Storm Reid

Though it was only a tragically brief time that we spent with her, the final impression she left on Ellie (Bella Ramsey) and the direction this debut season is ...

Much of this was due to her having more freedom to act than the game allowed, but it was also because of the little touches that she brought to the character. It is then that Reid delivers the best line of the whole episode. We catch a glimpse of this on the merry-go-round when Ellie looks over at Riley whose mind seems to be wandering to the future. Even as the episode is full of them getting up to silliness, they also discuss openly and candidly about the world they are living in. These could all go overlooked because of how understated they are, but that just makes them all the more significant. This was the moment that the entire episode had been building to with Reid dropping in a casually flirtatious tone. Though it was only a tragically brief time that we spent with her, the final impression she left on Ellie ( [Bella Ramsey](https://collider.com/tag/bella-ramsey/)) and the direction this debut season is going is one that remains quietly revolutionary. Though we hadn't ever seen her character prior to this episode, the performance makes us feel as though we've known her for a lifetime. From the moment where Riley sneaks in through the window of the unsuspecting Ellie, there is just an ease with which she commands each scene. That now continued with the seventh episode, “Left Behind,” where we got to know [Storm Reid](https://collider.com/tag/storm-reid/)’s Riley. In particular, whether it was to establish [a new antagonist with a complicated past](https://collider.com/the-last-of-us-melanie-lynskey/) or [expand upon characters](https://collider.com/last-of-us-hbo-episode-3-romance/) we had only briefly known in the game, it has been the various guest stars that have stolen the show time after time. [the explosive moments of destruction](https://collider.com/last-of-us-episode-5-infected-bloater/) and the reflective musings on [how humanity can rebuild after the end of the world](https://collider.com/last-of-us-episode-6-jackson/) that have been present in [The Last of Us](https://collider.com/tag/the-last-of-us/), there have been no shortage of strong performances that draw us deeper into the world.

After Bella Ramsey spoke out against homophobic backlash, people just kept coming for the queers, and Reid isn't taking it.

And furthermore, the complexity of what Ellie and Riley’s relationship is I find just so beautiful.” They had, after all, gotten very angry after episode three, “ [Long Long Time](https://gizmodo.com/last-of-us-episode-3-recap-pedro-pascal-nick-offerman-1850021207),” centered on a gay love story, [something Ramsey addressed after its release](https://gizmodo.com/the-last-of-us-bella-ramsey-review-bomb-lgbtq-season-2-1850109818). Near the [end of the episode](https://gizmodo.com/last-of-us-episode-6-recap-kin-hbo-max-pascal-ramsey-1850120695), they kiss, just before a tear-jerker ending.

Storm Reid, who appears in The Last of Us' 7th episode, claps back at homophobic critics.

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." I just don't — I will never understand it. It was just finding the nuances, finding her quirks, finding her optimism and how she moves through the world and takes up space. Reid said, "I think Bella put it perfectly a couple of weeks ago: "If you don't like it, don't watch." Episode 7, titled "Left Behind," [jumps back to a time before Joel and Ellie's cross-country journey](https://movieweb.com/the-last-of-us-where-will-joel-story-go/). Reid initially revealed how she approached her character Riley, who only appeared in a single episode of the show.

"There's so many other things to worry about in life. Why are you concerned that these young people — or anybody — love each other?

Love is beautiful, and the fact that people have things to say about it, it's just nonsense." Why are you concerned that these young people — or anybody — love each other? "There's so many other things to worry about in life.

Storm Reid plays Bella Ramsey's onscreen crush in the latest episode of HBO's 'The Last of Us,' based on the popular video game of the same name.

“The way that that is shown and translated into a story like this is so cool.” “If you don’t want to watch the show because it has gay storylines, because it has a trans character, that’s on you.” “People will think what they want to think. “It becomes real between action and cut.” A lot more people that feel represented and seen and heard,” Reid told Variety. [Variety](https://variety.com/2023/tv/news/the-last-of-us-storm-reid-bella-ramsey-left-behind-1235534952/) published on Sunday, Reid preemptively dismissed anyone who might take issue with the young-love story at the heart of her debut episode.

Euphoria's Storm Reid discusses what attracted her to the role of Riley The Last of Us, and how she handled the heavy episode.

Reid also discussed Riley’s motivations for joining the Fireflies, saying that in her attempts to make a mark on the world through these efforts, she finds her own sense of purpose. ‘People are fighting for their lives and they’re fighting to stay alive… you can find yourself in [Episode 7] – and all the episodes really – but specifically this episode. Reid spoke of scenes between her and co-star Bella Ramsey (Ellie) as having a childlike, joyous nature, despite also being coupled with the more challenging emotional beats of the episode’s conclusion. You can see yourself within [Ellie and Riley], and what they’re going through.’ It was an opportunity for Riley and Ellie to enjoy their adolescence. No matter people’s different circumstances or experiences, I think people will be able to find something that they can point to that resonates with them.’ Whilst Reid understood Riley’s character and knew audiences loved her, she wanted to incorporate elements of her own personality into her performance. ‘Bella Ramsey is a great human being, an incredible talent,’ she said. She’s the best friend of Ellie (Bella Ramsey), and is later revealed as a romantic interest. Episode 7 presents a first extensive glimpse into Ellie’s backstory growing up in the Boston Quarantine Zone, set shortly before discovering her immunity and meeting protagonist Joel (Pedro Pascal). I think it’s so beautiful.’