Warning: This article contains spoilers for The Last of Us Part 2 Before HBO's The Last of Us Season 1 premiered, it seemed as if Bella Ramsey would sooner be ripped apart by her critics for making a sound instead of the literal Clickers hunting her down. Ramsey's biggest battle wouldn't be the Infected or the equally dangerous human enemies between her and the Firefly base. It would be the army of human enemies watching the action from their sofas. The attention they saw before her character even drew her pistol says all you need to know about the negative reaction to her casting as Ellie in The Last of Us.
And then they proved them wrong. Bella Ramsey blew audiences and critics away with a performance brimming with youthful rage and contempt. Ramsey's Ellie perfectly embodied the beloved character while bringing new layers of humanity only possible in a live-action portrayal. The show just released a trailer for its second season, and Ramsey is again facing casting questions. Given the places the second game goes to and the tone The Last of Us Season 2 seems poised to take, many are asking if Ramsey is still the right fit. Why do some fans have concerns? Are they right to question Ramsey's casting for Season 2? What does Ramsey and the show have to do to silence the doubters once again? Here's what you need to know.
Bella Ramsey's Ellie in The Last of Us Season 2
During the throes of the pandemic, the release of The Last of Us Part 2 was met with incredible controversy surrounding the game's story and LGTBQ+ representation. As you might expect, the criticism around LGBTQ+ storylines was nothing more than homophobic panic that eventually softened over time. The outrage around the story, however, was more warranted. The Last of Us Part 2 took big risks with its story, killing off Joel in the first act and the decision to force players to play as his killer for several hours. Most fans weren't happy, and four years later, The Last of Us Part 2 is still considered a disappointment by many, despite winning the Game of the Year award in 2020.
Bella Ramsey will have a much harder job playing Ellie in The Last of Us Season 2. The second game takes Ellie in a much darker direction, positioning the once charming little girl as an anti-hero we aren't supposed to entirely side with. Ramsey's Ellie from Season 1 was very faithful to the first game, and if Ramsey's Ellie stays true to Ellie from the second game, it will require a lot more of them. This isn't meant to say Ramsey isn't capable of it. It's more that their still innocent, child-like appearance may not be the best fit for this older, more morally bankrupt character.
Is Bella Ramsey the Right Fit for The Last of Us Season 2?
There are very few occasions when a casting satisfies everyone, and as our sense of ownership of these stories continues to grow, a culture of possessiveness has made this even more true. It should be enough that Ramsey proved themselves in Season 1, so we should trust them going forward. But that's not the place The Last of Us Part 2 holds in the cultural consciousness. The reason fans got so mad at the time was because it didn't take the story in a direction they liked, and so it was a failure. Bella Ramsey has to fight that hate and translate Ellie's growing sense of moral decay and grief onto a season of television that similarly fits into this mode of cultural ownership.
The difference in mediums has to be addressed. As a TV show, there is the risk that Ramsey will be blamed more than they should be for Ellie's Season 2 character arc. The lack of control viewers will have over the characters they hold so dear could re-stoke the flames of internet anger, and given that Ramey will be the face, they will have to soak it up. The internet is far from subtle or understanding. Equally, the built-up anger for the second game could make the fans less angry at the upcoming season because, hopefully, they will understand that Ramsey is not responsible for the creative direction. Either way, Bella Ramsey stands to lose a lot if the season is met poorly.
What Should The Last of Us Season 2 Do to Soften the Hate?
To put it bluntly, there is nothing the showrunners can or should do. It's sad to say that it seems inevitable. We never seem to learn our lesson, which seems unlikely to change for Bella Ramsey in The Last of Us Season 2. The main thing that's hard to predict is which way the internet debate will fall, whether it will re-ignite a hatred of the game or simply ignite a hatred towards the season. The Bella Ramsey casting isn't going to change, nor should it.
If Bella Ramsey goes darker for Season 2, the depth they brought in the first season should make the second even more divisive because that's just how it works. Seeing this as a good or bad thing feels beside the point. There are never any winners in debates like these, so when The Last of Us Season 2 releases, seeing it as such will only increase the divisiveness of what is set to be an already highly divided season. That's what got us here in the first place.
Instead, The Last of Us Season 2 has the opportunity to occupy the cultural conversation in a way few shows get to, and where there's conversation, there's always room for reflection. Who knows, maybe it'll add new dimensions to an already challenging game. Well, that's a bit too hopeful. Maybe just more arguing. Do you remember Joel? The father figure who gets his head brutally caved in with a golf club? By a girl? He has long hair this season. So, there's that. The Last of Us is streaming on Max.
