How HBO's The Last Of Us Gives Fans An Unexpected Surprise With Bill
Contains spoilers for "The Last of Us" Season 1, Episode 3
HBO's "The Last of Us" is all set to be the network's next big hit series. With HBO regulars Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey of "Game of Thrones," as well as the involvement of notable actors such as Anna Torv, Melanie Lynskey, and Nick Offerman, the cast of "The Last of Us" is already stacked. Furthermore, with the involvement of series creator Neil Druckmann and "Chernobyl" creator Craig Mazin, "The Last of Us" already has an excellent team in charge whose members are more than capable of making sure that they nail the nuance and darkness of this beloved gaming property.
Of course, with the knowledge that some of the above actors have been cast to play side characters like Tess (Torv) and Bill (Offerman), it only makes sense that the show will build out these characters' storylines a bit more. With that in mind, "The Last of Us" definitely does not disappoint with its stellar third episode.
Season 1, Episode 3 of "The Last of Us" begins in an unsurprising fashion following the brutal conclusion of the previous episode, which sees Tess sacrifice herself to buy Joel (Pascal) and Ellie (Ramsey) some time after she is bitten. Still, roughly a fifth of the way through the episode, the series takes an abrupt left turn and dives deep into the life of gruff survivalist Bill.
Bill and Frank get a moving love story in Episode 3
What makes this storytelling change so surprising for fans of the source material is that the player meets Bill in the game after his partner has already passed away. However, in the HBO adaptation of "The Last of Us," we get a much deeper dive into this character, and it makes for one of the best episodes of the season.
Watching Bill meet Frank (Murray Bartlett) in "The Last of Us" and spending many happy years with him adds several new layers of emotion to a character you barely get to know in the game, including helping explain his mean disposition since he's bitter about being left alone after his partner dies.
To go even further, the episode provides some of the most heartbreaking moments in the series so far, with Frank succumbing to cancer and the two choosing to die together by overdosing. And with the discovery of the letter Bill leaves for Joel and a flashback showing Joel and Tess meeting Bill and Frank, the changes work perfectly, giving fans of the source material an incredibly moving surprise as a result.