I have said it before, and I’ll say it again: acting as an art form is a complete mystery to me. The mental gymnastics that actors do to not only to get the perfect take, but also to get through the tear-jerking scenes is insane. It might be heartbreaking for us to watch, but to live it just to get it on the screen is something else. And if you have to do a reshoot that’ll take a lot more out of you. For shows like HBO Max’s Emmy winning The Last of Us, every episode of season one was a gut punch. But if you’ve played the second game, the second season is going to be just like it if not worse at some parts. How do the actors get through it all?
Bella Ramsey revealed the way they prepped, and I’ll be crying, but it might be from laughter. Variety shared a look into the filming and production of Season 2 with cast and creators, going into some of the changes that have been made for the new season. For those who have played the second game, the story is a doozy, but I won't share spoilers. Bella Ramsey who plays Ellie (who uses both “she/her” and “they/them” pronouns) shared how they cope with some of the heavier scenes they have to act in.
I’m scared of some of the bigger emotional scenes, leaving not satisfied with my performance, before the really dark scenes, I try to make myself as light and energetic as possible.
As they prepped for what they called “the darkest scene this season” Ramsey listened to a very specific song over and over again: The Buckwheat Boyz YouTube classic “Peanut Butter Jelly Time.” If you’re a kid who grew up on classic YouTube memes like me, I instantly heard it and saw that animated banana in my head. Ramsey described the filming, stating:
I was on the floor, my eyes absolutely burning with these menthol tears, and I’m just saying, ‘Peanut Butter Jelllll-y.’ You’ll probably be able to tell which one that is when you watch it.
If you’ve played the original game, then you probably already know what scene Ramsey is talking about. For those of us who haven’t played Naughty Dog's original game, then it’ll be a tear-jerking surprise. Hopefully we can take it seriously and not hear “Peanut Butter Jelly Time” as well.
Adaptations of books and games walk a very thin tightrope. Those who have watched or played the original source material know all the heart-wrenching moments to come, but you have to mindful for the people who are experiencing the story for the first time. The creators of this show have already stated they have made changes to the story, especially for key character like Abby.
For those who haven’t played the game and are avoiding spoilers, TLOU 2 focuses on a new character named Abby. Writers and show creators have already stated that they’re giving more attention to backstory, so we’re getting more humans than we are Infected. The show has done well with balancing already, but Season 2 will be a big testament to that because of Abby, played by Kaitlyn Dever, who is already at a disadvantage because she’s already disliked before even stepping on screen.
This is something Dever and the show creators are already aware of, seeing as Dever herself has had some extra security while filming because of how much genuine hate the character has received. This is also probably because since The Last of Us' release, actors like Ramsey have received a ‘weird’ increase in popularity. The audience loves these characters, and if you know the second game, it’s going to be a rough one.
The Last of Us Season 2 premieres April 13 on the 2025 TV schedule, so the hype is very much real. While I wish it was tomorrow, I will be eagerly waiting its release and I cannot wait to see what the show has in store for us. From what we’ve seen so far and what we know already, I’m excited to see how they have adapted the story and where we go from here.
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