Ashley Johnson on THE LAST OF US Season 2 Backlash: “Sometimes That Passion Feels Really Great, and Sometimes It Feels Not Great”
The conversation around The Last of Us season 2 hasn’t exactly been calm. From story changes to shocking character exits, HBO’s hit adaptation sparked some intense reactions online.
Now, Ashley Johnson, the original Ellie from Naughty Dog’s games and the actress who appeared as Anna in the HBO series, is sharing her honest thoughts on the backlash and what it feels like to be at the center of something fans care about so deeply.
Johnson understands the passion. She’s lived with this story for years, after all. Speaking with The Direct about the divisive response to Season 2, Johnson didn’t dismiss the criticism. Instead, she acknowledged where it’s coming from.
“Yeah, I feel like with The Last of Us, people really love that story, including me, and it's very, very passionate fans. And 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.”
That pretty much sums up the complicated relationship between fandom and adaptation. When something means this much to people, expectations run high. And when those expectations aren’t met, the reaction can get loud.
Johnson, who originated Ellie in both The Last of Us and The Last of Us Part II, made a surprise appearance in Season 1 of the HBO series as Ellie’s mother, Anna. It was a full-circle moment for longtime fans of the games.
She made it clear she still loves the franchise across the board, saying she “loves” The Last of Us “in every form” and that she's “so happy” she gets to “be a part of that telling of the story.”
Season 2, which premiered on April 13, 2025, didn’t follow the same beat-for-beat structure as season 1. While the first season closely adapted the original game, the second chapter took more risks.
The pacing shifted. The structure evolved. Ellie’s revenge arc wasn’t presented in the same way players experienced it in The Last of Us Part II. And, of course, the story said goodbye to Joel, played by Pedro Pascal, a moment that rocked viewers unfamiliar with the game’s storyline.
Even before the premiere, co-showrunner Craig Mazin knew what was coming. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, he admitted he expected pushback.
“I mean, there usually is, starting even with casting,” he explained. “We are not interested in creating social media fear. We just want to tell the story the way we think it should be told.”
That philosophy clearly guided the creative direction this season. Whether fans embraced it or not is another story.
Johnson also talked about how tough it can be when your excitement for a project doesn’t align with audience reactions.
“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. 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.”
Love it or hate it, The Last of Us Season 2 has people talking, and that intensity speaks to how much this story still matters. For Johnson, who helped define Ellie from the very beginning, that passion is part of the ride. Sometimes it feels great. Sometimes it doesn’t. But it all comes from people caring.
Both seasons of The Last of Us are now streaming on HBO Max.