"Monomaniacal Need To Kill Abby": Bella Ramsey Explains Shocking 'The Last of Us' Season 2 Finale

The Season 2 finale of The Last of Us was filled with plenty of dark twists and turns, and none more so than the arrival of Abby (Kaitlyn Dever) at Ellie's (Bella Ramsey) hideout in Seattle at the end of the episode. After being gone from the entirety of the series after two episodes, Abby became an elusive character that Ellie was hellbent on finding to get vengeance. Following the intense cliffhanger, Bella Ramsey spoke about how Ellie's drive to kill Abby, no matter the consequences, will lead the character down a path darker than they ever expected.

While talking to Deadline, Ramsey acknowledged the toll Ellie's journey to Seattle has taken on the character, with the actor saying that Ellie is only now beginning to see what her hate for Abby is costing her. The actor explained: “All of these people are dying around her, and now her loved ones, because of her monomaniacal need to kill Abby. I think she’s starting to just realize how her actions are affecting her entire life."

Much of The Last of Us Season 2 has shown Ellie almost in a state of denial about how much she wants to kill Abby, with the character saying early on that she only wants justice for the community. However, it's never more evident than in the Season 2 finale that Ellie's reasons for wanting to find the character are entirely selfish and derived from her own guilt about how her relationship with Joel ended before he died. With the people she's killed up to this point, Ramsey also believes the drive to kill Abby won't be going away anytime soon.

In 'The Last of Us' Season 2, Every Path Has a Price

In the same interview with Deadline, Bella Ramsey talked about the intense mixture of emotions that went into filming that final scene of the season before it cut to black. With Ellie being held at gunpoint by Abby, Ramsey discussed the difficulties of bringing that scene to life, especially with the mindset that the fate of Tommy (Gabriel Luna) is on the line. According to Ramsey, despite the precarious situation, Ellie's need for revenge might never go away:

"I mean, when she comes running and sees Abby, and Abby’s holding the gun to her, that scene was so complicated to film, emotionally, for me, because I go from like immediate grief to being terrified for Tommy to being terrified for my own life, but at the same time, this is the person that I’ve been waiting for, and here she is. It’s such a weird, crazy moment, and I think that Ellie’s need for revenge and vengeance doesn’t just go away. I don’t think it ever does."

 

The Last of Us Season 2's tagline of "every path has a price" rings more true than ever with the finale, showcasing that Abby and Ellie's choices have cost them the lives of their friends and loved ones. Ramsey's fundamental understanding of the character has helped the actor channel Ellie's darker side. While the character isn't as hardened or battle-experienced as the video game counterpart, she still has that same need for vengeance.