- In this article there are spoilers for ‘Left Behind’, the seventh episode of ‘The Last of Us’. Continue reading at your own risk.
One more week, HBO’s fantastic ‘The Last of Us’ has returned to break our hearts with its seventh episode, entitled ‘Left Behind’. The title is far from casual, being the same as that of the notable DLC published in 2014 in which we were told a small but decisive passage from Ellie’s past while, in parallel, we look for supplies to save Joel’s life.
The television counterpart to this downloadable content, written by its own creator Neil Druckmann, captures all the essence of the source material, limiting variations to small details that do not affect the story and recovering the charming initiation love story between Ellie and Riley —including its tragic and determining end.
Left behind the trolls
Of course, just like the controversial—and wonderful—third chapter, the negative comments focused on the homosexual relationship between the leading couple have not been long in coming; something that Storm Reid has alluded to during an interview with Variety focused on ‘Left Behind’.
After being asked about the trolls and the homophobic outbursts that populated the networks a few weeks ago and that are gaining presence again, the actress who gives life to Riley has commented the following:
“I think Bella [Ramsey] he put it perfectly a couple of weeks ago: ‘If you don’t like it, don’t watch it.’ There are many other things in the world to worry about. I think being concerned about who people want is absurd. I’ll just never understand. I don’t understand. I think that regardless of what people who don’t like it are going to say, there will be a lot more people who will appreciate it. Many more people who will feel represented, seen and heard. That’s what matters. That is where the work lies. And that’s when it’s appreciated and you start to prioritize looking at those tweets over the other ones that aren’t the best.”
The culmination of all the tension built and accumulated throughout the episode remains focused on a kiss for a few seconds. A tremendously emotional moment that many of us who have already experienced the adventure with the controller in our hands were eagerly awaiting and that, as it could not be less —and, at least, in my case—, has met all expectations.
so he has spoken Bella Ramsey about the shooting of the scene and how he managed to give the most plausibility instantly:
“I think when you become a character, you feel what he’s feeling. The discomfort and the heart beating faster. I could kind of feel that same thing while we were shooting: my heart was beating faster and my palms started to click, because we were very immersed in what we were doing. It becomes real between ‘action’ and ‘cut.'”