!! Spoiler Warning: The following content contains spoilers for The Last of Us Episode 7 !!
The Last of Us is one of the best video game adaptations featuring a talented cast and has gained positive reviews since its premiere. The show’s first season is almost over, with the release of its seventh episode last Sunday. Episode 7 took viewers back to Ellie’s past during her time at FEDRA in Boston QZ and focused on her relationship with Riley.
Although the show continues to hold on to what it has built up, people got critical of Ellie and Riley’s relationship in the episode. And in her recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, Storm Reid called out people’s homophobic reactions to the same.
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Earlier, the third episode of The Last of Us drew similar criticism after the show focused on Bill and Frank’s relationship. While episode 3 became one of the best episodes of the first season of the show, many were not supportive of the gay relationship between Bill and Frank, leading them to review bomb the episode.
And similar reactions followed with the release of The Last of Us Episode 7. The episode features a flashback to Ellie’s life in Boston QZ. It also served as the debut of Storm Reid as Riley in the HBO Max series. The episode is based on a DLC released in February 2014 that follows Ellie and Riley. As Bella Ramsey‘s Ellie undergoes training to become a FEDRA soldier, Riley joins Fireflies.
When she gets appointed to Atlanta QZ, Riley decides to spend one last night with her best friend. She sneaks into Ellie’s dorm, after which they go to an abandoned mall. They explore the mall, and Ellie asks Riley to stay. She agrees, and they share a kiss.
Suddenly they get attacked by an infected. Although Ellie manages to kill the infected, they soon realize that both of them have been bitten. With no hope in sight, they decide to stay with each other until the fungus takes over them.
Their relationship in episode 7 once again offended many viewers due to the LGBTQ representation. And The Last of Us was once again surrounded by homophobic reactions. Storm Reid, who portrayed Riley in episode 7, had a simple solution for those who had an issue with the lastest episode of the show.
Storm Reid Called Out Homophobic Reactions
Storm Reid, known for her work in Euphoria and Missing, made her first appearance as Riley in the latest episode of The Last of Us. The 19-year-old actress opened up about the show getting homophobic reactions due to Ellie and Riley’s relationship. She reflected on Bella Ramsey’s statement following the release of episode 3 of the show.
“Like Bella said when episode 3 came out: If you don’t like it, don’t watch,” Reid said. She further said that the show is telling the stories of “people who are taking up space in the world” and it is important to tell everyone’s story. She called out the homophobic reactions saying that if people are concerned about who she loves, then they need to get their priorities straight.
“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.”
Although the Missing star did not have prior knowledge of the game or her character, Reid claims that she prepared for her role by getting to know the source material. She also said that she had an idea of what kind of reaction the episode would receive, but she was not concerned about them and is proud to be a part of the show.
The Last of Us is available to stream on HBO Max.
Source: Entertainment Weekly
