Storm Reid Has Message for Homophobic Response to Last of Us Kiss

The seventh episode in the series, titled "Left Behind," explores how Ellie first learned she was immune to a cordyceps bite -- and it's a tragic origin story.

Riley makes her first appearance in the episode, that takes place almost entirely in Ellie's memory -- aside from some present tense anchoring -- as she attempts to save a severely wounded Joel (Pedro Pascal).

The flashback episode sees Riley and Ellie go on an adventure together in an abandoned mall, where Ellie finally gathers enough courage to kiss her friend. Immediately afterward, the two are bitten by an infected.

The doomed love story certainly resonated with many viewers, however a previous gay storyline in the HBO show involving Nick Offerman and Murray Bartlett riled up the darker side of the internet.

Prior to the episode airing, Variety spoke with the two actors and asked Reid what she thought of the controversy surrounding the prior episode and the potential for a similar response with her story arc in the series.

"I think Bella put it perfectly a couple of weeks ago: 'If you don't like it, don't watch.' There's so many other things to worry about in the world. I think being concerned about who people love is just absurd to me. I just don't — I will never understand it. I don't get it," Reid said.

"I think despite what people are going to say, if they don’t like it, I think there are going to be a lot more people that appreciate it," she continued. "A lot more people that feel represented and seen and heard. So that’s what matters. That's where the work comes in. And that's when it's appreciated, and you prioritize looking at those tweets rather than the ones that aren't the best."

Meanwhile, viewers eager to know if Joel will survive his horrific gut wound that closed out the previous episode of the series ... will just have to keep waiting.

"The Last of Us" airs Sundays on HBO.