The latest episode of The Last of Us has revealed more about Ellie and her tragic backstory. However, Episode 7 also changed how Ellie reacted to being infected after fighting and killing a Clicker. So why did the teenager react the way she did in Left Behind? Bella Ramsey gave an interesting explanation for the divergence from the Naughty Dog game.
In The Last of Us Episode 7, Riley took Ellie to an abandoned mall with the promise of five wonders. The girls then used a photo booth, rode a carousel, played Mortal Kombat II at the arcade, and danced in a Halloween store. However, their fun was interrupted by the arrival of a Clicker that attacked them, injuring Ellie and Riley.
In the game, Ellie was terrified after being bitten. However, live-action Ellie reacted in anger, going into a rage as she tore the Halloween store apart. It's an interesting change and Bella Ramsey explained to Variety that she didn't see how Ellie reacted in the game and how she had simply done what was written in the script.
“I hadn’t seen that bit of gameplay, and I’m really glad that I didn’t. I became aware after that I reacted differently to how Ellie reacts in the game,” Ramsey said. “I think it was maybe more explosive, and there was more anger, rather than fear.”
She continued, “I think that Ellie’s response is such intense emotion that she doesn’t know what to do with. It becomes very outward and expressive and explosive. That was really cool.”
Ramsey continued by crediting co-showrunner Craig Mazin for writing the script and director Liza Johnson for guiding her.
“I was very much trusting Craig and Liza, the director, to guide me in that way. I loved that scene. I love scenes where you get to feel things really intensely, because you don’t often get the chance to do that in a super safe space. To get that chance was awesome,” she said.
The Last of Us Episode 7 is now streaming on HBO Max.
Related: The Last of Us Episode 7 80s Song Was Important To Ellie's Story
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