Bella Ramsey Delves Into Ellie’s Response to Being Infected in ‘The Last of Us’
HBO’s acclaimed show, The Last of Us, has become one of the most discussed topics in recent times. Adapting from its namesake PlayStation game, Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann – who were also responsible for creating it – have maintained true to the source material with incredible precision. Here too credit goes to the performers because they so skilfully embodied both playable and non-playable characters alike!
Following the broadcast of Left Behind, Bella Ramsey commented on how viewers responded to Ellie’s understanding that she has been infected. After Joel (Pedro Pascal) is hurt by raiders at Colorado University, Ellie strives to locate supplies that could aid him. In both the 2014 game and in this season’s show, a flashback discloses the means through which she received her infection.
As Riley (Storm Reid) and Ellie head to the mall for a special night out, their plans abruptly end in disappointment when they encounter an Infected. Despite her character’s fear of being infected as shown in the video game, Storm brought a different emotion to life on-screen that was nothing short of remarkable.
Discussing Ellie’s response to her virus infection, Ramsey told Variety that because she didn’t witness the actual reaction, she just abided by what was written in the scripts.
“I hadn’t seen that bit of gameplay, and I’m really glad that I didn’t. I became aware after that I reacted differently to how Ellie reacts in the game. I think it was maybe more explosive, and there was more anger, rather than fear. I think that Ellie’s response is such intense emotion that she doesn’t know what to do with. It becomes very outward and expressive and explosive. That was really cool. I was very much trusting Craig and Liza [Johnson], the director, to guide me in that way. I loved that scene. I love scenes where you get to feel things really intensely, because you don’t often get the chance to do that in a super safe space. To get that chance was awesome.”
The fiery fury of Ellie – the same teenage attitude we fell in love with this season – is how she reacts to her infection. We hope that such rage will drive her to find help for Joel and contribute to their continuation of the journey. Despite being a faithful adaptation, creators Mazin and Druckmann are not afraid to make changes when necessary for a more powerful story-telling experience. The Jackson settlement modification in episode six is just one more demonstration of the show’s sheer brilliance. All things considered, this series continues to astound viewers.
Don’t miss Sunday’s must-see episode of The Last of Us! See the sneak peek below and be sure to tune in for all the exciting action.
Micajah McGregor, Editor in Chief of FanFest.com and renowned entertainment journalist, graduated from USC with a focus on Journalism and Film Studies. With an MBA from The Wharton School, he began his career at “PopCulture Pulse” and has been instrumental in shaping FanFest into a prime entertainment news source. Known for his financial analysis of celebrity net worths, Micajah received the ‘Digital Editor of the Year’ award in 2018. He’s also an active blogger, sharing his passion for superhero films and ’90s TV. Contact him at [email protected] for engaging entertainment insights.
