Ashley Johnson, who played Ellie in The Last of Us video games, has spoken about the mixed feelings people have about the HBO show’s second season.
The first season of the TV show got good reviews, but the second season had some problems. Many people argued that the show gave away too much about Abby’s story too early. There were also issues with how fast things moved and how characters grew.
But season two was always going to be tough to make. Even the award-winning video game The Last of Us Part 2 got some strong criticism when it came out in 2020. So what does Johnson think about all the talk about The Last of Us after season two aired last year?
“I feel like with The Last of Us, people really love that story, including me, and it’s very, very passionate fans. And sometimes that passion feels really great, and sometimes it feels not great,” Johnson told The Direct. “But you know, I understand it. I understand loving something so much, and wanting it to be what you want it to be.”
Johnson added it “can be hard sometimes”, because “when you are making these things, and on your side of things, you’re passionate about it, and excited about it, and hopefully those two things can meet”. However, the actor noted that sometimes “they do not”, and this can be difficult.
“I mean, anytime you’re working on anything, you want people to like it, and you want them to love it as much as you,” Johnson explained. “But I love The Last of Us in every form, and I am so happy that I get to be a part of [telling] that story.”
Besides playing Ellie in the games, Johnson also had a small part in the first season of HBO’s The Last of Us show, as Ellie’s mother.
Last year, Neil Druckmann said he was stepping away from the TV series after season two, so he could focus on Naughty Dog’s video games. This includes a new game called Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet. Druckmann had worked on the TV show as a co-showrunner, director, writer and producer. While he’s going back to full-time video game development, Druckmann has said he will still be involved with The Last of Us TV show at a “very high level” to make sure it stays “as deeply faithful” as the first season.
As for what happens next, it looks like the upcoming third season might be the last one. Since then, it was announced that Clea DuVall and Jorge Lendeborg Jr. will both join The Last of Us for the show’s next season.
