joel probably would've known something was wrong before she even said it.
















