How one major mistake in 'The Last of Us' season 2 sets up trouble for season 3
There's been a lot of discussion around the casting of Ellie in HBO's The Last of Us. Some viewers feel it's hard to see
Bella Ramsey
in the role for Season 2 because she still looks very young and small. In the video game, Ellie is older and tougher by this point in the story. But on the show, Ramsey still appears much the same as she did in Season 1. (Spoilers ahead.)
While some may doubt Bella Ramsey's casting, her acting proves otherwise. In Season 2, she delivered the emotional depth needed—whether reacting to Joel's death or in softer moments like the museum flashback. Even in Season 1, her portrayal of Ellie closely matched the video game version and was consistently strong.
Season 2's portrayal of Ellie falls short not because of the acting, but due to the writing. The creators seem to have softened her character to make the story less dark, which ended up weakening her arc. As a result, the show missed a key goal—getting viewers to both question Ellie's choices and still hope she succeeds.
Instead of showing Ellie's descent into a darker, more vengeful version of herself, the show watered down her arc. She came across as immature and reckless, rather than driven and conflicted. Her lack of real commitment to her mission made it hard to root for her, and even before Joel's death, she felt more like a moody teen than the hardened survivor she was meant to be.
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In Season 2, the show leans too heavily on comic relief, turning Ellie into a wisecracking teen and sidelining her intelligence and skills. She seems less capable than she was in Season 1, often relying on others like Dina and Jessie to guide or save her. Dina pushes her forward, reminds her of practical needs, while Jessie steps in to keep her out of danger. Ellie rarely takes control or makes tough decisions on her own, and this version of her feels far from the hardened, competent survivor fans expected.
Even Ellie's violent moments feel toned down. Key scenes from the game—like stabbing Mel or using her knife on enemies—are replaced with softer alternatives, such as shooting by mistake or using a chokehold. She doesn't kill a dog, likely to avoid alienating viewers. Most of her kills leave her shaken instead of fueling her revenge. Aside from Nora, Ellie's violence lacks conviction, and her motivation seems to come and go depending on the scene. This inconsistency makes her character arc feel confusing and emotionally disconnected.
When Dina reveals her pregnancy, Ellie responds with a light joke instead of showing frustration or concern, making her seem emotionally detached. Unlike in the game, where Dina supports Ellie after learning about Joel's past, the show version pulls away—likely because Ellie lacks the conviction or urgency to justify a revenge mission in the first place.
Season 2 should have shown Ellie's evolution from a spirited survivor to a driven, ruthless avenger, using emotional flashbacks to highlight her lost innocence. Instead, it portrays her as unsure and ineffective, lacking both the grit and agency needed for her revenge arc—relying too much on others to guide and protect her.
Season 2 should have centered on Ellie's descent into darkness—her 'breaking bad' moment. Like Walter White in Breaking Bad, she needed to become a cold, calculating figure we rooted for despite her actions. Instead of that complex transformation, we got a version of Ellie that lacked direction and edge. With stronger writing and a few more episodes, the show could have delivered the powerful, morally gray arc her character deserved.
With Season 2 behind us, Season 3 will focus on Abby's story. Unfortunately, it's too late to fix the missed opportunity with Ellie's arc, which is disappointing. The show also weakened Abby's storyline by revealing her motivations too early. Abby's journey should serve as the opposite of Ellie's—while Ellie's path is one of falling into darkness, Abby's should be about redemption, showing the person behind the monster and reflecting Ellie's story in reverse.
With Ellie's story so confused, it's hard to see how Season 3 can deliver the needed emotional impact. Without these two characters' stories mirroring each other and converging, Season 4 may struggle to reach the powerful climax fans expect. This is even before considering the decision to move the game's final scene up to Season 2, Episode 6, which further complicates the narrative.
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