Warning: The following article contains spoilers for HBO’s The Last of Us, Episode 8: “When We Are In Need.”
The Emmys aren’t for another six months, but The Last of Us fans are campaigning for Bella Ramsey to storm the awards — or at the very least be nominated, and they’re already sharpening their pitchforks in preparation for the chaos that will ensue if she doesn’t win.
Although the announcement of the star portraying TLoU‘s protagonist Ellie Williams didn’t sit well with gamers initially, it seems that long-time followers and newcomers alike are warming to the idea, especially after Ramsey delivered two knock-out performances in the last few episodes, namely “Left Behind” and the most recent “When We Are In Need.”
Ramsey fires on all cylinders throughout both, so it isn’t hard to see why her fans are rallying in support of her expected Emmy sweep. It isn’t just her, either. Ramsey’s co-star Pedro Pascal, who portrays the hardened smuggler Joel, also has his sights set on a few Emmy gongs, and fans are backing him as an odds-on favorite, too.
We don’t want to find out what’ll happen if Ramsey doesn’t get the recognition she’s worked so hard for at the 2023 Emmy Awards, but it certainly seems — from what we’ve seen on social media — that there’s a desperation for her to take home at least one, if not more, Emmys.
Fans are pinpointing her exact nomination to her scene with Scott Shepherd’s David, wherein Ellie — after days of torment and grooming — finally snaps and overpowers David, slaughtering him with several brutal stabs to the chest. Meanwhile, Ramsey unleashes a spine-chilling wail that blends sheer terror with primal rage. It’s a thing of beauty, even if it does paint the sweet and innocent 19-year-old in a rather savage light. If that isn’t talent, nothing is. Watch out, Emmys. A new contender approaches.