‘The Last of Us’ Bella Ramsey Explains Why Ellie Is Mad at Joel After That Dance Scene
Editor’s Note: This article contains spoilers for The Last of Us Season 2, Episode 1.
The Last of Us Season 1 is known for being one of the most faithful video game adaptations of all time, which means players have seen some of their favorite moments brought to live-action with unparalleled accuracy. The Last of Us Season 2, Episode 1 is now streaming on Max, and it’s the latest in a long line of episodes to feature an iconic moment from the game. When Ellie (Bella Ramsey) and Dina (Isabela Merced) are at the bar dancing, Seth (Robert John Burke) calls them a homophobic slur. This is when Joel (Pedro Pascal) steps in and shoves Seth to the ground, and Ellie snaps at him. During a recent interview with Collider’s Christina Radish, Ramsey provided some additional context on this moment, including what led Ellie to lash out at Joel:
“I think it’s a big combo of things. There’s been a lot of frustration and distance that has been created with her and Joel over these five years. We’ll get to understand why that is and what’s happened. So, there’s all of that. And then, when he steps in to protect her, she just doesn’t want to be protected by him. She doesn’t need it. She doesn’t want it. I think she feels like it’s an infringement on her autonomy and her privacy, in a way, and it undermines her capabilities as a 19-year-old fighter, basically. She just doesn’t want to be protected by him anymore, because she can handle herself and is trying to establish herself in the community as an individual, aside from Joel.”
Joel and Ellie have a beautiful relationship in The Last of Us Part I that grows infinitely more complicated in The Last of Us Part II. Some of this is due to Ellie growing older and clashing with the only father figure in her life, and part of it also comes from her learning that Joel lied to her about what happened in Salt Lake City. The entire first game centers around Joel trying to get Ellie to the fireflies to see if they can use her immune traits to make a cure, but when they finally find the group they’re looking for, Joel learns this will cost Ellie her life. He decides this isn’t worth the price and murders everyone in the hospital before taking Ellie back to his brother Tommy (Gabriel Luna) in Jackson, Wyoming.
Will ‘The Last of Us’ Have a Third Season?
The Last of Us was renewed for Season 3 earlier this week, ahead of the Season 2 premiere. Early reviews for The Last of Us Season 2 not only painted it as a worthy follow-up to Season 1 but also confirmed that it adapts only the Ellie-centric part of The Last of Us Part II. This means that The Last of Us Season 3 will likely turn things on its head and focus on Abby (Kaitlyn Dever), and her band of Wolves, including Isaac (Jeffrey Wright), Owen (Spencer Lord), Mel (Ariela Barer), Nora (Tati Gabrielle), and Manny (Danny Ramirez).
The Last of Us Season 2, Episode 1, is now streaming. Stay tuned to Collider for future updates and coverage of the series, and watch The Last of Us on Max.
- Release Date
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January 15, 2023
- Network
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HBO
- Showrunner
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Craig Mazin
- Directors
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Craig Mazin, Peter Hoar, Jeremy Webb, Ali Abbasi, Mark Mylod, Stephen Williams, Jasmila Žbanić, Liza Johnson, Nina Lopez-Corrado
- Writers
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Neil Druckmann, Craig Mazin
