I just watched the episode and I can’t stop crying! What’s amazing is that the tears are not from just sadness, but from a complex blend of true, authentic, raw emotions.
Franks face when he sat down for his first real food in days and saw he was being served 5 star restaurant quality food and Bill’s face when Frank asked to die is what great acting is all about . Murray and Nick killed it the whole time.
For me, FOR ME... This was the best thing I have seen on the last 3 to 4 years! It could have been a movie all by itself. I can find preppers mistakes everywhere but the story, the cinematography and the acting was something special. Nick offerman was off the chart. Murray Bartlett was very good. Well done 👏👏👏
People really overly and incorrectly use the word filler. This episode was fairly typical for HBO with world building and artistic quality. Outstanding piece of television!
Didn’t play the game. Not into zombie apocalypse- type shows, so wasn’t excited for this. Was encouraged by my son to watch it. I thought the first two episodes were good. The third episode- WOW! I was blown away by the story; the acting. Very emotional. I agree John, this was a very special, high quality episode of storytelling
This episode is up there my all time favorite episodes of Mr. Robot. I'm sure yall on the comments know what couple of episodes I'm talking about. So, that's high praise for me because I don't think anything can top Mr. Robot for me. But this is close.
The most beautiful story I have ever watched. Reminds me of UP. Which also made me cry like a baby. I have had a lot of loss in the last few years. And seeing this episode reminded me how love can truly be beautiful
Remember the radio turning on at the end of episode 1, that was Bill sending the “80’s trouble signal” to Joel to go to Bill’s house to find the letter & pick up the truck 😖
I always interpreted the title The Last of Us was not just about Joel and Ellie. It forced us to learn about these other characters to build the world around you. Expanding the side characters is providing context that was limited to what they can provide in the game.
Joel in the game only knew Bill. He didn't know Frank. (Spoilers for the game) So now when you find Frank in the game and Bill says "He was my partner", and you find that letter which Frank wrote to him, you now have a fuller picture of what happened behind those words. It's absolutely wonderful.
I thought Frank was gonna turn out to be shady and really bad things were going to happen but was so proven wrong. It was a very good emotional one. Especially that ending 😢
Some storylines don’t need to be a tragedy to be emotionally heavy and this episode does a beautiful job of showing that. I saw the whale earlier this month and it was tragic and I cried a river. I expected something terribly tragic to happen with bill and frank in this episode but it was an amazing direction for these characters. When frank said “love me the way I want to be loved” it hit me like a fucking train. I was crying not because of a heartbreaking situation but a truly beautiful situation in a world that has turned on us almost completely. I feel like this episode and the whale are perfect examples of how simply using dialogue and basic everyday interaction with characters can help get a better perspective on these characters and make an audience more emotionally vulnerable.
I loved what Craig said at the end of this episode, that this was an opportunity to show the world progressing through the lens of a man’s life. This was not filler, this was world building. And it makes us understand our two main characters more. My partner, who doesn’t get emotional watching tv or movies, was sobbing in the middle of this episode. Sobbing. I didn’t quite have the same response but having that next to me made me appreciate the episode so much more. It is masterful storytelling
@@AhmadSendos Nope, It’s not at all filler by definition. Filler is when there’s a certain amount of episodes the creators need to fill up, so they make up some stories that don’t really matter to pad time. This is not what happened here, this is a story they wanted to tell because it has significant impacts on the main story and develops the world. It deepens our understanding of Joel and starts to develop the relationship between Joel and Ellie. Just because not much *physically* happened in the main plot, does not at all mean there wasn’t huge progress made in terms of character progression and world building. These are two very important aspects of storytelling, especially in the story like this. Without it, the plot is nothing. You cannot remove this episode from the season and have it make sense
@@thehutch1674 its exactly that, scrap the whole flashback sequence from that episode (which is more than an hour long) and the show wouldn't be missing a thing.
@@AhmadSendos scrap the flashback sequence and you’re left with less development for Joel (there are scenes with him and Tess in the flashback that are big aspects of his character), less understanding of the world, and most importantly, there’s *no reason for Joel to protect Ellie.* That is the big thing the flashback accomplishes, it lets us know why Joel should protect Ellie. Yes, you could just have the note without the flashback, but that is telling, not showing. You much show, not tell. Plus, that would not do anything for us as the audience. The note and the meaning “Protect the people you love” doesn’t have any emotional impact or significance without the heartbreaking flashback. So by all accounts, that flashback was essential
I'm watching this with a couple people who never played the games and at the end of the episode they both said they thought it was a great story and very well executed but neither of them feel like it ultimately matters - both agreed that it felt like a filler episode, disconnected from the main characters with the exception of two things: 1) explains how they get a truck and 2) the letter Bill left behind for Joel. As someone who has played the game I think I appreciated it more because I know where this is going, and can see how the themes of this episode really tie in to the overall direction of this story - but I can't deny that it really kinda *does* feel like a detour from what "matters" as far as the two main characters are concerned. I really think a lot of people are wondering what the point of all that was.
This was me. I am a massive fan of the video games and I was certainly down for a backstory of Bill but an entire episode focused on him that ultimately doesn’t impact Joel & Ellie’s story? Nah. It was a beautiful, self contained story but I truly believe that if someone didn’t see this episode they wouldn’t have missed anything truly important to the overall narrative. If they’d kept Bill alive and he was gonna become a reoccurring character then I’d have said it was worth doing
It was told the way it was so that Bill's letter would have the emotional weight it did and be important enough to move Joel to start accepting Ellie. As for its theme, it was absolutely amazing. The idea of quality over quantity. Did Bill want to go on simply barely surviving day to day or did Bill want to LIVE? Live a happy and fulfilling life as he had for the past 2 decades with Frank? He ultimately decided that the quality of his life was more important than the quantity of his life. Living day to day with no happiness was something he didn't want to go back to. As you said OP, knowing what's coming, this episode was absolutely magnificent.
@@SSJ2Phenom Joel was already starting to accept Ellie and the story of the last of us doesn’t require Bill’s story to get this across. Their journey brings Ellie and Joel together, not a letter from a random dude that Ellie never meets. It would have been a lovely “last of us special” episode but imo it was unnecessary as the third episode of this show
@@24Argie It wasn't about "someone Ellie never met" because the message was for Joel and no, he had not started to accept her. I mean this episode started off with them at odds with one another. After he read the letter that was when he grit his teeth, came up with a game plan, and became determined and all in on getting Ellie, at this point, at least to Tommy. At the end of the episode, Joel was even smiling at her. You're gonna have to stop viewing the show in the context of the game. The game, as a one for one copy, would be an absolutely horrible tv show or movie. If you want the game then fire it up and play it again. I did want to see the scenes between Ellie and Bill. That would've been awesome to see, but when we get to the end of the season and Joel finally accepts the same thing that Bill and Tess learned before their deaths, this episode is gonna be all the sweeter.
The two windows look different though. One is fully opened and very clean looking, while the other is just cracked open and very dirty, with leaves growing everywhere.
One thing I really like any the show is that when it strays from the sorce material its almost always with the most important characters. So you don't feel like it's some random side quest but actually building the world. Nick Offerman was really special in this episode. From the comedy to the drama he really felt born for this role. I also thought ellie and Joel both had a couple of really great acting moments. As a fan of the video game I'm keeping a subconscious list of the important moments in the game that don't happen in the show. There's been some examples I didn't like but I think this episode is an improvement from the game if only because we get such a great character arc.
Played this episode on the main tv that my wife predominantly uses and she watched it with me. Context: she hates video games and horror or sci-fi. She loved that episode so much she asked for ep 1&2. After binging them she's happy to watch the season with me. Season 2 might be a harder sell tho🥺
No adaptation will ever be 100% faithful to the source - *especially* a video game adaptation. When making a video game there are simply too many decisions made in service of the gameplay and keeping the player actively engaged that simply don't need to be done - or are better done other ways - in other media. People keep talking about The Last of Us and saying "see? *THIS* is how a video game adaptation needs to be done! Stick to the source!" While I can certainly agree that a lot of prior video game adaptations failed because they deviated too far from the source, what people fail to realize is that *most* video games simply aren't adaptable without massive changes. As an example, everyone seems to think Halo would have been more successful if it adhered closer to the games - but I really don't believe that's true. Master Chief is barely even a character in the games. He's a one-dimensional killing machine that has a total of about a dozen lines of dialog in the *entire* first game, and not much more than that in the second and third games. Cortana does a lot of talking but most of it is little more than expository dialog meant to inform the player of something - there is very little of substance to actually work with there. And that's a series that's generally pretty well known for having a "good story" for a video game - don't even get me started on adaptations of things with even less of a story and flatter characters like Mortal Kombat, etc.
The bit where it jumps 3 years after meeting and they’re fighting about renovations and decor I burst out laughing. I loved this episode, I’m a hard core fan of both games but I kind of loved that they went this route with bill and frank.
i dont know, i liked the tv more, the banter was for comedic purposes in the game. The whole part with bill was all action zombie shooting and then a bloater boss. Then we get a brief Frank intro with his hanging and we move on with the car, Never to see Bill again. I think the TV was better send off.
Nick Offerman making his presence count. Every second that he's on screen is sheer acting mastery. He may be gone, but his character will forever remain.
I think Bella Ramsay is killing it. But a lot of the things Rob mentioned are in the game and are animated as such. Especially if you play the remaster and Part II.
As someone who hasn't played the game and has no clue of Bill & Frank's importance in the game, this was kinda weird to get this whole mini-movie about 2 characters who are dead by the time Joel & Ellie get there. It felt like a really longwinded explanation for how they get a working vehicle and guns/ammo so super conveniently. I love the show, but it felt like the story came to a complete stop here. I would have rather spent more time with Joel and Ellie.
Bro thank you😂😂 your comment is a breath of fresh air…I said this to a lot of people in the game all those things were “earned” even the relationship between Joel and Elle in the game because to get the car they went through a lot of near death situations and Joel Respected Elle after that you watched their relationship grow real time it was “earned” but here Joel and Elle walked they got to bills and found his letter and all of a sudden Joel just magically wanna protect Elle because Bill said something about Tess?? Huh??Really?? After this section in the game Joel and Elle’s relationship really started there but now I guess it’s started but it didn’t “earn” it
Neil is the goat, I loved the first game.. But I've never choked up like I did with part 2 till this episode. I was a fucking mess, this is purely Neil. He's setting up these episodes to have episodes with perhaps Ish.. And then season 2 with Abby/Owen.. The guys fucking amazing with dialogue as is Bruce Strayley.
And yet again it feels like John is trying to take away rightful credit Neil Druckmann deserves for this show. “Is it in part because Druckmann is involved?” “No it has nothing to do with it, zero connection, creators being involved is usually shit, that formula never seems to work, Mazin is why it works, and Sony Studios deserves credit too.” Like goddamn he’s co-creator, co-writer, co-show runner, and a director on this series. Trust me Neil has a lot to do with the success. Mazin does too, but Neil deserves some respect. I mean he created and story directed one of the most popular games in the last 20 years and is now co-creating one of the most popular HBO series ever. Seriously it seems like every time Neil is brought up in conversation here about this show John is quick to move past him and talk about anyone else. I can’t remember hearing John say one positive thing about Neil being attached to this show. He always says “that’s fine, but Craig Mazin is the star here.”
Absolutely beautiful story they Absolutely improved bill as a character before he was just a throw away character for me but this episode made me really care about him
THE pace of a show will be way different then a game. They made a way to make the story feel bigger then the two title characters. Plus they aren't afraid to let people die for those that didn't play the game
it’s an excellent episode in a vacuum. And i typically love side episodes completely separate from the main story like this. but i think pacing wise it wasn’t smart to put the episode here. it really pulls away from the momentum that was building. it’s too early for an episode like this. put this after a cliffhanger at like episode 6 and *chef’s kiss*
Sony has some of the best stories that can be adapted into live action. Last of Us, zero dawn, God of war, ghosts of Tsushima are all bad ass stories that work perfectly live action
Sad that we're not getting Bill and Ellie's relationship in the series, the dislike between the two would of been fun to see on screen with those actors
I thought the episode was great, but I hope youtubers and the media don't go so overboard with their praise of it that it becomes overly divisive and socially/politically toxic for all the wrong reasons. John gets it. No matter the subject matter this is episode is just extremely well written and executed. The changes from the game added a much needed ray of hope for the characters (Joel especially) and for the audience that you don't see much anymore in these properties (especially this early in the story). For example, it took a few seasons before Baby Edith was born in TWD, but even the gift of her birth came under such horrifying circumstances that any joy to be derived from her birth was immediately squashed like a bug. That show was always so soul crushing. But in LOU it just took one great episode (and a pretty cool letter) to give our broken main character all the hope and motivation he would need to continue his journey and to start feeling something other than pain. His smile at the end says it all. Hope the show keep delivering this level of quality.
Masterpiece isn't something that has to be all that rare since a piece of work by a master in the craft falls into that definition. There are lots of masters around in all lines of work, whether it be a film director or an electrician.
Pretty amazing. I bursted out crying I think a few times. I was so happy it was a long episode too because I didn’t want it to end lol. So good! I just wish that…*spoiler….. They were still alive at the end of the episode.
WOW! Rare TV. Reminds me of ST-TNG Ep. Inner Light, already a Classic episode, On an emotional and intellectual level. Joel has already failed twice. Agree with John lighting in a bottle, if there was a formula we would be all millionaires. All the right people are there, all on the same page.
Deeply profound, heartbreaking, tragic, and insanely beautiful storytelling all at once. I have never felt more emotionally attached to two new characters in just one episode. I was left a mess after watching this. If episode 3 isn’t the best episode of this show, I truly believe this will go down as one of the best shows HBO has ever made. Outstanding.
Loved the episode but I like the harsher tone of the game! By the time you meet Bill in the game Frank's already dead and they are broke up and hate each other
I disagree that fans are always looking for the "winning formula"... Rather, I feel fans are always looking for things to nitpick and criticize with an adaptation for not being 100% faithful to the source material.
I really think this episode need a couple of more scenes of the interaction between Joel and tess and bill and frank 😂 I like the love story between bill and frank and but bill being too quick to believe in frank and even starting a relationship is a bit too soon which contradicts to the survivor principle 😂 but that ending and the whole cancer thing and suicide decision was so powerful and emotional to watch 😢 but I really think that it will be much a more connected episodes if they they just add a couple of scenes of bill frank joel tess helping each others out as I think their connection to each other was not strong enough 😂
I appreciated finally seeing who Bills partner was, but it didn't need to be 90% of the episode. I would have liked to see a shorter flash back, then jump forward and mirror what happens in the game. Episode was fine, but hopefully we get some more action coming up.
I am confused so much with the hype it was okay story, i dont see what people see fascinating, i was expecting it has bill interaction to see connection the main story.
John can’t keep giving credit to just the movie folks the reason it’s doing well is because Neil Druckman is willing to change the things from the game when he feels there is more story to tell. Maxim himself says so in the after show extras Nick and Murray’s acting is also a big reason this episode works. I know he’s a movie pundit but give recognition to Neil Druckman who is showing he is just a good story teller and director it’s not all because of Mazin. I understand he was good for cherynobyl but one man does not a good show make it takes them all give druckman his do sing
Maybe its just me But being true to the game, does not mean scene for scene, line for line, shot for shot, & no original scenes. Thats never what i mean when i say be true So when Campea say' episode 3 ends the discussion, of is the key to a successful video game adaption staying true. Cause theres a moment of originality.... Thats not what being true means. Least not for me
Spot on. Being true to the source means hitting the same major beats and themes as the source. How you get there might be different but as long as you get there it's true to the source.
So far I find the show far superior to the game. The game’s narrative was all there but I remember often finding the gameplay quite clunky. This show bc it’s not interactive is allowed to flesh out the bones of what I really loved about the last of us, while not having what I didn’t.
I would actually argue that both tellings of the story work quite well for their respective mediums. The way the game did the story wouldn't work for the HBO series, and vice versa. That being said, being a huge fan of the game, I actually prefer this version of Bill to the game version. Game Bill was a bit one dimensional, but that worked because he was meant to be a thematic foil to Joel and Ellie at that point in their relationship, and also the storytelling had to share focus with the gameplay. HBO Bill, on the other hand, was on a whole other level. It makes me excited to see how they will adapt Henry and Sam, Tommy and Maria, David and his survivalists, as well as Riley from the episodes that will adapt Left Behind.
@@andrewoldham3675 I didn’t say the storytelling didn’t work well in the game. Just that because i didn’t like the gameplay I think the version of the story that is only story and no interactive is better
@@andrewoldham3675 I agree, although in the two games you see a quite big difference in how well the story works with the gameplay. In the first the ending is a natural continuation of how the game is played (and how the story progressed of course) but in the second they tell a story that just doesn't work with the gameplay towards the end. Clear ludo-narrative dissonance and it feels like the message gets warped to that human lives only matter with main characters. I think the story of the second game is where the show has it's biggest opportunity. To take something that didn't fully work, at least in my eyes, and tell the story in a way that does. It really is a story that seems much better suited for a show than a game.
Sorry to be a bother, but is it just me, or does anyone else notice the sibilance in John's voice during the ad reads? I don't usually skip sponsor reads, but I really can't stand it with John's ones. I think it's gotten a bit better in recent videos, but is still pretty bad to my ears.
Bill and Frank was implied to be a couple in the game. Their back story wasn't shown. Eventhough, I did like the back story for the show. The ending of the episode felt lazy or force to skipped key interactions between Joel, Bill and Ellie. This episode give a lot but also took a lot.
Really poetic ! A very well written romance with really great lead performances. And YES,..im usually of the opinion that modern pop media goes way overboard by shoving gay characters ( usually lesbians ) into almost everything in order to pander to a very specific and very small percentage of the general audience. having said that I am enjoying watching the typical , hyper bitchy, anti-woke crowd lose their shit in the comments
The criticism that it doesn't further the story is completely valid. Joel and Ellie's story already encapsulates the ideas on display here. They killed all momentum and focused on characters that had nothing to do with the plot, and now they're spelling out everything for the audience. I don't need a letter explaining why Joel does what he does later on, it was already there. The nuance is just gone.
The "this doesn't advance the storyline" is a criticism that is overused and lazy. Instead of coming off as sophisticated, it makes you come off as ignorant. How could you not see what just John mentioned, but that Bill's letter solidified Joel's motivation to protect Ellie?
@@Quanic2000 Once again, it's spelling things out for the audience. If that letter wasn't there, would we be confused? No, of course not. It's just making the themes more obvious.
I disagree, tlou is about emotional journey for the character and the audience. In the game Bill is example of how who Joel can become, the show reverse into how Joel life can be better. Same point different execution. And about nuance, what nuance about Frank letter and his death body. So I think alot ppl dissapoint this ep cuz its not exactly like the game which it should not be. It only should capture the spirit and message of the game which I think they did it.
@@Quanic2000 Eh, I disagree. Joel shouldn't need a letter to do that for him - he certainly didn't in the game and it worked just fine there. In fact, in the game, Bill tells Joel the *opposite* of what the letter in the tv show tells him. Don't get me wrong - I *really* liked the episode - but I think the argument that it's spelling things out too much for the audience is totally valid. It's *very* on the nose.
Because there's a lot of people at Sony and many different teams and different people do different things. The same way Sony deserves credit for Into the Spider-Verse and their contributions to the MCU and No Way Home. Not everyone hits it out of the park all of the time but when it comes to first party Sony stuff they almost always do. ✌🏾✌🏾👍🏾👍🏾
I always said… this tv show will be great (easily great) because the game has already got a great narrative. But wow. They took the video game and ran with it 🔥 well done
I love both actors (Nick/Murray). But, here, I'm gonna say it; maybe because to me both actors have more of a comedic quality to them, even though I understood the episode was supposed to be sweet and tender I, wasn't moved myself. And, to me I think it really had to do with Murray/Nick as actors not peeling off their layers as much, to show their vulnerability. I love these actors but, I think they'd have been better off playing these characters with sweet humor. 😔 sorry...I know I'm antagonizing the show, the episode, and many fans...I am still though very much looking forward to the next episode!
People who really knew this episode was garbage and did nothing for the plot wont comment for fear of being banned. Of course you cant critique an episode which has "specific" elements to it. This episode did nothing for our main characters and removed the GREAT scenes Joel and Ellie had with Bill.
The letter mentioned they left the bedroom window open so that the house wouldn't stink. So the closing zoom in shot was taking you into bill and Frank's final resting place.
I imagined just right behind the camera which we can't see. Was there 2 rotting bodies next to each other Romeo n juliet. And also in the first game, the window is in the main menu screen to I believe.
I'm a geek and gamer and I loved it. The theme of the episode, Bill's story and how it made Joel start to accept Ellie, and more were absolutely amazing.
@@nikunjdixit1175 Oh. Is he one of those "hates everything" guys in order to get the nit-Tweeters and sad-Redditors to click? It's actually a great idea though. Misery loves company after all. 🤷🏾♂️
@@SSJ2Phenom He's basically one of those hard right type guys who thinks anything that results in changes to source material is about pushing an agenda and is 'woke'. He goes batshit crazy anytime a female oriented superhero movie comes up or there is an explicit depiction of homosexuality in media. But yeah, I'm sure part of the 'hates everything' persona is to get more clicks because, as you said, misery loves company.
It was beautiful self contained ep depicting a love story and I enjoyed it for what it is but I dont think Bill and Frank's backstory does anything to move the story forward. A spinoff show to fill in the backstory I would have been happy with. It feels like we got sidetracked from the main story in this ep. Still it was a lovely ep !
So an hour and 15 just for Joel to receive a letter that'll progress his character development with Ellie. I get it but come on. On a rewatch this'll be an easy skip.
