With HBO's The Last of Us season 1 in the rearview mirror, Bella Ramsey will soon be busy with season 2 of the hit apocalyptic drama. Even with production for season 2 beginning soon, it sounds like Ramsey still has plenty of thoughts about the events of season 1 and its ending.
The Last of Us season 1 ended with Pedro Pascal's Joel saving Ramsey's Ellie from the clutches of the Fireflies, who were preparing to surgically remove Ellie's brain, attempting to create a vaccine. After shooting through the old hospital and killing Marlene, Joel took Ellie back to the commune where his brother Tommy lives. On the way, Ellie asked Joel what happened; rather than telling her the truth, Joel made up a story about an attack on the hospital that forced him to save Ellie from raiders. The events leading up to the final shot are also nearly identical to what happens in the Last of Us game, including Joel's decision, which will spell trouble for him later.
In an interview with L'Officiel, Ramsey revealed their thoughts on The Last of Us season 1's ending. When asked what they would do if put in Joel's position, Ramsey answered, "It depends on who the person was and it depends on how messed up humanity is, but I can see why Joel did what he did. Me as Bella, I’m not mad about it or mad at him, but Ellie is mad obviously because [being the cure] was her purpose. That’s what she was. She felt like she actually mattered and, ironically, Joel took away that purpose from her because she mattered so much to him." Ramsey was then asked what they thought Ellie would have done in that situation, to which Ramsey answered, "I think she would have saved Joel, which would have been even more stupid because Joel’s pretty old."
Ramsey also touched on what they hope to see for Ellie in The Last of Us season 2. Ramsey didn't have specific ideas, saying, "I’m very open to anything. I’m looking forward to seeing how Craig and Neil adapt the story of the second game into another season. What I’m actually looking forward to is fighting more, but that’s just for me, not really for Ellie." Those who've played the second game know that Ramsey will have the chance for a lot more combat in season 2 and the following seasons.
While season 1 adapted the entirety of the first game, showrunners Neil Druckmann and Craig Mazin have stated that season 2 will only be the first season to adapt the second game. Given the larger scope of The Last of Us - Part II, it makes sense for them to take more time adapting the game's events. The decision has also had fans wondering how long the show will take to reach certain milestones in The Last of Us 2 - particularly Joel's death. Although it's garnered praise for its writing, visual effects, and acting, the show's popularity is due in no small part to Pascal's performance. While Joel's death happens fairly early in the second game, Druckmann and Mazin could plan to give Joel more on-screen time to keep one of the stars as involved as possible. Druckmann and Mazin proved they're willing to stray from the game's cannon by changing Bill and Frank's story. For now, it seems like fans must wait to see what awaits Joel and Ellie
The Last of Us season 1 is available to stream now on HBO Max.
Source: L'Officiel