This is it folks, this is peak television. What we have here is one of the most gut wrenching and masterfully crafted episodes ever brought to screen. Absolutely fucking phenomenal with career best performances from Murray Bartlett and Nick Oferman. Holy shit this will stick with me.
"i was never afraid before you showed up" yeah you can stop right there, i was already crying :sob: i wasn't ready for all the TEARS TODAY
I just LOVE how so many people are butthurt by this episode. Just goes to show how much this is still needed in our world. This was a masterpiece in storytelling.
I could have skipped this episode and missed nothing.
This singular episode, which I initially didn’t think I would like in the beginning, became more incredible than entire movies. It was beautiful, poetic and entirely self encapsulated in a tiny little world where people can still pick out their little slice of happiness.
To all those who hated the episode, replace bill with a female in your head if you have to, but open your eyes to why this story was so fulfilling and poetic in a world filled with meaningless death and endless suffering.
A fantastic short film that’s bound to become the major highlight of this season for most, while also likely to trigger some mentally deficient adults.
One of its best qualities is that you could in theory tell this story with a straight couple , and it wouldn’t lessen any of its emotional impact.
It’s such an original, creative angle for a zombie apocalypse show, and Nick Offerman/Murray Bartlett both deliver career best performances here. If their section was a bit more fleshed out, I genuinely think you could make a great indie/arthouse film out of it.
I also love how it portrays a hardcore Republican character without making him some incapable buffoon, we don’t get enough of that in movies and tv.
Ps: I’m pretty sure they used an existing piece of music during the marriage montage , I’ve heard it before but can’t quite place where it’s from
I love how mad some comments are on here, goes to show that this is exactly what they need to see, this isn’t wokeism, or a gay agenda, it’s simply showing that there is more comfortability in sexualities these days, and it’s time to grow up because this “agenda” is here to stay :)
I skipped the love story I and 95% of people can't relate to. So far this show is pretty mid. Hope it gets better.
Wait, how the hell would Ellie even begin to know what a damn deodorant stick is?
THEY PROMISED ME ZOMBIES AND ALL I HAVE NOW IS DEPRESSION
What a beautiful episode, I don't remember an episode like this for years, very well done, just perfect.
Which version do you prefer? The Game or the Show? I will have to go with the show, its more happy, kinda.
it's like watching UP all over again...
watching nick offerman giggles joyfully at strawberries was so wholesome
This too early to have a filler episode. Waste of an hour. Watch the first 5 mins and last 5 mins. Rest has zero value to story progression.
If anyone is wondering why this is a lovefest for this terrible episode, just know that trakt is actively deleting any negative comments. Even ones that aren't in anyway offense. I know because it happened to me, and has been happening more and more lately.
As my previous comment mentioned, This was a poor filler episode.
Never commented on Trakt before, but wow what an episode! Felt compelled. One of the best bits of television I have seen in recent memory.
how am i supposed to just continue living my life after watching that episode?!?!?! like i have to try to go to bed and wake up for work tomorrow?!?! just absolutely incredible and heartbreaking. will stick with me for a long time
A very solid 1/10 for Ep3
I dont like it. Why Bill is dead? This is The Last of Us not a romantic gay spin off of Bill and Frank!
I cried, then I cried some more and then I cried again. I imagine how this episode will be attacked by people who didn't receive love from their parents (right wings) and I just want to fuck it. this episode alone made tlou win awards and more awards, what perfection.
Whoever gave this less than a 10/10 probably misclicked because they tears fogging their vision. Absolute masterpiece even if it doesn't follow the game canon!
Well, to be fair and to my point of view, this episode add nothing to the main story line... and I played the game.
You can fit pretty much anything between Joel and Ellie segment and it would have done the same.
Glad for those who enjoyed it. Personaly, I did not.
The title of this episode was on point! It was too long and the pace too slow for my taste. I really hope to see something else in the next episodes.
Tears. Tears everywhere. Again. I know some people won’t like this episode, but if you haven’t caught on yet, this is a story about love, and this was a beautifully placed story about that.
Episode 3: WTF was that??! I want my time back!
I cried. I'm not afraid to admit it.
Getting bored. Been far too many deep moments already, and not enough action. Last thing the show needed was a filler episode.
I guess Neil was out of the office the day this one was written.
After like 30 minutes I started thinking “Well, this is taking longer than expected”, so I must admit it felt a liiiiittle like a filler episode to me. But it was beautifully done, I just longed for Joel and Ellie after a while. The only thing I’m really disappointed about, is the homophobia in the comments. They were gay in the game, and even if they weren’t, get over it. You were all born way too late for this type of behaviour.
Fantastic episode. Great storytelling and acting
RIP To the great Annie Wersching (who played Tess in the original game) who unfortunately lost her battle with cancer. She was a fantastic actress and will be dearly missed.
That was beautifully done. And I know how that sounds but I think they gave them a happy ending.
I Think I skipped about 40 minuets of this Episode, I really hope there are no more like this absolute tripe !
Wasn't expecting to cry today. What an absolutely beautiful episode.
Completely SKIPABLE. OUT OF CONTEXT EPISODE. WORSE CASE OF WOKEISM ON TV. NO ZOMBIES, NO PLOT, NO SCRIPT JUST 2 GAY DUDES :joy:. 2/10 RATING
An hour later and still haven't recovered from this ep. The most Nick Offerman has me emotional since "Leslie and Ron". That last shot zooming back into the edge of their bedroom, Frank's drawing of Bill, and Linda Ronstadt... I may have typed myself into tearing up about it all over again just now.
Why? Just... why? Totally unneeded episode, with absolutely no point whatsoever. Just pushing agenda. What to expect next, clickers doing anal in the ass?
The first two episodes were largely a faithful recreation of the game. While I appreciated the authenticity, I wondered why this needed to exist. If I wanted to reexperience this story after all, I could just revisit the game.
This episode really did what the series should be doing. It gave us a new angle to look at a story beat that was there in the game, but only shown to us in the past tense. Now we're getting to live through these moments, and that makes the series really feel worthwhile.
Fast forward like 49 minutes of this ridiculous episode
At this point and with all the rainbow dedications, tributes and presentations.... I'm just glad I'm able to skip through unnecessary scenes or an entire episode with a flick of my finger. I'll pretend I didn't watch this.
Such a quiet and emotional episode, shot so beautifully.
Isn't it too early for people to be mad at gay stuff?
Who's gonna tell them...
The people leaving negative comments have clearly not had a good romance in their life. It wasn’t made the way the game was made. This is where it all changed, but I appreciated the backstory. I was always curious about frank.
Perhaps I didn’t like how vulnerable bill got when he was with him as he seemed like a tough guy on the outside.
But perhaps this the chapter we were missing all along. The information about who frank was and why he was so important to Bill.
I kind of would’ve hoped that Bill wouldn’t have died and that’s why he later then got so snappy and annoyed at Ellie & Joel.
I like this actor, I suppose I do wish he could’ve stuck around for longer :/
Boring, boring, boring.
I just fast forwarded most of the episode.
I mostly forgot about Bill from the game, He was a good character, sure but he never had that much to him, but this episode did him more than justice imo, I love that they didn't try to make him just another sacrifice in the road to deliver Ellie but instead gave him a proper background story, it was a really good episode overall
Here we are, this is beautiful art. Bill and Frank, we love you. Thank you.
one of the best episodes of television i have ever fucking seen
I have always said that The Last of Us is a game that I would watch as a TV series. Now that I'm watching it on HBO, I'm thinking this is the way I'd like to watch a game being played on YouTube or Twitch or whatever you're streaming on.
The third episode was a slow one, focusing on Bill's backstory, which is very different from the game, but it's a wonderful change, deeply emotional.
In the game, I never had the chance to get to know Bill more, and now that I have, I'm grateful that this show is expanding on what was already a beautiful story.
And there it is. The first great episode of the season.
oh my god ellie's shirt!!
Waste of time. If someone told me I could skip those 40 minutes, I would do it in a heartbeat.
What's interesting to me about this episode is that they sort of flipped Bill's purpose in the narrative. In the game, he was a cautionary tale for Joel. Joel was keeping everyone at arms' length, especially Ellie, because he was afraid that if he started to care about anyone, it would be a weakness and he'd die. Bill encouraged that mindset and told Joel to cut her loose. Then Joel had to see how Bill's strategy of shutting everyone out just left him alone and miserable and hated by the one person he loved. Yes, he survived, but Joel had to wonder if death was really worse than that.
Now in the show, Bill is almost an aspirational figure. He opened up, cared about someone, successfully protected that person, and then died when that person didn't need him anymore. And Joel is on the path to following in his footsteps.
Ah, Murray, you can try to hide it all you want but I know that smile. :sweat_smile:
I'm glad I didn't look up the list of guest appearances beforehand because that was a treat.
This episode itself deserves it's solo movie. Bill and Frank, man. What a story. This is what love truly feels like. An unexpected discovery and a beautiful journey and in the end, a sad yet romantic ending. Masterpiece episode.
im such a mess now
I don’t know man, this episode just didn’t catch on for me. Non the less i thought it was decent and it seemed important for character development.
When I discovered Frank and Bill playing in 2013 after reading that note that Frank left him orginally in the game I never imagined not even in my wildest dreams that I would be able to see this mastery of story, this piece of art. Thank you so much for breaking with the myth that tv/film adaptations from vg are never good. I love where the show is going, and I hope this project makes an example for all the industry of what you should/shouldn't do when you get apart from the original story.
Well I was not expecting that. Absolutely beautiful episode. That note had me in tears.
Working off script from the game, the episode takes the opportunity to expand on a character with such depth to really flesh out the true meaning of this series. Even for a slow episode, we can appreciate how beautifully they handled this delicate love story.
A very emotional and well crafted episode!
Bill and Frank’s story really touched me.
Also, finding lots of bigots to block in this comment thread lmao
This was, by far, the greatest episode of a television show for years. Any television show, in any genre... the. best. episode.
Damn this got me right in the feels. A big divergence from Bill and Frank's story in the game but a welcome one.
In a world like that, to have 15 or so happy years together? What more could you wish for. Perfectly portrayed by Offerman and Bartlett.
A beautiful story in an ugly world.
I just finished watching the 3rd episode of The Last of Us. Hell yeah, it was so gay and sooo good. Oh my god, I had tears in my eyes throughout. The series is so good. SOOOO GOOD! That's it.
Good and touching episode, but not the masterpiece most of the people are talking about.
Although I loved Frank's and Bill's story, it could've been waay shorter, especially considering that they both die anyway. It's still a great episode, but I can't help but feel a bit cheated from Joel and Ellie content.
Exceptional! A whole movie in an episode and Linda Ronstadt, for the credits! Amazing!
Not the episode involving Bill that I was expecting at all.
I remember Bill mentioning Frank in the game but felt there wasn't enough background to truly feel what he was feeling or fulyl understand what it was he had lost... now I know!!
This episode was not only an incredible episode on it's own for a tv show it made the character Bill, and the game itself, that much better!
Ellie in the cellar was a little disturbing though LOL
I don't think I'll forget this episode for a long, long time. I loved the change in pace from the first two episodes and didn't even really miss Joel and Ellie, which goes to show just how good this was. Loved the performances and the story that was told including the deeper themes and messages. Beautiful and heartbreaking stuff, I love it. The quality of this show continues.
As soon as I saw Linda Ronstadt, I knew. =)
Wow. I feel like this never happens in these types of shows. I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop and something horrible to happen the ENTIRE episode. But this was, ultimately, a heartbreakingly happy ending. And it was all about love. Such a beautiful well-rounded story.
That last shot was perfection.
“I was never afraid before you showed up.”
Why tou have to put that woke s*it everywere :thumbsdown:
My face is hurt, i cried so much:sob:
Another load of crap from Hollywood.
Back to European cinema.
To the people who are not familiar with the source material and saying this is "Woke" STFU! Treat this episode as a filler if you hate it that much but for us people who are familiar with the game, we like it. And I have no problems since I want to see the background story of Bill in the game so this was nice. But I just wish that they made him alive after this episode and met Ellie.
What a beautiful, heartbreaking piece of television. They don’t make those as often anymore.
Ooof, this one hits hard. When good writing collides with good acting. If you aren't moved by this episode, you're probably infected by the cordyceps.
Wow. The best episode I've seen in 2023. Perfect editing, scene order, and sequences. Not overboard, not lacking. That ending, the song, the car scene, the sunset, and most especially, the scene going back to the room through the window = wonderfully made! Perfect!
god what a good episode, it's still on my mind, i want to be as resourceful as him, such a touchy ending for both of them, you know this is how it used to be like in the old days, you'd go out on a quest, and accidentally end up finding your life partner <3
WOW
Just wow
Meanwhile other shows need entire seasons to make us care about their characters…
Not a bad episode but these characters ain't Bill and Frank, they just happen to have those names. Instead of them actually having some conflict from living together for years in an apocalypse and not ending things on a good note between them, now they're just a happy gay couple. COOL! VERY INTERESTING TO WATCH :sleeping:
This episode is now my top crying sauce, stepping over "Up", which hold this position for 14 years
Wow, this actually had me crying, that never seems to happen. Beautiful storytelling and world building, I really invested in these characters.
Beautiful and sad. My eyes were red and I was crying big, fat tears by the end of it, but I so prefer this version of their story to the game. Sixteen years in any world, with someone you love who loves you, is remarkable and worthy of ALL the screen time.
10/10 for Bill and Frank, and for the sensitivity given to their heartwarming and heartbreaking tale.
This episode of "The Last of Us" is remarkable for its successful representation of homosexual characters in a post-apocalyptic world. The two characters are well-developed and complementary, with the survivalist having a touch of sophistication. The unique and touching love story adds a lot of humanity and realism to the series. Unlike other works, the theme of homosexuality is not simply included to please a community, but it truly adds value to the story and is fully integrated into the plot. This shows a successful and respectful representation of diversity.
There hasn't been a video game adaptation that has made me cry this much since Street Fighter
Episode too long and i’m pretty sure it is not relevant at all for the rest of the season 1… let’s wait what the next episode’s got…!
This was a truly beautiful thing to watch. The whole cast and crew working at the highest level possible to make a genuine masterwork.
In general though, I hope people just accept that this is not a video game. The Last of Us was my favorite PS3 game. The Last of Us II was my favorite PS4 game. People who can't accept that they are not the same will be disappointed time and time again in the future if they keep expecting things to play out the same way. Accept that the games are an inspiration for a TV show and that many things that work in video games do not necessarily work in a live action medium. The show itself can't be all actiony all the time because frankly it would be entirely unrealistic for Joel to continue to live through constant fights with zombies, especially when in this world one bite and you're done. There's no cutting off a limb or anything else to stop the spread. Unless you're Ellie, if you get infected you die. There's no way if they were constantly fighting he'd make it like you can in a video game. You can't reload if you get mortally wounded when you're doing a TV show.
Great episode. Would have loved seeing Ellie and Bill curse at each other. But I understand that it wouldn't quite fit the mood. There will always be the game we can go back to.
A master piece of television.
Fantastic epsiode but I can't help but feel robbed of Bill + Ellie interactions and the whole school section. Guess we have to wait a bit longer for the first Bloater.
I cannot binge this show because the suspense is so exhausting that I must take a break after an episode. :open_mouth::dash:
Throughout, I expected Frank to grab Bill's gun and try to shoot him as he subterfuges him to play the piano, or even until the bedroom scene. :cold_sweat:
As someone who often hates on movies and shows which throw in Gay characters just in the name of diversity or to make them stand out for one reason or another, this show was so far my favorite episode out of the first 3, it was an incredible short story, I loved how much more attention Bill and Frank got, and even though it was much more different than the game, it was a good choice, it was a great love story and made Bill seem much more human, rather than just a crazy old dude like in the video game.
So nice... How a show of zombies can be near to perfect without them. Every episode more interesting.
Looking back, from the perspective of a person who played the game many times, this is both a great love letter to long time fans, and gives a new spin on a well done character that had the potential for some really good lore, which was presented quite well here. I'm happy with the direction of where they went with Bill & Frank's story. I have no clue where they will be going in the next episode, so I will be watching closely to see if they go crazy off trail in the next episodes, but this one felt good. As a piece of work, this hit the emotional marks alongside the story aspects quite well, while also tying in the stories of our main characters throughout the episode. I'm trying to grasp the lens of what a first time watcher would be experiencing, such as those who haven't played the game. I wouldn't call it a filler episode, but it does hit the mark of a self contained story, though it connects to our main story, and helps continue Joel and Ellie's journey. This episode reminds me of what you would see in a show like Atlanta on FX, where the entire episode revolves a self-contained story of one character, and then the main characters would show up at the end, and possibly mentioned or pop up throughout the episode. This was a pretty rough ramble, but it was well done in the sense of a self contained story, branching off of our main journey with Ellie and Joel, which I do appreciate in many shows. This episode contains such beautiful and heavy themes, and it is interesting to show that there are bright spots like this within the bleak world of The Last Of Us.
In the end, I enjoyed this episode, I am pretty happy we got some really juicy Bill and Frank lore. I wish we got to see some conversations with Ellie and grumpy Bill , but it's alright, I'm sure we will be able to whiteness more fun Ellie moments throughout the rest of the show. By the way, the performances were absolutely beautiful. I managed to really connect to these characters, and hang on to what they had to say, alongside the amount of empathy I had for them. A beautiful story was told, and though it is different than the source material, which I typically am not a fan of, I was happy to be brought on this lovely adventure.
It's 1:30 in the morning and I'm waiting for my photos to render, so I decided to comment on this episode while I wait lol. I am very tired so mind my poor grammar lmao
It is a decent episode, not the greatest of all time as some say.
I am emotionally shattered after this one
On the one hand, it feels a bit like a filler episode. On the other hand, how do they manage to land these gut punches for characters we barely know? Also, Nick Offerman was brilliant here, sad that he isn't around for more.
Truly one of the best TV episodes ever made. I love that the show is building so much on what was already heavily implied in the game, but also staying incredibly true to it. I'm having trouble seeing how they are going to continue to top themselves with future episodes as the first three have been masterpieces.
Wow. That was some compelling sh*t.
What a fantastic episode. All the feels. Anything is possible. True love can't be stopped. Even in a Zombie Pandemic.
Usual disclaimer: never played the game, so I'm judging the series - not how much it resembles the videogame or how much it portrays my love for it.
Saying this cause of the amount of overenthusiastic reviews by fans of the game, which put this next to the greatest series ever after 2 episodes...
I found out a thing I never thought about before: the show is suffering a little for bringing too faithfully the videogame experience in some scenes. Which translated to a series some standard horror movie choices. It happened last time with the clicker sitch: it happens that they have to pass through a dark museum, creates a great setting for a videogame bit, but it's a little forced for a series/movie. Here again when Ellie goes in the basement alone. Come on. We can create 270 horrors by having a protagonist go into every basement, every corridor, every empty house and dark corner.. but it should have a solid motivation, not "girl thinks it's a good idea to go alone in a manhole in a infected-creatures world, finds a creature and decides to go close cause why not".
It does its best when it's telling a story and showing a world: through flashbacks, interactions, travelling.. when it goes too much into the "videogame level" kind of stuff, it gets redundant.
The part with Bill & Frank was remarkable, sweet and tragic and human at once. A depiction of a life spent together and what makes it worth living.
small IMO: Nick Offerman should try to convey emotions with his voice as well, his tone hardly changes
An absolutely stunning hour of television with a triumph of a performance from Nick Offerman. Gorgeously crafted so that the horror comes from your own expectations based on the genre + what has come before in the series so far. And it was an amazing adaptation from the game in that it introduced a vital character and moved the story along as it needed to, but in a new and exciting way. This did NOT go the way that I (or anyone who has played the game) thought it would- and that's a good thing.
Superb , a super episode ; I don’t know why but It reminds me of The Leftovers . Both actors are just incredible … “But from an objective point of view It’s incredible romantic……”
Gosh, this episode was beautiful.
It’s always strawberries. From Shakespeare to Firefly to The Last of Us.
wow, I want a spin off series about Bill & Frank!!
Shout by ragreynoldsVIP 7BlockedParentSpoilers2023-01-30T12:55:27Z
The only thing I didn't like about this episode was that Bill died, meaning we didn't get to see him interact with Ellie, which was a wonderful part of the original game.
Aside from that, this episode is near faultless. It's the most original thing the show has done so far, by taking a side character from the game and fleshing out his backstory. It's deep, it's emotional, and it's a joy to watch.
Anyone complaining about wokeness and forced LGBT content has no clue what they're talking about. Bill and Frank were always a couple, even in the game. It's just that we didn't meet Frank in the game because he was already gone. Literally the only part of any of this episode that is not faithful to the source material is the fact that Bill died before Joel and Ellie got there.