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Bella Ramsey has a brutal message for ‘The Last of Us’ critics — and she's not wrong: ‘You don't have...’

Bella Ramsey reminds ‘The Last of Us’ show haters they can ‘just play the game again’ after Season 2 backlash

Channeling her inner Lyanna Mormont, Bella Ramsey has a loud and clear message for 'The Last of Us' haters. Ramsey, who has been playing Elle in the screen adaptation of the popular video game, gave a fitting response to the haters. Notably, the fans of the video game slammed the show for the portrayal of Ellie's same-sex relationship with Dina (Isabela Merced) and the early murder of Joel (Pedro Pascal) by Abby (Kaitlyn Dever). However, Ramsey is not the one to sit still, as the actress has a perfect response to haters, telling them that they "don’t have to watch it."

'The Last of Us' Season 2 closely followed the storyline of the video game sequel, 'The Last of Us' Part II, and with that came both critical acclaim and strong backlash, as per Variety.  While many praised the show for its emotional depth and bold storytelling, online trolls review-bombed Season 2 across platforms, with some flooding social media with homophobic remarks. Ramsey later shared on 'The Awardist podcast' (via GamesRadar) that they did their best to ignore the "louder critics," choosing instead to focus on the positive support and the story's integrity.

She said, "Because there's nothing I can do about it anyway. The show is out. There's nothing that can be changed or altered. So I'm like, there's not really any point in reading or looking at anything." Ramsey then added, "People are of course entitled to their opinions. But it doesn't affect the show; it doesn't affect how the show continues or anything in any way. They're very separate things to me. So no, I just don't really engage." Ramsey further had a blunt message for 'The Last of Us' haters, telling them they don't need to tune in to the next chapter. "You don't have to watch it. If you hate it that much, the game exists. You can just play the game again. If you do want to watch it, I hope you enjoy it," Ramsey said.

Season 2 wrapped on a cliffhanger that mirrors the midpoint of 'The Last of Us' Part II video game, with Ellie ambushed by Abby. Viewers unfamiliar with the game will have to wait until Season 3, which will shift focus as Dever's Abby becomes the new lead character. Notably, HBO chief Casey Bloys confirmed that 'The Last of Us' Season 3 won't arrive until 2027. Speaking to Variety, he said Craig Mazin is still deciding "whether it will be two more seasons or one more long season," adding that the final decision hasn't been made yet.

Not only that, but 'The Last of Us' Season 3 will be led solely by co-creator Craig Mazin, as Neil Druckmann and writer/producer Halley Gross have stepped away to focus on future Naughty Dog projects. Ramsey said Druckmann will be "greatly missed." In a statement, Mazin also praised his collaborator, saying, "It's been a creative dream to work with Neil and bring an adaptation of his brilliant work to life on HBO. I couldn't have asked for a more generous creative partner."