I like Melanie Lynskey in the other movies she starred in. Unfortunately, Melanie didn't feel convincing & threatening enough to be a vindictive rebel leader. IMO, if someone else like Anna Torv (as Tess) switched roles with Melanie Lynskey, it probably would have been a better fit for Anna Torv to be playing as the rebel leader and Melanie playing as Tess; it feels a lot more convincing. However, Anna was great as Tess too because she was able to convey a soft & tough exterior -- the qualities to pull-off the character of Tess!
I think it's Melanie's soft-spoken voice & the fact that I've seen her acted in more timid-like characters, which is the reason why I think she failed to convince me that she was right for the role as a rebel leader. Maybe I need to watch more future TLOU episodes for Melanie Lynskey to prove that she has the rebelliousness & leadership qualities that are required to play the role of a vindictive rebel leader, to get me to change my mind.
Besides the miscasting, I have enjoyed all the episodes thus far!