HBO’s The Last of Us gave viewers two beautiful, gay love stories. The first unfolded over episode three, between grumpy survivalist Bill and his ray of sunshine, Frank. And the second took place in episode seven, a flashback to Ellie’s first love. With her best friend Riley, she breaks into an abandoned mall for one perfect night – which leads to the girls sharing a kiss and planning a life together.
Ellie and Riley’s night at the mall is incredibly loyal to source material. Their relationship was first shown in The Last of Us: Left Behind, a DLC for the original PlayStation game. And HBO put so much love into recreating key moments. The magical carousel ride, the photo booth, and the neon glow of the arcade – it’s all perfect. Storm Reid gives Riley new depth, embodying her bravado as a new Firefly recruit and her vulnerability as a girl in search of family.
And Bella Ramsey gives a performance beyond her years. She brings to life Ellie’s hurt at being left behind, the dizzying hope of first love – and the full horror of having that future snatched away. Episode seven got rave reviews. But not everybody got to see the most important moment.
OSN+, a streaming service in Dubai, cut Ellie and Riley’s kiss. Viewers in North Africa and the Middle East were denied the full story of Ellie’s first love. The censorship controversy comes hot on the heels of ‘fans’ review-bombing episodes showing same-sex relationships.
Bella Ramsey is unfazed by the hate. In an interview with GQ, she said “They’re gonna have to get used to it. If you don’t want to watch the show because it has gay storylines… that’s on you. And you’re missing out.”
Storm Reid backed her up in an interview with Entertainment Weekly: “Like Bella said: ‘If you don’t like it, don’t watch it.’ We are telling important stories. We’re telling stories of people’s experiences, and that’s what I live for.”
Reid has no patience with homophobia. “It’s 2023. If you’re concerned about who I love, then I need you to get your priorities straight,” she said. “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.”
Ramsey and Reid had brilliant responses to homophobic backlash. But the issue of censorship raises a difficult question: what will OSN+ do when The Last of Us Part II is adapted?
If the streaming service couldn’t cope with Ellie’s first kiss, they’re going to struggle with her travelling across the country with her girlfriend. How are they going to explain Ellie living with another woman? Roommates don’t usually share a bed… If OSN+ cut out every single reference to Ellie being a lesbian, they’re going to have some very short episodes on their hands.
