The following article contains spoilers for Episode 3 of The Last of Us.
This week’s episode of The Last of Us does not include a lot of action, and is in fact a standalone hour-long journey of Bill and Frank’s love story. While the game did hint towards a relationship between the two, players never got to experience their backstory. The HBO series decided to change that and offered an entire episode on love in a hopeless place. But, the subtle hints towards the game’s plot and the way Bill and Frank’s story develops will influence Joel and Ellie’s bond moving forward in ways that the game didn’t.
Before HBO’s The Last of Us began streaming, the show runners revealed that Episode 3 would change the narrative of the games. That is exactly what it did, as Bill and Frank’s story wasn’t even a part of the game. However, spending an entire episode developing the bond between two supporting characters, who eventually die, is a bold decision that will pay off in the long run.
The first two episodes of The Last of Us were a fairly accurate adaptation of the first game’s plot. Most of the scenes played out beat-by-beat, with some of the dialogues being repeated verbatim. There were a few changes, specifically to Tess’ story, but Joel and Ellie’s journey was heading in the same direction as the game. However, with Episode 3, the show runners changed things up, and achieved a new level of understanding between the two main characters in the process.
The story so far is how the first The Last of Us game plays out. In the game, players control Joel and see the world through his eyes. Towards the beginning, Joel isn’t too pleased with his latest cargo, mostly because she could potentially be a danger to his life, and also because she reminds him of his own daughter. However, over the course of the game, players feel his conflict as he tries to connect with her, all while trying to keep her at an arm’s length.
As the game progresses, Joel begins to trust Ellie and even seeks her help to solve a few puzzles. In many scenes, Joel boosts Ellie over a wall to move certain objects or unlock a door. In one particular scene, when Joel calls for Ellie, she seems distracted in the background. Establishing this dynamic between two characters through gameplay was a feat in its own for the creators and to be able to translate that into television isn’t the easiest. But after watching Episode 3 of The Last of Us, fans are convinced that it is indeed possible, in a way they least expected.
In the game, Bill is a survivalist similar to his live adaptation self, but his relationship with Frank isn’t the same. He tells Joel of his partner that left, and how he is better off without him. While Joel’s attitude towards Ellie does change over time, his meeting with Bill doesn’t have the largest impact on it. He keeps her safe as Bill and him fight off the infected, but that instant connection is still missing. This is where the HBO series succeeds.
This week’s episode offers a glimpse into the lives that Bill and Frank built together. It is almost refreshing to see them bicker over “white paint,” considering the world outside the walls of their community will never be the same again. The joy that Bill feels when he sees that patch of strawberry in their garden is palpable. Episode 3 offers hope to viewers that love and companionship can persevere in the direst of situations.
At the end of Episode 3, when Joel and Ellie arrive at Bill and Frank’s home, they find a letter addressed “to whomever, but probably Joel.” The contents of this letter are a reality check for Joel, as he is reminded that “men like [him] are here to protect the one person worth saving.” Unlike the game, Frank is that one person for Bill, and while the latter thinks that Joel’s person is Tess, in that moment, viewers know that it will end up being Ellie. This letter is a lot more positive than the one players discover in the game. Frank reveals in that letter that he “hated [Bill’s] guts,” and that dying was “still better than spending another day with” him. It’s no-brainer which letter left a bigger impact on Joel and his mindset.
While Joel and Ellie weren’t directly a part of Bill and Frank’s story, they both seem affected by it. The partners lived together for several years, fought off raiders, grew their own base to include fashion accessories, and made new friends. In a world that is crumbling apart, the couple was able to leave a footprint of hope. This is the basis of The Last of Us, both game and adaptation, as it is a character-driven story. Human connection and bonds are extremely important to move a story forward, and with Bill and Frank’s love, the story has brought Joel to trust Ellie much quicker than in the game.
Another crucial aspect that this episode sets up is that with love and companionship comes the fear of losing your loved ones. “I was never afraid before you showed up,” Bill tells Frank at one point. When the time comes for Joel to make the moral decision at the end of the season, that fear will play a huge role. In the game, players experience Joel’s transformation over the course of his journey. However, in the series, viewers cannot control his decisions and to be able to understand his decisions moving forward, this week’s episode was an important step. Episode 3 confirmed that the series will not just be adapting the game’s story, but also its storytelling format. When The Last of Us was released in 2013, it became an instant hit and is still known for having one of the best storytelling in a video game. The HBO series just added to the story where the game missed out.
The Last of Us is streaming on HBO Max.