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Maria Miller is a supporting character in the first and second seasons of HBO's The Last of Us.[1] She is a survivor in post-apocalyptic America that has been ravaged by the Cordyceps brain infection and the wife of Tommy. She is one of the leaders of a settlement of survivors in Jackson, Wyoming.[1]
Quick Answers
What was Maria Miller's occupation before the Cordyceps brain infection outbreak?
Who is Maria Miller's husband in 'The Last of Us'?
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What role does Maria Miller play in the HBO series 'The Last of Us'?
Biography[]
Background and early life[]
Prior to the Cordyceps brain infection outbreak, Maria worked as an assistant district attorney in Omaha, Nebraska. On April 3rd, 2000, she became a mother after giving birth to her son named Kevin and took up haircutting as a hobby. Just three days after Outbreak Day, on September 29th, 2003, Kevin passed away due to unknown circumstances.
In 2016, Maria and a handful of other people founded a community at Jackson, Wyoming. She was elected to the serve on the community's council. She would later take in Tommy Miller whom she would go on to marry and expect a child with. Tommy revealed to her his history with the Fireflies and how he had committed awful crimes to survive the apocalypse with his brother, Joel. Maria forgave him for his past actions, going on to marry Tommy and expect a child with him by 2023. Tommy also told Maria about Joel's deceased daughter, Sarah, leading her to add the girl's name and date of death to a memorial in the pair's house.[2]
Events of HBO's The Last of Us[]
Season 1[]
Maria was leading a patrol near the dam powering Jackson when they spotted two survivors, a man and a girl, wandering around. They immediately confronted them at gunpoint, with Maria watching as one of her lieutenants gave instructions to the two to make sure they were not infected. Maria sensed something familiar about the man, and when she heard him say he was looking for his brother she immediately asked for his name, which he revealed was "Joel". Realizing he was Tommy's brother, she and the patrol escorted Joel and the girl, Ellie, back to Jackson, where the two brothers reunited. Maria and Tommy brought them to the mess hall and watched as they ate, with Maria suspiciously eyeing Joel due to her knowledge of his and Tommy's past. When Joel tried to shoo her away, Tommy revealed he and Maria were married.
Maria and Tommy then led Joel and Ellie on a tour of Jackson. When they arrived at the stables, Maria suggested putting the two in one of the empty houses. Sensing the tension from Joel, she offered to take Ellie there herself while Joel and Tommy spoke alone. While Ellie showered, Maria left some fresh clothes for her, as well as a menstrual cup with instructions on how to use it, before heading out to get Ellie a winter coat.
She returned to her own house to find Ellie waiting for her, and insisted on giving her a haircut. While she trimmed Ellie's hair, she explained haircutting was just a hobby rather than her prior career, which she took up due to being a parent. When Ellie offered condolences for Maria's children due to seeing the names "Kevin" and "Sarah" on the memorial slate above the fireplace, Maria revealed that only Kevin was her child, and that Sarah was Joel's daughter. She quickly realized Ellie did not know Joel had a daughter, though Ellie brushed it off as she decided it explained things about him. She tried to warn Ellie that Joel had a past, but Ellie revealed she already knew and pushed back at Maria's attempts to condemn Joel for his actions. Impressed by Ellie's fortitude, Maria advised that she be careful who she trusts, as the people she trusts are the only ones who could betray her. She then invited Ellie to attend the town's movie night.
While watching the movie, Tommy approached her and another man to ask where Joel was; they told him he had gone to a workshop to spend time alone. Tommy left to go to see him. When Maria saw Tommy return, she sensed something was bothering him but she did not inquire what it was.[2]
Season 2[]
By December 2028, Maria remains on the Jackson council alongside her husband Tommy. She also cares for their son Benji. She takes him to visit Joel at his construction site. They talk privately, listening as Joel tells Benji about his work and fighting the infected while watching more refugees come into the town. Maria expresses concern to Joel that Jackson is not big enough for the increasing number of people. Joel responds that he is having his team build as fast as possible and even suggests they prioritize caring for those already in Jackson rather than increasing the number of refugees. However, Maria counters that Joel himself was a refugee once. Tommy arrives just as Joel sets to leave, Maria watching on with Benji in her arms.
The following day, she is called to the council meeting with Tommy upon learning that Ellie and Dina encountered a new variant of infected while on patrol. During their discussion, she remarks she feels something bad is coming to the town. Later at the dance, she intervened during Seth and Joel's conflict, taking Seth outside.[3]
In the morning, Maria learned from patrolmen Kylie and Max that they had spotted a thirty-strong infected horde hiding under the snow at Seven Cabins, causing her and the other councilmen to put the town on high alert. She also asked Jesse to collect Ellie for her and bring her to the Tipsy Bison, having arranged for Seth to apologize. She and Benji then watched Tommy give a speech about defence protocols to the Jackson residents in the area, telling Benji to congratulate Tommy on his speech. She then met Ellie and oversaw Seth's apology to her.
Later on, Tommy and Maria helped prepare defences at the main gate when the watchman alerted them that a horde of infected was charging at the town. She kissed Tommy goodbye as they took their positions, Tommy atop Jackson Hole gate while Maria met with her group atop a roof, arming herself with an assault rifle. After some time, Tommy eventually charged down the street, revealing the horde was about to breach the wall. As it did, Maria opened fire on the horde as it raced down main street.
During the skirmish, she noticed and shot at a bloater, causing it to roar at her. Tommy then charged down the street, drawing it towards himself, which Maria noticed. Seeing the horde breach the buildings and begin storming the rooftops, Maria pushed her way through the skirmish to reach the kennels. There, she unleashed their hounds, who proceeded to fight back against the infected as well. Eventually, they won the battle, killing all of the infected. Amidst the aftermath, she found Tommy, still alive, the pair collapsing into one another's arms.[4]
After the attack, Maria and Tommy learned that Joel had been murdered while on patrol by an unknown group. By April 2029, Maria remained on the council overseeing the rebuilding of Jackson. Tommy informed her that Ellie and Dina had knowledge about the whereabouts of Joel's killers. Following town policy, she arranged a public council meeting to allow Ellie and others to provide their opinions to the council. She kept a list of those speaking, trying her best to ensure people like Rachel and Carlisle spoke in the right order but struggled to stop Seth's outburst at the pair arguing against sending a group of sixteen patrolmen out to hunt Joel's killers. She then let Ellie speak, reacting when she argued Maria should vote for the proposal because of her history fighting for justice before the apocalypse. She then cast her vote and listened as Amy-Beth read them out, revealing the council had voted 8-3 against Ellie's request.[5]
Physical appearance[]
Maria was a short, middle-aged African-American woman with long black hair. She wore grey buttoned shirts, blue jeans and boots. When out on patrol, she also wore a Stetson and blue jacket along with gloves and a bandana to function as a mask to prevent survivors recognising her appearance. She also carried a sidearm in a holster on her person, though only when out patrolling.[2] She would also wield an assault rifle when defending Jackson Hole during attacks from infected hordes.[4]
Personality[]
Maria was a compassionate woman who was driven by a need to restore society to how it was before the Cordyceps outbreak. She consequently formed a community in Jackson, whose members respected and admired her, leading them to democratically elect her as one of their leaders on the council. In Maria's own words, she was driven to ensure the community functioned as a tribal form of communism, ensuring everyone worked equally in the town, that all faiths were respected and that all supplies were shared.
Maria's compassion drove her to forgive others and provide them a fresh start in the town if they proved they earned it, including Tommy. She instinctively cared for children, arranging movie nights for them to watch in the mess hall and took care of Ellie when spending time alone with her in her house. Tommy would even reflect that Maria and her group were "good people", reflecting how their community was much more selfless than many others that had formed in the post-apocalyptic America.
However, Maria was also cautious and wary of strangers. This led her to permit her patrolmen to ambush and kill any wandering survivors who proved hostile or were infected. She also forbade any use of radios to contact people outside of Wyoming for fear of hostile survivors finding out about Jackson and attacking it. This caution even stretched to Tommy's brother Joel, the woman trying to persuade Ellie to question her loyalty to the man, leading Joel to speculate that Maria did not like "the wrong sort of people". Indeed, Maria would not let residents carry weapons around the town and even established a jail in the former bank to deter residents from violence.[2]However, by 2028, she was much more open to letting strangers into the community, believing that many were refugees in need of a new settlement as theirs had fallen to infected hordes. She could also tell when people were lying, like Dina's lie of seeing Ellie's fight with a stalker.[3]
During the infected horde's invasion of Jackson, Maria showed her bravery, joining her fellow citizens atop the roofs to fight against the horde and personally pushed through it release the hounds when they were overwhelmed. She also displayed her leadership in combat, giving clear commands and leading her unit on the roof to fight back against the infected.[4]
Relationships[]
Tommy Miller[]
Maria was married to Tommy Miller and is the mother to his unborn child. Maria loved Tommy dearly, integrating him into the Jackson community and living with him, sharing a house together.
Maria subsequently had Tommy's trust, the man confiding in her about his time with the Fireflies and the terrible things he did to survive the apocalypse with his brother Joel. Maria understood his actions and forgave him for them, justifying for him that he only committed those acts because Joel had manipulated him into believing it was the only way to survive. Tommy, in turn, reflected this dedication back to her through honoring her wishes for him to cease radio contact with Joel.[2]
By 2028, the pair were still happily married. Their bond was even closer in their shared love for their son Benji.[3] She also was relieved to learn he survived the infected horde's attack on the town, the pairing holding each other close upon reuniting.[4]
Joel Miller[]
Maria initially had a hostile relationship with Joel, the woman having her men hold him at gunpoint in their first meeting. However, upon learning that he was Tommy's brother, she accepted him into her community in Jackson. Despite this hospitality, Maria sensed Joel's unease with her marrying his brother and having a child with him, which reminded Joel of his failure to save his daughter Sarah. Regardless, Maria understood his pain, having lost her own son before the outbreak.[2]
By 2028, Maria had accepted Joel into the community to serve as a patrolman and foreman. They still clashed despite this, with Maria pressing Joel to speed up expansion of the town to let in more refugees, which conflicted with Joel's protective nature of keeping refugees out to prioritize protecting the people already under their care. Maria wasn't afraid to point out Joel's hypocrisy, given he was only in Jackson because he also did not have anywhere else to go when he joined.[3]
Ellie Williams[]
Maria and Ellie were friendly with one another. Despite her initial hostility towards Ellie when first meeting, the pair got on well once within Jackson. Maria looked out for Ellie, providing her period products and cut her hair for her. She also tried to warn her about Joel's past, concerned that her time with Joel put her in great danger given the man's dark past.[2]
Behind the scenes[]
- Maria is portrayed by American actress Rutina Wesley.[1]
Gallery[]
Season 1[]
Official stills[]
Season 2[]
Promotional images[]
Official stills[]
Appearances[]
- HBO's The Last of Us
- Season 1
- Episode 6: "Kin" (first appearance)
- Season 2
- Episode 1: "Future Days"
- Episode 2: "Through the Valley"
- Episode 3: "The Path"
- Episode 6: "The Price" (flashback)
- Season 1
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Romano, Nick (January 9, 2023). "True Blood star Rutina Wesley's The Last of Us role confirmed in exclusive photo". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved January 9, 2023.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 HBO's The Last of Us season 1, episode 6: "Kin" (transcript)
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 HBO's The Last of Us season 2, episode 1: "Future Days" (transcript)
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 HBO's The Last of Us season 2, episode 2: "Through the Valley" (transcript)
- ↑ HBO's The Last of Us season 2, episode 3: "The Path" (transcript)
| Groups | |
|---|---|
| Austin | Connie Adler · Danny Adler · Denise · Javier Miller · Jimmy · Lauterstein · Mercy · Nana · Nasir · Sarah Miller · Tahira |
| Boston | |
| Cannibals | |
 FEDRA | |
 Fireflies | |
| Jackson community | Adam · Amy · Amy-Beth · Benji Miller · Caleb · Carlisle · Charlie · Dina · Dominique · Earl · Ellie Williams · Eugene Lynden · Gail Lynden · Jeanine · Jesse · Joel Miller · June · Kat · Kylie · Louie · Maria Miller · Marshall · Max · Rachel · Scott · Seth · Shimmer · Tommy Miller · Vanessa |
| Jakarta | |
| Kansas City | |
| Kansas City resistance | |
| Lincoln | |
| Omaha | |
 Seraphites | |
 WLF | Abby Anderson · Bonnie · Brancaccio · Burton · Elise Park · Hanrahan · Isaac Dixon · J. Pantella · Leon Park · Manny · Mel · Morello · Nora · Owen · Welsh |
| Wyoming | |
| Other characters | |