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In episode six of season two, Senator Mon Mothma (Genevieve O’Reilly) runs into a fairly significant Star Wars character at a gala party, this time, with someone new playing the role. Senator Bail Organa, famously portrayed by Jimmy Smits in several different projects, is now played by Benjamin Bratt (Traffic, Coco) in Andor. Bratt’s scene as Bail Organa in Andor is very brief, so we imagine if Lucasfilm is recasting such a major role, it’s because he’ll play a bigger part in future episodes. Given Bail Organa’s importance to the Rebel Alliance overall, seeing him again before it’s all over seems very likely.

Lucasfilm

Jimmy Smits first played the senator from Alderaan in a brief role in Star Wars: Episode II . Smits reprised the role of Bail Organa in a larger capacity in Star Wars: Episode III �� Revenge of the Sith. In that film, Bail Organa rescued Master Yoda and Obi-Wan Kenobi in the aftermath of Order 66. More importantly, Smit’s Bail Organa adopted the infant Leia, raising her as a princess in the royal house of Alderaan. Cut scenes from that movie show him . Jimmy Smits reprised the role in Rogue One, which canonically takes place after Andor, and again in Obi-Wan Kenobi. There, we see Bail Organa and his wife, Queen Breha, raising Princess Leia on Alderaan. But for unknown reasons, Jimmy Smits didn’t return to play Bail Organa in Andor.

Lucasfilm

This is actually not the first time Lucasfilm has recast this role, though. Bail Organa originally played a small role in Star Wars: Episode I �� The Phantom Menace. Actor Adrian Dunbar actually played the part in a sequence set in the Galactic Senate, but George Lucas cut those Bail Organa scenes. Still, Dunbar appeared as Bail Organa in various merchandise released for Episode I, such as sticker books. Smits then replaced him for Attack of the Clones. Bail Organa also appears several times in The Clone Wars and Rebels, voiced by Phil LaMarr, and not Smits. So Lucasfilm has already had multiple actors play the role of Bail Organa in the Star Wars world. The real question is, if Bail Organa is in Andor does this mean ? We’ll have to wait and find out.

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In the history of the Galactic Civil War in Star Wars, all roads lead back to the planet Ghorman. We’ve known this since the Star Wars Rebels season three episode “Secret Cargo.�� That episode depicted Senator Mon Mothma (Genevieve O’Reilly) renouncing her seat in the Senate, in reaction to something called “the Ghorman Massacre.�� This occurs about 1 BBY, or one year before in A New Hope. In season two of , we’ve known since the very first episode, events were pushing us to the Ghorman Massacre actually depicted for the very first time. But the idea of a Ghorman Massacre as a catalyst for rebellion goes all the way back to 1990.

Lucasfilm/Disney+

The first mention of a massacre on the planet Ghorman came from a rather unlikely source. It first appeared during “The Dark Times�� era, as fans call it, of the Star Wars fandom. From roughly 1984 to 1991, there was almost no new Star Wars stories. There were cartoons aimed at young kids, like Droids and Ewoks, plus a couple of TV movies about . But Marvel Comics canceled their Star Wars series in 1986, and there weren’t any new novels either. In a world littered with new Star Wars material, it’s hard to imagine that for years, there was almost nothing new. But one thing that did thrive in this era was West End Games�� Star Wars roleplaying game. In 1990, author Paul Murphy wrote West End Game’s Rebel Alliance Sourcebook, where the Ghorman Massacre was first mentioned.

Lucasfilm/West End Games

In that sourcebook, the event on Ghorman happened only one year after the declaration of Palpatine’s New Order. According to the Rebel Alliance Sourcebook, this massacre occurred when Governor Tarkin landed his starship on a group of protesters on Ghorman blocking its landing pad. At least dozens died, with hundreds more injured. The people of Ghorman, a wealthy planet, were protesting the new Imperial taxes placed on their world. In the original sourcebook timeline, this tragic event inspired Bail Organa to join Mon Mothma in plotting a rebellion. Of course, show that Bail and Mon organized even before the Empire was formally declared.

Lucasfilm/Fantasy Flight Games

Someone at Lucasfilm remembered the Ghorman Massacre from the RPG, however. In 2016, a new version of the infamous Ghorman Massacre became canon in the Fantasy Flight Games RPG sourcebook, Age of Rebellion: Forged in Battle. In this version, Lucasfilm canonized it as 2 BBY, two years before the events of Rogue One/A New Hope. �� confirmed this. Lucasfilm further canonized this in the novel The Rise and Fall of the Galactic Empire. The book confirmed the event as an Imperial massacre on the planet itself, not the death of Ghorman citizens elsewhere. But it was still unclear what the incident actually was, or if it had anything to do with Tarkin still.

Lucasfilm

Now, Andor showrunner Tony Gilroy has found a way to make all of these separate things work together to form one galvanizing event. In season two of Andor, when Cassian (Diego Luna) goes to Ghorman to check it out as a possible source of rebellion, he meets an employee of the fancy hotel he’s staying at. The man explains how as a child, he saw Tarkin land his ship on a crowd of protesters. This killed several of them, including his own father. In fact, his father died getting him out of harm’s way. A memorial now stands in the city’s main plaza to commemorate the fallen. What happened years earlier is never far from the minds of the Ghor who survived.

Andor just found a way to canonize that event from a 35-year-old roleplaying game once again. The event with Tarkin was a Ghorman Massacre, just not the Ghorman Massacre. At least, not the same one Mon Mothma spoke of in Rebels. Nor was it the one that is no doubt coming up later towards the end of Andor season two. Whatever happens next, it’s going to have to be significantly worse than Tarkin landing his ship on a crowd. It has to be something heinous enough, and large enough, that Mon Mothma puts her own life at risk, blaming the Emperor for it directly. This Ghorman Massacre will have to be the tragedy that unites the various rebel cells into the Alliance that . But it all began as detail in an RPG from over three decades ago.

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After an exceptionally intense episode two, The Last of Us season two brought us a third episode that felt somewhat more subdued. Still, we got to see a lot of interesting character development occur, including how Ellie is processing Joel’s death, the changing ways Dina feels about Ellie, and Tommy’s growing sense of responsibility for his late brother’s charge. Although not much action occurred in The Last of Us in this chapter of season two, there’s still a lot to process, nevertheless. Here’s our full recap of The Last of Us season two, episode three.

New Revelations From The Last of Us Season 2, Episode 3Ellie and Joel Didn’t Speak After She Yelled At Him at the DanceHBO

Ouch. We learn a seemingly painful truth from Ellie in The Last of Us season two, episode three. She and Joel never got real closure, at least, so she says. In a bid to get out of the hospital where she has been recovering after Joel’s death, Ellie tells Gail that after their New Year’s Day scrap, she and Joel never made up. “I got home, he was on the porch, and I should have talked to him, but I didn’t.�� She even says she regrets that.

That said, Ellie is lying to Gail about pretty much everything. She’s also lying in basically the whole episode. Could Ellie also be lying about her last conversation with Joel on The Last of Us? It’s possible, but for now we’ll have to take her at her word.

Ellie Is on a Mostly Solo Journey of Revenge, But Dina Comes with Her HBO

The wheels of revenge just keep turning on The Last of Us season two. Ellie is all healed up in the third episode of the second season and that means it’s time for revenge on Abby. Dina reveals she actually learned the names of Abby and her crew of Fireflies, AND she knows where they’re from. Dina reveals that she clocked the yellow W.L.F. patch (complete with an image of a wolf) on the bags of Joel’s killers. And Dina knows from Eugene that small regional groups across the country were all trying to fight FEDRA at some point, including the Washington Liberation Front out of Seattle. Ellie and Dina confide in Tommy, who insists the mission for revenge on Joel’s death be put to the town council.

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The council votes and rejects the proposal 8 to 3. But obviously, that doesn’t stop Ellie. She, with help from Dina and an unexpected source, saddles up and leaves Jackson, heading to Seattle to take on the W.L.F. Fireflies all by themselves. What could go wrong?

Seth Helps Ellie and Dina in The Last of Us Season 2, Episode 3HBO

Just a couple of episodes ago, during The Last of Us season two’s premiere, Seth was calling Ellie and Dina slurs. Now, it seems like he’s fully come around to the idea that was wrong and that Ellie and Dina are two people worth supporting. He stands up for the idea of revenge for Joel’s death at the Jackson council hearing as well. We’re not so sure Seth’s redemption arc was given the space it needed, but we kind of like Seth, so we’ll take it.

At the end of the day, Seth allows Ellie to go on her revenge trip to Seattle. Whether that’s a good or bad thing remains to be seen, but it’s what Ellie wants and needs more than anything. Seth gives Ellie and Dina two weeks�� worth hard tack, bandages, alcohol, medicine, and batteries for their journey. And that’s no small amount of resources in the material. He also says that he’d go with them, but he caught some friendly fire in the New Year’s Day attack. He and Ellie shake hands before she leaves, and it seems he’s at least tenously forgiven for now. Hopefully, he’s learned his lesson about being a hateful bigot.

Ellie and Dina Arrive in Seattle

In approximately 12 minutes of screentime or so, Ellie and Dina cross hundreds of miles and arrive to Seattle. We see them about nine miles from their destination at the end of episode three. Our first look at The Last of Us�� Seattle makes it seem fairly abandoned, there are decrepit cars and old FEDRA posters everywhere, and of course�� just a small massacre which we know to be done by the W.L.F.

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It’s quiet, Ellie and Dina note, too quiet. But hey, at least no one is shooting at them yet.

Seattle Is Not as Abandoned As Ellie and Dina Thought, and the W.L.F. is No Small GroupHBO

And, indeed, looks can be deceiving. In the last few minutes of The Last of Us season two, episode three, it becomes apparent Seattle is in fact teaming with the W.L.F. and its militia. There are checkpoints, an advanced military and security system, and guard towers with walkie-talkie communications in place. Most disconcertingly, the W.L.F. has working tanks and other vehicles, as well as a large standing army. GULP!

We don’t see Abby in Seattle, but we do see one of her crew, Manny, working for the W.L.F.

New Questions From The Last of Us Season 2, Episode 3What Is the Conflict Between the Scars and the W.L.F.? Are the Scars/Seraphites Innocent? HBO

In this episode, we briefly meet an old-fashioned kind of religious cult that seems to believe in a figure whom they call “The Prophet.�� They seem to have absconded from even post-apocalyptic technology, dressing themselves in medieval-feeling ways and using hammers to protect themselves. They claim to seek distance from war and are attacked by the W.L.F. We’ll call this group the Scars, but in The Last of Us video games, they are known as Seraphites.

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The W.L.F. appear to slaughter a group of peaceable Seraphites. And Abby and Dina conclude that Abby and her crew must have hurt the group. After what Abby did to Joel, we can’t say we blame them. However, we do feel that Abby spoke about the W.L.F. having a moral code to never harm the defenseless. Is she mistaken? Or are the Scars more involved in this “war�� than it seems.

Is Gail Right About Ellie in The Last of Us Season 2, Episode 3? HBO

“Some people just can’t be saved.�� That’s what Gail had to say to Tommy about Ellie. She notes, “Nurture can only do this much, the rest is nature. If she’s on a path, it’s not one Joel put her on. They were walking side by side from the very start.�� If so, Ellie is riding off to Seattle to meet a very sticky end. Can the cycle of revenge be broken? It doesn’t seem like it if The Last of Us season two, episode three is any indication. But we’ll hold out a little hope.

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When Will Ellie and Dina Finally Get Together?HBO

You can cut the sexual tension between Dina and Ellie like a knife. And so we have to ask, when, not if Dina and Ellie will get together. Dina claims she’s back with Jesse, but she also asks Ellie to rate her kissing abilities as someone who kisses girls. (Which Dina doesn’t do, of course.) Uhuh. We’d say, hurry up, you two, it’s the apocalypse. But we know queer women. Not even the apocalypse can hurry that yearning along.

airs Sundays at 9pm on Max and HBO.

Previous recaps: ,

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Next week on May 4, will debut at Disney+. Or at least it will debut in the real world on that date. In the virtual world, video game fans of the galaxy far, far away will get a two-day head start. a new collaboration. For the first-time ever a Disney+ series will have its exclusive premiere inside the digital landscape of Fortnite.

Lucasfilm/Epic Games

On May 2 at 10 am ET fans can watch the first two episodes of Dave Filoni’s new anthology series at the Star Wars Watch Party island in Fortnite. The virtual debut of the show within the game is part of what the companies are calling “their most expansive�� collaboration yet, as the digital debut of Star Wars: Tales of the Underworld is just one way the galaxy far, far away is expanding its presence in the game.

Disney and Epic are launching the first Star Wars-themed Battle Royale Season in Fortnite on May 2. Fortnite: Galactic Battle will “introduce new Star Wars content and gameplay to Battle Royale each week.�� Soon you’ll be able to play as Darth Jar Jar or Emperor Palpatine and pilot X-wings and TIE Fighters. The season will then end with “an epic in-game live event, Death Star Sabotage.��

In a statement, Adam Sussman, President, Epic Games, said this is just the start of something new. “Disney and Epic are pioneering the future of social entertainment together, and this expansive Star Wars collaboration offers a glimpse into the type of interactive experiences we envision. We are reimagining what’s possible with immersive storytelling in Fortnite with one of the world’s most beloved franchises �� stay tuned for a lot more to come.”��

Lucasfilm/Epic Games

Viewers/players can also get a head start on this galactic team-up by linking their Epic Games and . Eligible players who do “will unlock a First Order Stormtrooper Outfit to further celebrate the upcoming Star Wars season of Battle Royale.�� After that there will are “more benefits to come.��

What could the future hold for Star Wars and Fortnite? Who knows! Imagine telling yourself ten years ago an actual Star Wars show would debut inside a video game? That won’t even make sense to some people now.

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For 40 years now, has remained one of the most beloved films of all time. Characters like Michael J. Fox’s Marty McFly and Christopher Lloyd’s Doc Brown remain iconic, as does the DeLorean time machine. Although Back to the Future spawned two follow-up films, don’t ever expect another sequel, reboot, or spin-off. At least not according to original screenwriter Bob Gale. According to a report in while at Fan Fest Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood, Gale was asked again about the franchise continuing on. And his answer was a big fat NO. Here’s what he had to say:

I don’t know why they keep talking about that! I mean, do they think that if they say it enough times, we’re going to actually do it? I mean, it’s like they know in every interview people say, ‘Oh Bob, when is there going to be a ��Back to the Future 4��?�� Never. ‘When is there going to be a prequel?�� Never. ‘When is there going to be a spinoff?�� Never. It’s just fine the way it is. It’s not perfect, but as Bob Zemeckis used to say, ‘It’s perfect enough.��

Universal Pictures

Gale also credited Back to the Future producer Steven Spielberg for keeping Universal from continuing the franchise in any way, using the same pressure he used to ensure that E.T. never got a sequel, . Given the massive amount of fans of all ages who showed up in Back to the Future cosplay for Fan Fest Night, it’s positively astonishing that the film has retained this level of cultural relevancy without a single new film or TV spinoff in 35 years. It’s hard to think of anything comparable. Of course, there has been one successful spin-off, of a sort. And , currently touring the globe. The question remains, how long can Gale, Zemeckis, and Spielberg keep Universal from turning that into a movie?

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Dexter will never die, apparently. . But wait, there’s more. There is yet another new sequel series, Dexter: Resurrection, that will have Michael C. Hall return to his infamous role yet again. Yes, we are also wondering how this will happen but we are along for the ride. Thankfully, we won’t have to wait long because, according to this Dexter: Resurrection teaser trailer, the series is coming on July 11.

In addition to Hall, it also sounds like this spinoff will have an incredible cast.

We get to see the cast in Dexter: Resurrection‘s new images:

Click To View Gallery SHOWTIME SHOWTIME SHOWTIME SHOWTIME SHOWTIME SHOWTIME SHOWTIME SHOWTIME SHOWTIME SHOWTIME SHOWTIME SHOWTIME Dexter: Resurrection‘s Cast

The newest star to join the cast of Dexter: Resurrection is Nerdist favorite David Dastmalchian. Dastmalchian will play the role of “Gareth�� and will be a guest star on the show.

Neil Patrick Harris was also announced to guest star on Dexter: Resurrection in the role of “Lowell.�� He joined Krysten Ritter as a part of the series. The Marvel’s Jessica Jones actress will play the role of “Mia�� in the series. No other information is yet available.

Also part of the cast is Peter Dinklage. Dinklage will play Leon Prater, a character as “a billionaire venture capitalist. To the world, Leon is a generous philanthropist, but behind his polished exterior lies dark intrigue.�� Sounds like a great role for Dinklage.

In addition to the star studded list of names above, Uma Thurman will have a starring role in Dexter: Resurrection. According to , she will portray Charley, the Head of Security for a mysterious billionaire named Leon Prater. Charley is a former Special Ops officer who worked for high-level private security jobs before taking on her position under Prater.

What Is Dexter: Resurrection �����dzܳ�?��Paramount+/SHOWTIME

There aren’t many details about Dexter: Resurrection at this time. According to Variety, it takes place in modern day and is a follow-up to 2021’s Dexter: New Blood, which took place ten years after the original show’s events. This is very, very interesting, considering Dexter literally died at the end of New Blood. The name of this new series is very on the nose, indeed. 

“We are thrilled to have the brilliant Michael C. Hall reprise his iconic role as Dexter Morgan in Showtime’s most successful series ever,�� said Chris McCarthy, Paramount Global Co-CEO, about Dexter: Resurrection. “While Dexter: Resurrections will appeal to the tens of millions of longtime fans, Dexter: Original Sin will introduce a whole new generation of viewers into this iconic series by starting from the beginning, which is sure to satisfy existing audiences as well.��

What Is the Release Date for Dexter: Resurrection and Dexter: Original Sin?

Dexter: Resurrection will hit Paramount+ with SHOWTIME on July 11.

Originally published in 2024.

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Now You See Me isn’t an extensive heist film franchise. But it is one of the most fun ones to watch and experience. The cast is top-notch, the tricks are brilliant, and the films feed into our collective love for magic and daring stunts. The last film, Now You See Me 2, came out way back in 2016 and we’ve been craving a sequel since then. Thankfully, it is coming this year. The trailer for the franchise’s third installment, Now You See Me: Now You Don’t, pulls the biggest stunt of all. 

Predictably, this sequel brings back the infamous Four Horsemen. But there’s also a new generation of illusionists on the block who are making money and their mark on adoring fans. J. Daniel Atlas appears to them with a mission to pull off the biggest trick of all.

Apparently, the other Horsemen are at odds with them. This one involves swiping the infamous Hart diamond from the Vanderbergs, a crime family selling diamonds and laundering money. The trailer for Now You See Me: Now You Don’t brings the other Horsemen into the fold, totaling eight magicians to take down two global crime collectives. This sounds like a lot of fun.

And it feels like none of the previous actors ever left their roles. Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Dave Franco, Isla Fisher, and Morgan Freeman reprise their previous characters alongside newcomers Justice Smith, Dominic Sessa, Lizzy Caplan, Ariana Greenblatt, and .

What Is the Release Date for Now You See Me: Now You Don’t?��Lionsgate

Now You See Me: Now You Don’t on November 14, 2025.

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Police procedurals will never, ever get old, apparently. There’s something about digging into that dark and complex world of drugs, crime, and drama that audiences love. Back in the late ��80s, there was Miami Vice (1984-1989), which deviated from the typical procedural format and drenched it in pop culture and stylish visuals. It didn’t have the longevity of the others, but it did produce one film adaptation in 2006. Now, a new Miami Vice film adaptation is in the works with Universal with Top Gun: Maverick director Joseph Kosinski at its helm. 

Universal Television

According to , Dan Gilroy will pen the film’s script. We know that Gilroy, who happens to be Tony Gilroy’s brother (Andor), knows the action world well. He wrote Nightcrawler as well as The Bourne Legacy starring Matt Damon. Right now, things are in the very early stages so we don’t know who will star in this film. The 2006 film by Michael Mann had Colin Farrell and Jamie Foxx in the leading roles.

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While it is not impossible for either of them to return in some capacity, it is likely there will be two new leads for this film. Aaron Taylor-Johnson seems to be in everything these days, so ya might as well throw him in there. It is also not clear if this film will be set in the ��80s or in modern times. It would be kind of fun to make it a period piece that pays homage to the TV series. We will keep our eyes peeled for more information about this new Miami Vice film adaptation.

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I am certainly not going to blow any minds by saying the Marvel Cinematic Universe has had some ups and downs in the past five years. While always a box office fixture, the quality of the offerings has varied wildly since Avengers: Endgame, both in theaters and on Disney+. We know the franchise is heading , but even with that, it feels exceptionally rudderless. That’s how, in a matter of a couple of months, we can go from the unfocused, to the relatively intimate, moodier Thunderbolts*. Like one of its main characters, it’s a night-and-day change.

Marvel Studios

After the film’s initial announcement and its early trailers, I was a bit concerned Thunderbolts* would be far too esoteric for the average viewer. Its roster of undeserving heroes consisted of supporting or even ancillary figures in a couple of Marvel’s more ignominious titles. Luckily for us and for the studio, one of those figures is the insanely watchable Florence Pugh and another is basically the MCU’s last-standing OG, and most popular character in Sebastian Stan’s Bucky Barnes. Focusing on Pugh’s Yelena Belova’s search for meaning in the repetitive world of assassination for hire is the perfect “in�� for a directionless franchise badly in need of a North Star.

As you’ve no doubt seen in Thunderbolts* trailers and such, the film follows Yelena as she has lost her lust for life after her sister Natasha’s death several years back. She’s fed up with the wetwork she does for CIA Director Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus, fully unleashed). Valentina is facing a House impeachment hearing for her nefarious and illegal activities with Junior Representative James Buchanan Barnes (Stan) as a major instigator. Val gives Yelena one final mission, and then she’s out and can do more public-facing good.

Marvel Studios

The trouble is, Val has given a similar mission to several of her operatives, including Ava Starr (Hannah John-Kamen), John F. Walker (Wyatt Russell), and Antonia Dreykov (Olga Kurylenko). They all show up at a facility, each tasked with taking out one of the others. Soon realizing this has all been a set-up for Val to get rid of evidence, the four along with the mysterious Bob (Lewis Pullman) attempt to escape and go into hiding. Yelena’s father Alexei (David Harbour) shows up to help and Bucky eventually recruits them all to perhaps take down Val once and for all in Thunderbolts*. But other stuff, including Bob’s wild and unchecked powers, get in the way.

I was pleasantly surprised by how straightforward the narrative for Thunderbolts* is. It’s a much smaller, more character-focused film than I had figured, which I think is absolutely to its benefit. Director Jake Schreier’s previous work on TV series like Beef and indie movies like Robot & Frank translates to a movie that, for once, doesn’t have the glossy fakeness of a lot of recent MCU movies. Sure, we get the prerequisite potential world-ending crisis, but overall the action is more grounded, the scenes lit more realistically, and the story focusing on the feelings of isolation and unworthiness that plague Yelena and the others. These aren’t good people, but they’re all pretty tired of doing bad. Finding yourself without station in life is exceedingly relatable in these ever-worsening times.

Marvel Studios

Thunderbolts* is certainly not without quips and snark, but with a couple of exceptions, they fit the vibe of the movie. Good as the performances are in general, I grew very tired of Val’s spin-doctoring and especially of Alexei’s “I’m a loud Russian stereotype!�� schtick. The more serious relationship moments between Yelena and Alexei are among the movie’s best scenes, but they’re fewer and further between than you’d hope. Pugh and Pullman really maintain the movie’s central battery, and it’s on them that the movie finds its heart, even amid the typical superhero fights.

I was not bowled over with joy watching Thunderbolts*, nor was I annoyed and overwhelmed by mess. This is not an MCU film like Brave New World that feels so reshot and stitched together as to be dizzying. I think it’s in the upper-half, maybe even top quarter, of Phase 4 and 5 movies. Five has certainly been stronger overall, it just happened to have two of the biggest stinkers. I like that we get a movie like Thunderbolts* that doesn’t feel like it only exists to check a box until the next big event. Its aspirations are to tell a story about side characters having to take the lead, and I very much vibed with that.

Putting character over spectacle helps Thunderbolts* achieve its goals nicely while never quite reaching for anything greater. But sometimes that’s enough.

Thunderbolts* �� (3.5 of 5)

Kyle Anderson is the Senior Editor for Nerdist. He hosts the weekly pop culture deep-dive . You can find his . Follow him on .

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I wrote that Gabriel Luna’s Tommy Miller is “a much bigger, more important part of the show�� than he was during season one. I also said the show asks Luna “to do a lot, and he’s excellent with everything he has to carry.�� Now viewers have had a chance to see exactly why I sang his praises. In the season’s stunning second episode Luna was essentially an action star. Tommy led the commune’s defense against the infected horde . The fallout to that attack and Joel’s death then posed a very different challenge for the actor.

What was it like filming season two’s emotional third episode? I got a chance to speak to Luna about that, Tommy’s evolution on , how he views his character versus the way Joel did, and the emotional toll of working on “The Path.��

HBO

Nerdist: One of the things that really bothers me about modern television and long waits between seasons is that audiences, understandably, forget a lot of what happened previously. In your case, I think it’s really easy for viewers to tune into season two, see Tommy as a leader in Jackson, and forget that we once knew him entirely as a screwup and a follower. So I’m wondering how much of Tommy’s past is framing his thoughts and actions now?

Gabriel Luna: First of all, who hasn’t gotten a little drunk and knocked out a guy in a bar for putting his hands on the waitress? So, screwup? Yeah, I mean, you’re probably right. But he also always had his heart in the right place. That’s why he has made the choices that have landed him in Jackson. That landed him a beautiful wife who is a great leader and heroic and inspiring. That led to his beautiful growing family. His heart being in the right place and giving him a sense of direction and a sense of purpose is what led him to the present moment and allowed him to have the readiness to take on what eventually befell Jackson. He’s always had it in him to be that leader. It just came with time and maturity and experience.

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Joel said Tommy would bounce from group to group as a follower. How much of what we see in season two is Tommy being this new person that he’s grown into, and how much, if any, is it him sort of fighting back against who he might naturally have been?

Luna: The idea of being a follower is kind of Joel’s perspective, right? Because it’s a way of [Joel] making it right in his heart that his brother left him. And the truth of it, at least the truth of it to Tommy, is less following others and more being of service to others. That goes with his military background, which informs his current position as the head of the security council in Jackson. But at the same time, he’s doing it in service of the city. He’s doing it in service of his wife who’s our elected representative. So he’s not actually rebelling against any of his nature. He’s actually kind of falling in sync with what his nature is, which is to be of service to others.

HBO

We’re going to talk about episode three, but to do that we have to go back to episode two. Episode two is essentially an action movie where you’re running around fighting infected. Episode three is the fallout, which is a lot more contemplative. What type of story do you find more challenging as an actor to film? Which one do you find more fun? The one that requires a lot of physical work or the one that’s a little bit quieter?

Luna: First of all, it’s all fun for me. Even the darker moments. It’s all very fun to get in there with your castmates and dig into it. I love aspects of all of it. I love the action aspects. And I love just acting as it’s most true when you’re just doing. It’s not about acting, it’s about doing. And a well-crafted action set piece with meaningful action and meaningful beats for why things are happening, reasons why rounds are being squeezed off, reasons why punches are thrown, reasons why you have to incinerate a giant monster with the flame, it all has to be lines in the script that ring true the same way if you’re trying to elicit an emotional response with a line of dialogue. It has to be the same with every punch thrown.

So when it is really well crafted, it’s kind the purest form of acting. It’s just kind of being and doing. And it certainly makes it feel very, very real on the day.

HBO

All of the quieter moments, those are really challenging because where the action is kind of cause-and-effect, once you get into those quieter moments there’s just infinite possibilities of how it can all play out, how one reacts. That can be daunting at times when you’re in preparation. But then when you’re there on the day with incredible scene partners like Bella Ramsey and Catherine O’Hara, and Isabella Merced and Pedro Pascal, it’s just alleviates all concerns, man. All kinds of worries and fear go out the window because those are really incredible people just to sit across from and to live together with. So yeah, both have their challenges and their gifts, but both are always fun.

You say those quieter moments can be daunting but that you have other scene actors, except your first scene in this episode is as quiet as it gets and you don’t have someone with you. It’s when you go to clean your brother’s body. How did you prepare for that scene? What are you bringing into that scene to get into that mind frame?

Luna: That was directed by Peter Hoar, who’s an incredible director and handles the emotional moments of the show really, really well. He directed “Long, Long Time,�� the episode with Nick (Offerman) and Murray (Bartlett) last season.

I had to be careful because in rehearsal it was already all coming out and I was trying to pace myself. He had several different shots that we had planned and I asked Peter to come in tight first. I wanted to get that heavy lifting out of the way. I was trying not to get all worked up about it, because I knew how important it was. And trying to design it in your head and prepare for what it’s going to be is only going to push you further away from what it needs to be.

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So I just tried to relax and I went outside and I was kind of welling up already, just standing outside the door because I’m standing in the middle of the street. That whole set that you see is real. I mean, that whole town is there. And I remember standing outside the door of the restaurant, which opens up into a fully working interior of the mess hall, and my eyes were starting to water. But there’s fire burning everywhere all around me. So it started to just dry up all this emotion, and I’m just thinking about all these weird technical aspects of things. All of that is swirling in my head. Then I walk through the door and it all just completely evaporates because it’s just me and the scene. And, of course, 50 crew members and a camera and everything else.

But I walk up to that body and what came to mind was being at my grandfather’s funeral in 2013 where I was asked to go into the immediate family only viewing of the body. At the time, I was the only one there. He’d lost both of his sons, he’d been divorced. And I was his sole heir. So when it came to immediate family, it was just me. I remember that being the true life experience that was flashing through my head as we were doing the scene in episode three.

But yeah, the more preparation I tried to do on that scene, the further I got from what I wanted. And once I just kind of relaxed and eased into it, all of the memories and all of the inspiration kind of came.

HBO

One of the reasons I’ve been so drawn to your performance this year is I think it’s really nuanced. Tommy has taken on this leadership role and he’s trying to keep things under control, but there are these moments where the mask of cool and calm sort of slides off. That comes up with Ellie when she says Joel would already be going out after Abby. Tommy snaps at her, “Don’t talk to me like I didn’t know him.�� What is it about that moment that pushes the veil of calm off for a moment? What is it about that interaction that pushes him too far?

Luna: It’s great writing first. But I’ve so often gotten to be the fun uncle Tommy, while Joel was taking all the disciplinary actions. But now she’s mine. She’s my charge and she’s mine to look after. And she’s a young adult and is going to do what she wants. But in that scene, I have the first moment of having a teaching moment with her that isn’t about training. It’s more about the central thesis of our relationship and our family and what the dynamics are now. Because when you lose somebody abruptly like that, all the family dynamics shift and everyone has a different place and they have different responsibilities. People pick up where the loved one they lost would have, with tasks that they would’ve been assigned with.

So I think it’s that. You see the first flashes of what it is to be Ellie’s paternal figure in her life. And sometimes the young pups need to be nipped at, so that they can understand what the reality is of certain situations.

HBO

You have another one of my favorite scenes in this episode. It’s the scene with Catherine O’Hara, which . But I want to know what it’s like when you’re sitting there with Catherine O’Hara, a legend, and she’s absolutely crushing it in that role. What’s it like trying to do your job and be in the moment while also watching this incredible fellow performer?

Luna: She and I worked on the same HBO movie 16 years ago in Austin, Temple Grandin. I was just a day player, and we didn’t have a scene together, but we were in the hair and makeup trailer together. We had a really lovely conversation back then. She was so kind and welcoming. The only regret I had is that I wasn’t working with her that day. It took 16 years, but it came around and the experience was everything I would’ve hoped it would be.

HBO

She’s a master. She’s an absolute master. And it is those who have that funny bone and have that comedic sensibility that are always the greatest dramatic actors, because they embody the truth of life. It’s that it’s always both. It’s always good and evil, it’s always happy and sad. The extremes are always happening all at once. And she has that. That’s what makes her exciting to watch and unpredictable. You know that the pendulum can swing to the maximum in both directions.

I remember limping around all that day. We had finished all the action stuff and foolishly, I went to the gym and started pushing sleds without adequately stretching. My legs were super tight from just running around in cowboy boots, my calves were super tight. I was doing sled pushes at the gym and then feeling a strain in my calf. And so the whole day, I remember just hobbling around and grabbing my guitar and playing “Take Me Out to the Ballgame�� because we were at the little league field, but we just had some really wonderful chats in between takes. Then just she goes into it, and seeing all the little tiny micro expressions that she has, the twinkle in her eyes of just somebody who’s seen the other side, she’s incredible. I treasure those moments.

HBO

Tommy knows Ellie really well. He says you’re basically exactly like my brother, and he knows him better than anybody. So by not keeping an eye on her immediately, was Tommy tacitly letting her sneak out of Jackson?

Luna: I’m sure Tommy’s got his hands full with Benjamin, his son, his wife, and everything else. But I think it’s still a matter he was able to see that she’s an adult before Joel was. And that’s why I’m the one that takes her shooting. I’m the one that takes her out riding. I was the one to see the warrior that she is, and the adult she’s become, before he was. And he was still trying to hold onto this to the young girl and the daughter that she is the. So I’m a little bit more ready to let her choose her path.

I don’t think I consciously knew she was going to take off that night and turned a blind eye. It’s that Tommy has a better understanding of who she is as an adult and that she’s left untethered because she is her own person.

Mikey Walsh is a staff writer at Nerdist who has never knocked someone out in a bar. You can follow him on . And also anywhere someone is ranking the Targaryen kings.

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