HBO’s The Last of Us has aired its final episode – for its first season, at least. The journey across the continental United States for Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey) has been an arduous journey fraught with danger, peril, loss, and hurt all the way. As this season ends and fans begin to look forward to what’s next, we dissect that final episode with a focus on a newly introduced character, Anna.
Anna is a character that did not appear in the games upon which this adaptation is based. However, the individual who plays the character, Ashley Johnson, is no stranger to the post-apocalyptic world, having voiced Ellie in The Last of Us video games. This time around, Johnson portrays Ellie’s mother who is seen during the episode, close to term and under attack from an Infected. When describing her reaction to being offered the role in the adaptation, the actress revealed that she cried “projectile tears” upon hearing the news. Speaking to GamesRadar+, Johnson revealed that the offer for the newly created role was delivered via text to her by co-showrunner, Neil Druckmann. "Yeah, he just texted and said 'Hey, Craig [Mazin] and I have been talking and, would you like to play Ellie's mom?' and I was just ... projectile tears. I was just like 'What? Are you serious?'," Johnson said.
Johnson goes on to draw parallels between her in-game character and the newly created one. The actress is in the rare position of going from voicing a character who undergoes some pretty harrowing experiences aided by those around her to playing the mother of the said character, and being the first line of defense in the infant’s life. "The layers of being able to play Ellie's mom and the metaphor of bringing her into the world and being the first person to fight to keep her alive," says Johnson. "It's just wild to me - voice actors generally don't get into the fold of putting something on screen. I'm so grateful and so happy, and I had a blast shooting it."
The introduction of Johnson’s character has helped unpack a question that has lingered for a long time around Ellie’s immunity. That question was answered in parts but it sets up the adventure for the sophomore season to be explosive. The reaction of Joel to Ellie’s scheduled surgery with the Fireflies and his subsequent distortion of the truth is sure to weigh heavily on the pair’s relationship going forward especially given the fact that their bond has deepened greatly. The return to the Jackson settlement might not help matters either when the truth emerges given Maria’s (Rutina Wesley) sentiments toward Joel.
The Last of Us is available to stream in full on HBO Max. Watch the season finale teaser below: