Characters of The Last of Us (TV series)
The Last of Us, an American post-apocalyptic drama television series for HBO based on the video game franchise, focuses on the relationship between Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey).
[16] Any actors considered for Ellie for the canceled film adaptation—such as Maisie Williams and Kaitlyn Dever—had aged out of consideration by the time the series was in production, resulting in a reset of candidates.
[51] By the fourth episode, Push Square's Bayne felt Ramsey's performance would win over viewers who doubted their casting, lauding their portrayal of both trauma and humor.
[53] In the fifth episode, Den of Geek's Bernard Boo called Ramsey's reaction to Henry's death "utterly heartbreaking",[54] and Total Film's Bradley Russell found their performance worthy of awards consideration.
[28] io9's Germain Lussier felt Ramsey's performance shone in Ellie and Joel's confrontation,[56] and IGN's Simon Cardy praised their continued ability to switch between emotion and comedy.
[60] The New York Times's Noel Murray commended Ramsey's unique portrayal of Ellie's emotional shutdown in the ninth episode, noting she "is clearly lost in her own thoughts, but she is never entirely unresponsive".
After a botched deal leaves most Fireflies dead, Marlene begs Joel and Tess to take Ellie to the Massachusetts State House in exchange for supplies; they accept.
[95] Dandridge found the ninth episode's cold open provided important context for the relationship between Marlene and Anna, and was happy to work alongside Johnson again.
[103] Total Film's Russell felt Torv demonstrated the character's emotional depth,[104] and Den of Geek's Boo found it sophisticated and heartbreaking.
Ratna remarks the location provides an excellent substrate for the fungus, adds there is no cure or vaccine for the infection, and recommends bombing Jakarta to contain the outbreak.
[118] Mazin felt inspired to cast a comedic actor like Offerman because "funny people have soul", a mantra he learned from Vince Gilligan, citing performances like Bryan Cranston in Breaking Bad and Bob Odenkirk in Better Call Saul.
[119] A scheduling conflict originally prohibited Offerman from accepting the role but he decided to take it after his wife Megan Mullally read the script;[118] he felt attached to the material and found a kinship with Bill due to his experience in crafting.
Mazin ultimately considered their age more important than their sexuality as he wanted to explore a long, committed relationship;[117]: 13:54 having been married for 27 years, he understood "there's a different kind of love" in long-term partnerships.
[131] TV Guide's Kat Moon similarly considered them deserving of Emmy nominations but felt Offerman's performance "demands special attention".
[133] Reviewers lauded Offerman's ability to portray Bill's gentler side, and Bartlett's eager and charismatic attitude as Frank;[134][135][136] TVLine named them the Performers of the Week.
[65] Henry Burrell (Lamar Johnson) and his eight-year-old brother Sam (Keivonn Montreal Woodard) are hiding from a revolutionary movement in Kansas City, Missouri.
As Kathleen prepares to kill Henry, a damaged truck crashes through the ground and releases a massive crowd of infected which quickly overwhelms her forces.
[156]: 2:24 Mazin wrote Sam as deaf—a change from the game—to avoid his relationship with Henry feeling repetitious of Ellie's with Joel, which he felt would have been emphasized due to the different perspectives of the series.
After Joel and Ellie kill some of her men, Kathleen openly postulates that Henry was responsible for contacting the killers and orders her followers to search the city.
[170] Druckmann found following antagonistic characters made the story more interesting, allowing an understanding and justification of their actions,[171]: 16:44 as opposed to being seen as "obstacles" like in the game.
[172]: 2:42 Mazin compared Kathleen to Madame Defarge from Charles Dickens's A Tale of Two Cities (1859): a revolutionary who becomes terroristic due to cruel circumstances, which allows the audience to empathize.
[174] Mazin and Druckmann felt her casting was unusual as she has a "sweetness" that conflicts with Kathleen's position in the episode, an intentional decision to intrigue the audience;[171]: 23:58 Lynskey wanted to play the character as "soft spoken and delicate" to juxtapose her violence.
[168] In response to a comment from Adrianne Curry stating Kathleen's "body says life of luxury...not post apocolyptic [sic] warlord", Lynskey wrote the character was meant to be intelligent rather than muscly.
[189]: 4:11 The Washington Post's Park praised Greene and Miles;[187] Polygon's Pete Volk considered them the sixth episode's standout and wanted more content with them.
[191] She watched snippets of gameplay to understand the emotion, but otherwise avoided the game to ensure an original take on the role;[192] she wanted to "hone in on" the manner in which Riley moves and "took up space".
[197][198][199] /Film's Motamayor wrote Reid "gives a memorable performance that ... sticks with you long after the credits roll",[200] and Push Square's Bayne felt she effectively captured Riley's sense of "youthful pride".
Druckmann felt the series allowed a deeper look into the character's complexities than the game;[17] he and Mazin wanted to humanize David in his initial interactions with Ellie, before revealing more of his true actions when he slaps a young girl.
[216] Upon being approached by Mazin and Druckmann, Baker did not initially remember James from the games;[217] he expected a small role but was surprised by the character's significance upon reading the script.
[230] Den of Geek's Bernard Boo enjoyed Johnson's inclusion as Anna,[231] and Total Film's Bradley Russell lauded her simultaneous portrayal of "pain and maternal instinct".
[238] Dever was considered to play Ellie in the abandoned film adaptation of The Last of Us years earlier, and had attended a table read for the role; Mazin later suggested her as Abby.
