Bella Ramsey in The Last of Us Season 2 Will Be Just Like Ellie in One Way

by

As a die-hard fan of “The Last of Us” franchise, I must say that Bella Ramsey’s portrayal of Ellie in the TV adaptation has been nothing short of exceptional. Her ability to convey the character’s innocence and vulnerability, especially during the quiet, guitar scenes, is truly commendable.

Warning: This article contains spoilers for The Last of Us Part 2At its core, The Last of Us is a story about loss and grief. It’s this profound sense of looking for connection wherever you can that makes it the most valuable item in this world. It also makes it the easiest to lose once you find it. What makes it even easier to lose is its fragility, the softness of these moments that does away with the artifice of apocalyptic survival. Music is just music. A few strums on an old guitar. But in a world haunted by the echoes of nostalgia and simpler times, music is enough to bring two people together. The simplicity of The Last of Us is found in these quiet moments, and its stellar live-action cast has already proven they’re the right people for the job.

In the second season of “The Last of Us,” the creative team intends to showcase the versatility of its cast members by incorporating new skills into their roles. Specifically, Bella Ramsey, who portrays Ellie, will have an opportunity to exhibit her guitar abilities on screen and bring to life the emotionally charged sequences from the controversial game in a live-action format. During Ellie’s quest for vengeance in “The Last of Us Part 2,” there are brief moments respite amidst the chaos, such as singing amidst the zombie apocalypse.

These instances in “The Last of Us Part 2” carry a unique storytelling impact, which Bella Ramsey is expected to deliver flawlessly. The significance of these moments lies in their role as pivotal points in the plot. By introducing fresh perspectives and creative interpretations, the show can offer something novel to these moments. Bella Ramsey’s talent and unique acting style promise to add a captivating layer to these crucial scenes. Here’s what you should know about her potential contribution.

Bella Ramsey Can Play the Guitar in Real Life

Players who have experienced “The Last of Us Part 2” are well aware of its intense nature, and these intense moments underscore the need for the player to pause occasionally. In “The Last of Us,” the guitar segments serve to emphasize Ellie’s childhood innocence, an innocence that gradually fades as she is drawn into increasingly violent situations. These guitar sections also serve as a connection to the one constant in her life: Joel. The choice of a guitar for these segments doesn’t hold deep symbolic meaning, but it fits well with “The Last of Us” aesthetic of using nostalgia for the old world. The simplicity of the guitar against the complexity of the new world serves to make Ellie more relatable as she drifts further from her human roots.

In many apocalyptic narratives, characters undergo profound mental transformations that are often subtle. Ellie’s transformation isn’t always immediately apparent. Ellie is significantly impacted by the external pressures she encounters, and playing the guitar is one of the few things that ties her to the life she built with Joel during their journey. When Ellie loses her finger in the second game, it symbolizes a severing of the bond she shared with Joel, which, in a sense, compels her to move forward after his demise and propels her towards personal growth, as she transitions from seeking revenge to embracing new possibilities.

How Can The Last of Us Season 2 Make Ellie’s Guitar Scenes Unique?

In addition to Bella Ramsey’s exceptional acting skills, their captivating on-screen presence seems particularly fitting during the quiet, subtle scenes, perhaps even more so than the more boisterous ones. The moments where Ellie appears to lose control are highly effective because of how endearingly innocent she is portrayed as a child exploring the world. In the first season, Bella Ramsey demonstrated this innocence through her character’s playful antics, such as telling jokes from a joke book like a video game character, and during her bonding moments with Henry before he was bitten.

The most obvious and effective thing the second season can do to flesh out the guitar scenes is to let Ramsey’s talent shine through. It will be interesting to see how much Ramsey gives away in these moments and if they will allow themselves to transform into Season 1 Ellie or be more subtle about it, as if they can’t bring themselves to think about Joel. Ramsey’s choices in the first season to distinguish Ellie from how she was portrayed in the game will provide a fresh opportunity to prove their doubters wrong. Ellie is her most vulnerable when playing the guitar in the second game, and if Ramsey can capture that vulnerability, it should make for some powerful television.

The Faithfulness of The Last of Us TV Adaptation

Transforming elements can be challenging, and it’s important to note that not every fan may find the transformation completely satisfying. The first season of The Last of Us skillfully developed secondary characters while infusing iconic moments with a newfound intensity by portraying them in live-action. It’s also worth discussing the value of trying something different, and Bella Ramsey found an excellent balance between staying true to Ellie’s character and adding her unique touch. Ramsey seldom revealed much depth beneath Ellie’s exterior, and the guitar scenes don’t necessarily exude overwhelming emotions. Instead, they are quiet, slow sequences that align well with the subtle performance Ramsey delivered in the first season.

The Last of Us Season 2 doesn’t have an easy task ahead. The second game’s controversy was a result of many things, but mostly, it was about fans not feeling like the game went in the direction they wanted. That’s fine, but the second season of the show has the chance to rewrite the ‘wrongs’ of the game while adding new spins to moments of dramatic weight. Ramsey has to carry this burden, but when they sit down for a break after another killing spree, there is no reason why the guitar won’t have the same transcendental effect it had in the game. The Last of Us Season 2 is coming to Max in 2025.

Read More

2024-11-05 04:03