I think Tess and Maria would have a hard time getting along when it comes to certain topics. Like what's best for Ellie.

Tess might be a bit repulsed by the whole memorial board for Kevin and Sarah since she never brings her own child up, and Maria might find her far too lax in what she'll let Ellie get up to.

It'd be a while to find common ground that isn't mocking the Miller boys.

i lovingly and respectfully disagree!! i personally think tess and maria are incredibly similar and would think/act tbe same in terms of prioritizing ellie and her safety. of course there would be that initial period of mistrust and maybe even dislike because maria is overprotective and a lil bit overstepping in her efforts to look out for ellie and tommy, and meanwhile joel/tess together would likely be a very closed off and on edge regarding what maria thinks of them because she has power over their access to jackson’s resources and ellie

i think once trust is built (which i know a lot of people imagine to be slow but i really think would i least feel somwhay quick because, let’s be real—personalitu wise, joel and tess would both be great friends with maria. she is practical and takes no shit and can handle someone like tommy; the main thing that puts them at odds with eachother are their circumstances and lack of being open familiar with each other’s pasts. in jackson their circumstances are different, and in my experience, you can get to know the truth of someone’s past enough to change your perspective on them or deepen your respect within a matter of a few conversations. joel and sam knew eachother only for a short time but undoubtedly developed a bond as parents within however many days, and they were strangers. i think both joel and tess (who i already imagine would be trying to make peace with maria at least for practical reasons) would warm to maria quickly once she sees how much they care for ellie, which would be obvious from the start. i think @hypnotisedfireflies work “the ensemble” maria pt. 1 chapter explores this dynamic so beautifully, it’s one of my favorite depictions of maria and tess

i also think tess would actually be the more strict parent between her and joel, just as maria is the strict one between her and tommy. as tough as the killer boys like to say they are, they’re both a suck for puppy eyes and are far more likely to fall for ellie’s teenager tricks. i think they’d have a lot of fun getting together for coffee once a week and bonding over the beautiful chaos of having the millers in their lives