Bella Ramsey sparks debate on divisive The Last of Us finale
The Last of Us star Bella Ramsey has spoken about the divisive series finale and what she would've done in Joel's situation.
28th Apr 2023 12:44
Images via HBO
Bella Ramsey sparks debate on divisive The Last of Us finale
The Last of Us star Bella Ramsey has spoken about the divisive series finale and what she would've done in Joel's situation.
28th Apr 2023 12:44
Images via HBO
It was the decision that caused a thousand rows back in 2013, but when HBO's live-action The Last of Us series recreated the finale of Naughty Dog's game, you can bet the internet exploded again.
Ahead of The Last of Us' March 12 finale, we were warned it would split fandom down the middle. Now, series star Bella Ramsey on whether Joel Miller (Pedro Pascal) made the right decision by potentially dooming humanity.
What happened in The Last of Us finale?
To catch you up on what happened in The Last of Us Season 1 finale, Joel and Ellie find themselves in the Firefly hospital in Salt Lake City, where he learns a team of scientists are trying to manufacture a cure from Ellie's immunity. Unfortunately, the procedure will kill her.
Although Marlene (Merle Dandridge) allows Joel to live, he goes on a killing spree where he shoots those inside the facility, rescues Ellie, and ultimately murders Marlene in cold blood. The episode ends with Joel lying to Ellie, claiming that the hospital was attacked by raiders and Marlene was killed.
An unconvinced Ellie pretends to buy the story, although we guess there will be ramifications further down the line. We've already heard what showrunner Craig Mazin would've done, with the series overseer saying he's flipped between both decisions. But, what about Ramsey?
Bella Ramsey reacts to Joel's decision
Discussing Joel's decision to save Ellie instead of take a punt on a cure, Ramsey told L'Officiel, "It's like the trolley problem. I don't really know what I'd do. It depends on who the person was and it depends on how messed up humanity is."
In the games, it's implied that Ellie is one of many test subjects, with it never having worked before. In the series, it seems she's the first to undergo the treatment, suggesting that it's more of a gamble. Then again, it's more possible that the Fireflies could've extracted a cure.
Saying she's not mad, Bella Ramsey says she can understand why Ellie would be annoyed at Joel: "Ellie is mad obviously because [being the cure] was her purpose. That's what she was. She felt like she actually mattered and, ironically, Joel took away that purpose from her because she mattered so much to him."
Looking at what she would've done, Ramsey concluded, "I think she would have saved Joel, which would have been even more stupid because Joel’s pretty old." Ultimately, Joel's choice on that fateful day will have major ramifications heading into Season 2 - especially if anyone is a golf fan. Insert eye emoji here.
About The Author
Tom Chapman
Tom is Trending News Editor at GGRecon, with an NCTJ qualification in Broadcast Journalism and over seven years of experience writing about film, gaming, and television. With bylines at IGN, Digital Spy, Den of Geek, and more, Tom’s love of horror means he's well-versed in all things Resident Evil, with aspirations to be the next Chris Redfield.
