‘The Last of Us’: Bella Ramsey on the “Gay Army” of Support and Gamers’ Reactions
“They’re so much louder than any people who still hate it.”
Since its January 15 premiere, The Last Of Us has been rightfully receiving much love and acclaim, especially from the fans of the survival horror game it was based on. However, when the ravishing yet melancholic love story of Bill and Frank was introduced in Episode 3, the fans were — to put it mildly — divided over whether it was necessary for the show to feature a queer narrative. Of course, Bella Ramsey — who recently came out as non-binary — has defended the show against homophobic criticism and has even advised fans to “get used to it.” And despite the discriminatory comments online, Ramsey has been nothing but optimistic about it, thanks to the love and support of the “gay army,” who are louder than the “homophobic trolls.”
The Last of Us has always been queer and the HBO series, which many fans have praised for going above and beyond expectations, has remained true to that. In a recent interview with ComicBook.com’s “The Last of Pods” podcast, Ramsey particularly praised the “gay army” of supporters for standing up for their character Ellie and the entire series in general. They said:
“I had an oath with Craig Mazin [The Last of Us series creator] that I wasn’t going to look at comments, and I feel like I’ve slightly dramatically blown open that oath the last couple of weeks. I’m very aware that there’s a gay army who are on Twitter who are just supporting me and Ellie, and it’s like they’re so much louder than any people who still hate it, or hate the show, the homophobic trolls, whatever. And it’s just like that feels nice to just have that army behind me. That’s been a reaction that I’ve really enjoyed.”
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Apart from the gay armies, Ramsey added that she loves seeing gamers’ reactions to the show — and that it feels even more validating to receive love and praise from the gamers themselves. “That’s the thing that feels most validating is when beloved gamers who are so invested in the game then say, ‘This is so good, and lives up to all my expectations, and exceeds them.’ That’s the thing, that’s the reaction that feels really, really cool.”
What Is The Last of Us About?
The Last of Us follows a cold-hearted survivor, Joel (Pedro Pascal), who was told to drop Ellie off to the militia group Fireflies, so they could develop a vaccine from her apparent immunity to the infection. Though their initial meeting has been nothing but messy, their bond only grows stronger as the series progresses through various moments of joy, danger, and loss.
The first season of The Last of Us is nearing its end, though fans can certainly look forward to the second season following the renewal announcement. The ninth and final season will premiere on HBO and HBO Max on Sunday, March 12, at 9:00 p.m. ET. You can watch the Episode 9 trailer below.
Originally published at collider.com on March 6, 2023.
