Storm Reid, who debuted on HBO's The Last of Us in episode 7 as Riley, has some advice for the haters who endlessly shout about seeing gay people in the hit series. After a recent episode provided a poignant look at a non-straight romance, some fans took it personally and lashed out. But Reid is having none of it.
The latest episode of The Last of Us saw the series retell the story of the Left Behind prequel story seen as DLC in the original The Last of Us video game. In it, viewers were introduced to the new character of Riley, who went through a short but incredibly emotional time with Ellie (Bella Ramsey) before the events of the show's main story. The episode openly and unambiguously features a budding romance between the two young girls that further helps to develop Ellie as a character. But based on reactions to a previous episode that also focused on a gay love story, it looks like the actress behind Riley herself wants to get out ahead of the inevitable resurgence of hate.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Reid spoke out about homophobic fans, and she has no time for that kind of pointless anger. "Like Bella said when episode 3 came out: If you don't like it, don't watch," she said, mentioning comments Ramsey had previously made on the subject. "We are telling important stories. We're telling stories of people's experiences, and that's what I live for. That's what makes good storytelling because we are telling stories of people who are taking up space in the world."
Ramsey recently came out as nonbinary, which possibly makes the nontraditional love story of episode 7 feel all the more personal for her. It looks like Reid feels similarly. "It's 2023. If you're concerned about who I love, then I need you to get your priorities straight," she continued, speaking about the recent episode. "There are so many other things to worry about in life. Why are you concerned that these young people — or anybody — love each other? Love is beautiful, and the fact that people have things to say about it, it's just nonsense."
The Last of Us seems like it wants to help normalize the idea that love is love, regardless of gender, sex, or similar attributes. It appears to be a big reason why the director didn't want fans to realize The Last of Us episode 3 was a gay love story right away. It didn't stop the homophobic masses from flaring their nostrils. But for those with more open minds who, perhaps, just so happen to have been sheltered, seeing stories like this in mainstream entertainment can go a long way in proving that it's all the same love.
Folks in the LGBTQ+ community want to exist in peace, the same as everyone else. Bill and Frank's story in The Last of Us may have been tragic, as is that of Riley and Ellie. But even sad endings can be beautiful, and they can make the journey to get there all the more impactful. If straight people can get stories like that throughout history, why not everyone else?
The Last of Us airs new episodes Sundays on HBO and HBO Max.
Source: Entertainment Weekly
