Despite having booming success with its first season, the second season of HBO’s The Last of Us saw more polarizing viewership, which also dwindled. Comicbook.com writes that fans and critics alike felt disappointed in the direction the series was taking with its story and characters. Actor Bella Ramsey (Game of Thrones, Hilda), who plays Ellie Williams, recently had something to say to their audience about the criticism and backlash.
“There’s nothing I can do about it anyway,” Ramsey said on The Awardist podcast via Comicbook.com. “The show is out. There’s nothing that can be changed or altered. So I’m like, there’s not really any point in reading or looking at anything. People are, of course, entitled to their opinions. But it doesn’t affect the show. It doesn’t affect how the show continues or anything in any way. They’re very separate things to me. So no, I just don’t really engage.”
“You don’t have to watch it,” they added bluntly. “If you hate it that much, the game exists. You can just play the game again. If you do want to watch it, hope you enjoy it.”
The backlash, along with Ramsey’s comments, both come during a time of uncertainty for the creative team of The Last of Us. Co-creator Neil Druckmann (The Last of Us and Uncharted video game franchises) and co-writer Halley Gross (Westworld, The Last of Us Part II) have both departed the team this past summer, leaving Craig Mazin as the only showrunner.
Despite this, the series was still renewed for third season back in April of this year. Moreover, Comicbook.com writes that Mazin himself reassured fans that the departure of team members won’t affect established plans, such as a larger third season and a possible fourth season. Mazin has also been firm about stopping the show once all game material has been covered.
According to Comicbook.com, scripts for the third season are currently in development, and the creative team is looking at a 2027 release window.