i feel like many people in the way home fandom overlook that tessa went from living in the 70s where she could have a job, a car, and her own license without a man to being dropped into the 1800s with no rights as a woman!!!
tessa was always gonna do what she had to do to survive but my god, it's honestly VERY impressive she hustled so hard she's partners with fucking al capone?!
every time i see someone on that subreddit say tessa is some villain con artist, i'm just thinking, like, damn. at least she found a way to have her own money?
Yeah, it's the 20s so I don't think we're supposed to be critical toward her for being a con artist or a bootlegger. Instead, it's what she had to do to survive, or at the very least, it's a sign of the times. In my opinion, Tessa has only become a more sympathetic character with every episode.
At first, it would've been easy to write her off. She left, she died, and her absence throughout the show spoke for itself. But as soon as it was revealed she didn't "just" leave - especially in a show like this - that should tell you everything you know about her is going to change. And if there's a story there, it's because we're missing the pieces to see her as she should really be seen.
As you pointed out - she's not had an easy life. Going from struggling with postpartum depression in the 80s to being dropped in the late 1800s would be plenty hard enough on its own. But then you add in the additional factor too of she ends up in another time period alone, sans Griffin, who she originally made this plan with.
All of that hardened her as a person. I bet some people just don't know what to do with a female character like that, who doesn't easily show outward emotion. But when you look at the context - this disposition makes a lot of sense. Again, because she's been through so much to make it this far. And also, she has to be carrying so much guilt.
When Elliot reappears in her life, it's going to bring everything she's buried back up. So of course she's not jumping at the chance to reunite with her son. It's been 40 years and I think a lot of it could even be deflection too to protect herself. Because she was struggling as a new mom, and instead of getting help, she was made to feel like a worse one.
There's a really good chance she's still carrying that guilt - and the events of the last episode are only going to prove to her that she wasn't "good enough" for Elliot tenfold.
