The Last of Us star Storm Reid has some choice words for any trolls who might be thinking about review-bombing the latest episode of the HBO drama: Get over it.
Episode seven’s “Left Behind” gave fans some much-needed backstory on Ellie (Bella Ramsey) and her childhood in the Boston QZ. Not only did we see flashbacks of her growing up as a ward of FEDRA, but we also got to meet her best friend Riley (played by Reid), who ran away from the military detention center where they were living and enticed Ellie to join her. The girls enjoyed a night out at an abandoned mall that eventually ended in tragedy but not before they shared a kiss and confessed their feelings for each other. It was all very sweet and romantic and, of course, it triggered some people who seem to enjoy broadcasting bigotry with review ratings on sites like IMDb.
Already some viewers are complaining about the show’s decision to highlight the romance between the two girls — which was a feature of the game as well — and Reid for one is just not having it.
“I think Bella put it perfectly a couple of weeks ago: ‘If you don’t like it, don’t watch,'” the actress told Variety when asked about the potential homophobic backlash to the episode. “There’s so many other things to worry about in the world. I think being concerned about who people love is just absurd to me. I just don’t — I will never understand it. I don’t get it.”
This isn’t the first time trolls have come for the show over a Queer romance subplot. In episode three’s “Long Long Time,” guest stars Nick Offerman and Murray Bartlett played a gay couple fighting for their happily ever after amid the fungal apocalypse to rave reviews from critics and more than a few zero-star ratings from the prejudiced crowd. Ramsey has addressed the controversy before, advising fans to “get used to” Queer characters appearing in the series — especially since they feature so heavily in the game — but Reid backed up that sentiment by encouraging audiences to focus on the positive when it comes to Ellie and Riley’s love story.
“I think despite what people are going to say, if they don’t like it, I think there are going to be a lot more people that appreciate it,” Reid continued. “A lot more people that feel represented and seen and heard. So that’s what matters.”
(Via Variety)
