Ashley Johnson famously played Ellie in Naughty Dog's The Last of Us games, and now she's reacted to the criticisms of Season 2 of the HBO series. Speaking to The Direct, Johnson said the series has "very passionate" fans, and this can go both ways in terms of sentiment.
"Sometimes that passion feels really great, and sometimes it feels not great. But you know, I understand it. I understand loving something so much, and wanting it to be what you want it to be," she said.
The HBO series makes many changes from the games, and showrunner and writer Craig Mazin said before Season 2 even came out that he expected fans to revolt. Regarding fan feedback in general, Mazin said he is only trying to do what is right for the story, even if people don't like it.
"We don't operate to either make people happy on social media or avoid making them upset. We just do what we think is right, and we hope that people come along for the ride and enjoy it," he said.
Johnson didn't dig into specific points of criticism for Season 2, but remarked that people always want their work to be enjoyed by as many people as possible. However, it's not possible to please everyone.
"It can be hard sometimes, when you are making these things, and on your side of things, you're passionate about it, and excited about it, and hopefully that those two things can meet," she said. "Sometimes they do not. And that's hard, because I mean, anytime you're working on anything, you want people to like it, and you want people to love it as much as you. But I love The Last of Us in every form, and I am so happy that I get to be a part of that telling of that story."
After playing Ellie in The Last of Us and The Last of Us: Part II, Johnson appeared in Season 1 as Ellie's mother, Anna. Naughty Dog almost made DLC or a spin-off game that told Anna's story and provided more context around Ellie's birth.
The Last of Us Season 3 is coming up next in 2027, and it could be the show's final season. Naughty Dog is working on a new game, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, and possibly The Last of Us: Part 3.
Source
"Sometimes that passion feels really great, and sometimes it feels not great. But you know, I understand it. I understand loving something so much, and wanting it to be what you want it to be," she said.
The HBO series makes many changes from the games, and showrunner and writer Craig Mazin said before Season 2 even came out that he expected fans to revolt. Regarding fan feedback in general, Mazin said he is only trying to do what is right for the story, even if people don't like it.
"We don't operate to either make people happy on social media or avoid making them upset. We just do what we think is right, and we hope that people come along for the ride and enjoy it," he said.
Johnson didn't dig into specific points of criticism for Season 2, but remarked that people always want their work to be enjoyed by as many people as possible. However, it's not possible to please everyone.
"It can be hard sometimes, when you are making these things, and on your side of things, you're passionate about it, and excited about it, and hopefully that those two things can meet," she said. "Sometimes they do not. And that's hard, because I mean, anytime you're working on anything, you want people to like it, and you want people to love it as much as you. But I love The Last of Us in every form, and I am so happy that I get to be a part of that telling of that story."
After playing Ellie in The Last of Us and The Last of Us: Part II, Johnson appeared in Season 1 as Ellie's mother, Anna. Naughty Dog almost made DLC or a spin-off game that told Anna's story and provided more context around Ellie's birth.
The Last of Us Season 3 is coming up next in 2027, and it could be the show's final season. Naughty Dog is working on a new game, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, and possibly The Last of Us: Part 3.
Source