Last of Us Season 2 SHOCK: No Chemistry Test?!

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For TV series or movies featuring two characters who frequently interact, a “chemistry test” is often conducted to ensure the actors can create genuine on-screen chemistry that mirrors the scripted sparks. However, this is not the case for Bella Ramsey in The Last of Us season 2, as it seems she has already established an excellent on-screen connection with new co-star Isabela Merced.

In the TV series based on The Last of Us Part 2 game, Merced will be frequently interacting with Ellie, who is associated with Ramsey, during the upcoming season.

That’s if the HBO version of TLOU follows the main story beats of its source material, anyway.

As of now, the storyline in episode 1 resembles that of a challenging cross-country journey undertaken by Ellie and Dina in the game, where they encounter formidable new adversaries such as Abby.

Despite hints that our initial destinations may differ in the upcoming season, it’s clear that we’ll share numerous moments with our budding romantic partners throughout this journey and beyond.

Initially, it may seem necessary to conduct preliminary on-screen tests involving the actors. However, Ramsey has disclosed that this wasn’t actually required.

In fact, it wasn’t needed for her time with Pedro Pascal as Joel in season 1 either.

During a chat with TopMob at the Last of Us press event prior to season 2’s debut, we inquired from Ellie’s actress about whether they had undergone a chemistry test with Merced or if it was more like ‘here’s your new co-star!’. Ramsey’s response turned out to be quite unexpected.

“Yeah, it was like that. No chemistry test,” said Ramsey.

Just like season 1, Pedro and I found ourselves suggesting, “Go ahead, spend the entire year together and develop feelings for one another.” Fortunately, we managed to do so.

In a similar vein, Isabella and I found ourselves unexpectedly immersed in this situation, relying on one another significantly during the entire process. This is typical of close collaborators, isn’t it? She elaborated on this point.

It’s rather pleasing to ponder upon the implications of this scenario regarding the bond between performers and those who originate their projects.

Instead of simply pairing up actors and hoping for an immediate successful dual performance, Neil Druckmann and Craig Mazin, as co-creators and showrunners of The Last of Us, trusted the acting talent so much that they believed the actors would develop the required chemistry naturally, given enough time.

In addition to the connection shown between Ellie and Joel in the initial season of The Last of Us, their portrayal feels more genuine because Ramsey and Pascal share a real-world friendship off-screen.

Moving from a paternal role as Joel to a bond of friendship and romance with Dina in the second season, Ramsey pointed out that this fresh relationship has an additional impact on Ellie’s character development during the same season.

She mentioned that Ellie and Dina’s storyline was quite appealing all through the season. She also liked the fact that we got to see Ellie in a new type of relationship dynamic.

It’s intriguing to observe that the main characters we primarily followed in season 1 were Ellie and Joel. So, finding Ellie in a budding romantic situation or having a crush is quite refreshing and interesting to watch at this point.

Ramsey explained that this character appears more authentic, both as a realistic teenager and someone we can connect with, not just in the apocalyptic setting, but also in our modern world. Moreover, he found that relationship particularly fascinating and enjoyable to portray.

Regarding Season 2, so far in Episode 1, the absence of a chemistry test between Ramsey and Merced has proven beneficial for the show; this is particularly evident through Ellie and Dina’s dance scene at Jackson’s New Year’s Eve party, which effectively conveys the authenticity of their developing relationship, similar to how it was portrayed in The Last of Us Part 2.

So far, Merced, one of the new cast members in The Last of Us season 2, has shown to be an excellent choice as Ellie’s romantic interest in the live-action series. Despite there being more characters to explore, Merced has left a strong impression.

The Last of Us season 2 is now showing on Sky Atlantic and NOW.

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2025-04-14 20:34