(Bella Ramsey | HBO Max)
The last time we saw Joel and Ellie in HBO Max’s “The Last of Us”, they escaped the ruined city of Boston as Tess sacrificed herself to stop a legion of infected from killing them. This episode adapts the in-game chapter called “Bill’s Town,” while also fleshing out the character of Bill and his partner Frank.
“Once upon a time, I had somebody that I cared about. It was a partner. Somebody I had to look after. And in this world, that sort of shit’s good for one thing: getting you killed.” —Bill (Video Game).
This episode is one hailed by many reviewers that saw the whole season as the highlight of the entire show. It is also one that deviates the most from the game, giving more insight into the character of Bill, a curmudgeon who in the game is very cold and harsh due to his survival instincts, but in the show you see his relationship with his partner Frank. In the game the only time you see Frank, he is a corpse, hanging from the rafters of a destroyed house.
Here, we see him alive and well, played by Murray Bartlett. Bill, played by Nick Offerman, is also a stand out as a paranoid prepper with a cold heart. A far cry from the character he portrayed in “Parks and Recreation.”
Let’s get the obvious out of the way. This episode was nothing like the game. Instead of seeing a big booby trap maneuvering and the first encounter with the infected bloater, we saw one of the most beautiful love stories placed on television. It begins with Bill hiding from FEDRA as they evacuate his town, leaving him as the sole person left.
Soon, a man called Frank comes to the town looking for food, and a spark immediately bursts into a flame of love. We then see the years go by as Frank and Bill’s relationship flourishes and then in a spark of passion ends in a tragically romantic way, with both committing suicide together in their old age.
This episode was art, a love story for the ages showing that even when the world goes cold, there are still people who warm your heart. This episode is also great for gay representation because both the actor who plays Frank, Murray Bartlett, and the director of the episode, Peter Hoar, are also gay.
“I used to hate the world, and I was happy when everyone died. But I was wrong because there was one person worth saving. That’s what I did, I saved him, then I protected him. That’s why men like you and me are here, we have a job to do. And God help any Motherfuckers who stand in our way.” —Bill (TV Show).