This review contains full spoilers for episode three of The Last of Us, now available to view on HBO Max. To stay spoiler-free, check out our The Last of Us Season 1 Review.
Episode 3 of The Last of Us strays from the path in its first major deviation from the story told in the game. In doing so, it beautifully tells a story of romance found in a seemingly hopeless place in a relatively action-free chapter that instead focuses on the love and sadness that both companionship and loneliness can bring. It’s a masterful hour of television, displaying everything the adaptation strives for at its best.
While the series’ overall story follows Joel and Ellie, this chapter belongs firmly to Bill and Frank. We first meet the former in a relatively lighthearted sequence as Nick Offerman's Bill channels his inner Kevin McAllister in preparing a trap-laden compound. He seems content, if not fulfilled by his solitary life, not knowing that he’s about to find love in the most unlikely of places - the bottom of a ditch.
Offerman is outstanding as Bill, showing us a much more tender side to him than ever glimpsed in the game. He’s asked to express an extensive gamut of varied emotional states during the episode as he transforms from stubborn survivalist to doting partner. It’s a remarkably impressive performance and one that is only accentuated by the nuanced work of his co-star, Murray Bartlett. Far-flung from the luxury surroundings of a White Lotus hotel, Bartlett is equally brilliant as the kind-hearted Frank. Managing to disarm Bill with his calming aura, his charm goes a long way to lifting The Last of Us out of its normally oppressive atmosphere.
Initially, Bill is more flustered by Frank entering one of his traps than any infected who have stumbled into them. The moment they realise their shared love for piano music is beautifully constructed as they also awaken their love for one another. The fear in Offerman's eyes as he and Frank share that first kiss is a fantastic moment of vulnerability and tenderness. He now has something to protect and knowing that this newfound love may one day be lost again is scarier than anything - "I was never afraid before you showed up," he memorably utters. It’s a fantastic example of some people's deepest-rooted fears remaining the same when all others around them have been made a reality.
The quick cuts from before of him setting up his perimeter and sheltering from the outside world are now gone, making way for a slower pace as we see before our eyes his willingness to savour life’s little moments again. It’s a supremely effective portrayal of the concept that without love, living is merely surviving. That love only continues to blossom throughout, complete with all the nuanced irritable moments that any relationship brings. Whether picking strawberries or fighting off invaders, their bond remains strong with a level of warmth and believability that carries the episode.
Frank and Bill's final day is remarkably touching from start to finish. It's devastating yet tinged with melancholy due to the fact that it's so rare for someone to be able to say a proper farewell in this world. Echoes of Max Richter’s On the Nature of Daylight - used in similarly heartbreaking scenes from Arrival and Shutter Island - can be heard as the beautiful, swelling strings soundtrack their final moments. In the space of just over half an hour we've seen the transformation of a man who reveled in his solitary life become fearful of returning to it.
In many ways, it was a self-written prophecy, from the moment Frank entered his life that it would end in heartbreak. Nothing is permanent in our world in the first place, but in the middle of a pandemic, everything just feels that more fragile. A beautiful reminder that love is open for all to find, no matter who and where you choose to discover it with. It's heartbreaking, poignant, and achingly romantic.
Their story is bookended by time spent with Ellie and Joel. We’re already starting to see small developments in their relationship as their dynamic becomes a little more fun. Snappy dialogue effortlessly executed by Bella Ramsey and Pedro Pascal help to create this as they remain inquisitive and dismissive respectively. There’s even time dedicated to searching around for supplies in classic The Last of Us fashion. More enjoyable easter eggs lie within for those familiar with the game too, such as Joel and Ellie changing into recognisable clothing or Bill’s blue truck. It’s fun little details like this that keep the story rooted in its origins, even when it branches off into different directions like this episode does.
One thing that was alluded to, but never fully explained in the game was how the cordyceps fungus fully spread its way through the world - something remedied here by Joel explaining it to Ellie. It’s a credit to the showrunners that they continue to make exposition scenes like this continually interesting when they could so easily become tedious. There are early signs of Joel's paternal instincts kicking in as he's protective of Ellie in not wanting her to see a mass grave - a smart, if harrowing, visual transition that serves as a gateway to the bulk of the episode. A bulk that is ultimately a flashback reimagined from a one-page note in the game - a version of which is read by Ellie to devastating effect as Joel reluctantly listens. This scene alone is yet another example of how powerful a tool Pascal’s eyes are for the show.
Of course, this is still Bill and Frank’s episode, however, and one they dominate both physically and emotionally. It's a clever choice to change their story for the brighter, offering the couple their own stage to shine on - granting a rare smile compared to the largely bleak events it follows. A first real change of note in the story from the original game, it twists an originally bitter-tasting ending of this chapter into something much sweeter and, ultimately, a wholly more successful one.
source https://www.ign.com/articles/the-last-of-us-episode-3-review