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The Last of Us is a 2013 action-adventure game developed by Naughty Dog. It follows Joel, a smuggler who finds himself tasked with escorting a teenage girl, Ellie, across a post-apocalyptic version of the United States. Soon after it came out, this game became a huge critical and commercial success.
Its popularity spawned many other pieces of media, such as games, comic books, and a live-action adaptation starring Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey. It also guest stars include Nico Parker, Gabriel Luna, Merle Dandridge, Anna Torv, and Parks and Recreation star Nick Offerman.
HBO’s The Last of Us has received plenty of praise for sticking close to the original source material. But, after the third episode of the series came out, hard-die fans noticed that the series deviated from the video game.
This chapter of the series gives viewers a look into Bill’s backstory, but the ending is nothing similar to what actually happens in the game and fans are divided about this major change.
How Bill’s Storyline In HBO’s The Last Of Us Departs From The Game
HBO’s live-action adaptation of The Last Of Us has remained faithful to the video game for the most part. However, the third episode of the series, which aired earlier this week, came with a major storyline change, which has given fans much to talk about. If you haven’t seen this episode yet, you’ll probably want to skip this part to avoid spoilers!
Titled “Long, Long Time,” the third episode of HBO’s The Last Of Us introduces Bill (Nick Offerman), a bellicose survivalist that will play an important role in Joel and Ellie’s quest.
Although the 2013 video game alludes to Bill having a romantic relationship with a man named Frank, it never goes into detail. Unlike the game, the third episode of the series dives into Bill and Frank’s (Murray Bartlett) relationship through a series of flashbacks.
In addition to this, the co-creator of the series decided to completely change the ending of Bill and Frank’s storyline. In the game, Bill is the last person left in a small town called Lincoln, and he helps Joel and Ellie find a truck so they can head west.
During their time together, Bill tells the pair that caring about others is a sure way to get killed, while it’s later revealed that he had a partner who hanged himself after becoming infected.
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Meanwhile, on the show, Bill is long gone by the time Joel and Ellie arrive in Lincoln. Through a series of flashbacks, viewers learn that Frank, left crippled by a degenerative illness, asked Bill to euthanize him after they marry. Bill, not wanting to live without his partner, kills himself as well.
Joel and Ellie only discover a letter Bill left to Joel, where he explains that caring for Frank gave his life meaning, along with his truck and supply of weapons.
The Co-Creators Of HBO’s The Last Of Us Revealed Why They Decided To Deviate From The Video Game For Episode Three
After the third episode of HBO’s The Last of Us came out, the show’s co-creators, Neil Druckmann and Craig Mazin, told IGN why they decided to make such a major change in Frank and Bill’s storyline.
“When we got to this part in the season, Craig brought up a really interesting point which is… there’s a lot of examples of things not turning out well for people, and often those are reflections and cautionary tales for Joel of ‘here’s what you stand to lose’,” Druckmann explained. “It was, what if we show them what you could stand to win?”
“I think it is a happy ending,” Mazin added. “I think we tend to view death as a failure, particularly when you’re talking about playing a video game. It is literally failure. And for our show so far, there’s been some brutal moments where Joel has failed or at least perceives that he’s failed: he failed his daughter, he’s failed Tess, and he’s certainly feeling that weight at both the beginning and end of this episode.”
By deviating from the game, the show’s co-creators hope to give some motivation to Joel in his task to care for Ellie.
Nick Offerman Wasn’t The First Choice For Bill The Last Of Us
Nick Offerman has done such a great job playing Bill on HBO’s The Last of Us that it’s hard to imagine another actor in this role.
However, the Parks and Recreation star wasn’t the first choice for this character. Originally, Con O’Neill was cast in this role, but ultimately this Laurence Olivier Award-winning actor had to drop out of the show due to scheduling conflicts. So Offerman was then offered the role.
The show’s co-creator, Craig Mazin, decided to cast Offerman because he thought that “funny people have soul”, citing the incredible performances of Bryan Cranston in Breaking Bad. Offerman was happy to join the cast of That Last of Us when offered the chance, even if he knew very little about the game prior to being cast as Bill.
