Last of Us challenges audience with love in a time of fungal zombies
True to its title “Long Long Time,” episode three of The Last of Us gifts the audience with an hour-long pause on the ongoing quest of Joel (Pedro Pascal, The Mandalorian) to deliver an apparently immune Ellie (Bella Ramsey, Game of Thrones) through a zombie-infested landscape. Instead, the episode highlights more than 16 years of a barely canonical relationship between Bill (Nick Offerman, Parks and Recreation) and Frank (Murray Bartlett, The White Lotus).
In the game, players never get to meet a live Frank, giving HBO creative room for his characterization. Showrunners Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann, creator of the original game, take advantage of the long form format to explore the context of the relationship. Frank offers a steady counter to Bill’s isolationist tendencies. He pushes the doomsday prepper to expand his personal and physical circle. Through his influence, Bill evolves from enjoying the apocalypse to finding love in this new relationship. Beyond encouraging Bill to expand the once populated town he has now taken over, he builds connections with a younger Tess (Anna Torv, Mindhunter) and Joel, building a sense of community and partnership often lacking in their hostile conditions.
During the beginning of the outbreak, FEDRA (the remains of the U.S. government) carried out mass executions in an attempt to halt the infections. One of these occurred with the residents of Bill’s town, but he skillfully avoided this by hiding in his stocked bunker. Armed with walls of guns and surveillance cameras, he is perfectly prepped for the apocalypse the world has entered.
After an awkward initial encounter, when Frank literally falls into a trap, the two men start to learn about and fall in love with each other. Together, they build a world of peace for themselves, and Frank helps Bill relax and learn to enjoy life, ironically in the midst of an apocalypse. In the process, Bill opens himself up and finds something to protect and live for.
The relationship explored between them was beautiful, full of moments of warmth and love, marking one of the best things about the show: the pace. It’s not afraid to slow down and take its time--a strong departure from the mass of media trying to cram every second of runtime. Rather, it focuses on honest and natural connections and relationships. This authentic heartbeat and capturing the essence of humanity is what makes The Last of Us so special to viewers.
As part of their partnership deal, Tess and Joel help Bill and Frank reinforce the fence surrounding the town. This comes in handy later when a group of hunters try to break through. This dramatic scene breaks the peace, a harsh reminder of the world’s bleak situation, and the threat that still resides. The story of Bill and Frank is bittersweet as these characters are able to find security in themselves and others while still dealing with impending mortality. These wonderful relationships form across the show, and it’s powerful to watch.
HBO added a tribute at the beginning of the third episode to Annie Wersching, the actress for Tess in the game, who passed on the day of the episode's release. Keeping Tess present in the show through flashbacks and references forces the audience to remember her, which notes her importance and how the characters in the show still carry her with them.
Following this brief interlude, episode four spends a lot of time showing the growth of the bond between Joel and Ellie (Bella Ramsey, Game of Thrones) as they continue to open up to each other. Despite their more rapid connection than in the game, the progression still feels natural.
The plot progressively shifts away from the original game. While all the scenes themselves are relatively the same, they are being placed in a different order which slightly changes the narrative, though the ideas and journey of the story still hold true.
Many of the classic comedic scenes between Joel and Ellie were, thankfully, included in episode four, a strong juxtaposition to the more somber tone of the previous episode. Engaging and heartwarming, potentially even more noticeable after the events of “Long Long Time”, they draw the viewers’ focus away from all of the drama and fighting scenes towards the interactions between characters.
A particularly interesting difference between the show and the game is the attention on Ellie’s trauma. Joel’s perspective and experiences garner the lion’s share of the game’s pacing, save for chapter 9, pushing small moments with Ellie to the background. The show, on the other hand, allows for a broadened perspective, giving Ellie even more depth than seen in the game, at least in earlier chapters.
In addition to Ellie’s early development, they are pushing forward some of her more poignant scenes sooner in her arc. With all of these slight changes, both new and old fans are kept intrigued, eagerly waiting for the next episode to see how the show carries on.
Where HBO takes these changes and how they continue Ellie’s story remains to be seen. But if it is anything like they did with episode three, viewers will be pleased.
Rating: A
The Last of Us is heading in an interesting direction as HBO only makes changes where they see it’ll bring more value, retaining the heart and message of the story. The show isn’t shying away from emotion, making it stand out just that much more amongst the plethora of zombie television.
by Addi Isely
Published February 21, 2023
Oshkosh West Index Volume 119 Issue V