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Unscripted Scene Between James and Ellie was Cut from ‘The Last of Us’ Episode 8

After a lengthy journey of experimenting with different approaches, HBO’s “The Last of Us” series has finally demonstrated the ability to strike an optimal balance between staying true to its roots while making necessary adjustments that would best suit television. Consequently, this allowed for both renditions – video game and TV show- to gain recognition in their own right due to their unique advantages and disadvantages.

In an admirable effort to remain faithful to its source material, the show employed a technique that we would love for other adaptations to duplicate. Not only did “The Last of Us” feature new actors in Joel Miller, Ellie Williams and their fellow survivors’ roles, but it also presented Merle Dandridge with another chance to embody Marlene -one of the series’ most intricate characters- while Jeffery Pierce reprised his role as Tommy by portraying one of Kathleen’s (Melanie Lynskey) soldiers who is later ravaged by a bloater. Ashley Johnson was given the opportunity to play Anna, Ellie’s (Bella Ramsey) mother, bringing the character to life in more ways than one.

Troy Baker, who famously portrayed Joel, was able to showcase his acting range in the penultimate episode of the show by playing James—a cannibal from David’s (Scott Shepherd) clan. In an interview with Deadline, he praised Bella Ramsey as a talented and skillful scene partner, saying “they’re so skilled; it’s scary.” He also revealed that there existed a powerful but uncut scene between him and Ramsey that unfortunately didn’t make the final cut for this episode.

Unscripted Scene Between James and Ellie was Cut from 'The Last of Us' Episode 8
The Last of Us takes place 20 years after modern civilization has been destroyed. Joel, a hardened survivor, is hired to smuggle Ellie, a 14-year-old girl, out of an oppressive quarantine zone. What starts as a small job soon becomes a brutal and heartbreaking journey as they both must traverse the U.S. and depend on each other for survival.

‘They’re so talented; it’s scary’

Gaming fanatics and veteran actors alike know Baker for his expansive list of VA credits. As is befitting to his eclectic tastes, he portrays a complex character in the HBO adaptation of “The Last of Us,” differing substantially from Joel. He carries out one particularly ruthless scene alongside David; attempting to snuff Ellie after she refuses induction into their cult faction. Afterward, when asked about it, Baker gushed over Ramsey’s strength demonstrated by taking us through an exclusive cutscene from the show! Baker told Deadline:

“Here is something that people will never see that just exists for my own benefit, and I both love that and hate it because they’re so talented; it’s scary. So, Ellie is in this cage, and this is a scene that ended up getting cut because we didn’t need it. David is having this conversation with Ellie, and then he gets interrupted by my character. James comes in and asks, ‘Can I have a minute?’ And David’s like, ‘Yeah.’ So, David leaves, and in this scene, not scripted at all, I just give [fierce] dog eyes to Ellie. And every [take], it became this war without words to see who would win this brief spar. And every time, Ellie wins.”

Unscripted Scene Between James and Ellie was Cut from 'The Last of Us' Episode 8

Maybe it will make the Blu-ray release?

We weren’t shocked by Ramsey’s brilliant acting in episode 8 of “The Last of Us,” which is one of the most momentous turning points for Ellie’s character development. With a slight switch in expression, Ramsey was able to portray both Ellie’s tenacious and ferocious side as well as her tender vulnerability. Nevertheless, when she encountered David and James , an internal vigor rose from within her amidst perilous circumstances; it was this bravery that Ramsey powerfully represented on screen.

Baker said, “I am selfishly excited for people to see me in this episode, but I think what I’m most excited to see is this episode where Bella really gets to flex and show you exactly what Bella Ramsey is capable of, and it is terrifying.”

As if our anticipation for Season 2 of “The Last of Us” couldn’t get any higher, news of a physical and digital Blu-ray/DVD release filled us with delight! Complete with tons of bonus features to keep us entertained until the next season arrives. We can only hope that there will be some unscripted moments between Baker and Ramsey in the deleted scenes section – one can dream.

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