This episode broke me. Watched it with my 16 year old son. Had no idea what was coming. Hadn't played the game much. This actually broke my son up pretty good. Hands down what I'd call 1 of if not the best written, filmed, directed, paced, acted pieces of cinema ever done.
The attention to detail is so good. When Bill goes to the Home Depot, it has the 2003 logo on the facade because of course no one updated the sign since the apocalypse.
i love how everything is introduced to us this episode and was able to wrap up so nicely at the end. FYI in the game, the title screen is of a open window with the breeze fluttering the curtains much like the closing scene in this episode.
One of the random bits of dialogue from Ellie in the game is her whistling (after she learns how to whistle) and saying "Whoa - sounds like a spaceship. I mean, what I imagine a spaceship would sound like."
I remember seeing Frank after the first 3 year time jump and thinking "Damn, he looks a lot like Joel from the game wearing those clothes", and then at the end we see Joel wearing the exact same clothes as Frank from that time. I haven't seen any reactor pick up on that yet. Just thought it was interesting
Oh God, the emotions.. fuckin depressing, excellent episode nonetheless, and sadly, to top it all off, the actress who played Tess in the game, passed away recently, from some sort of cancer, she was 45 😢 💔 Great reaction my friend! Also, do you have Instagram or something? I'll follow ya! 😊
Apparently the original cut of this episode was two hours long and caused the showrunner to cry so much it physically hurt. I really want to see that cut now.
Technically this was not even sad. Especially compared to their game story. They found each other, grew old together and then went out on their own terms, peacefully, in each others arms. That's like the lottery in a world like that.
This episode absolutely broke me, and when I had stopped crying I realized that in their world gay marriage never got legalized so in their mind the reason they can get married at all is because of the infection and then I broke down crying again
This straight up happened to me. I woke up the next morning and couldn't stop thinking about the episode... then realize yep 2003.... Their marriage is so important.
Also based on their age, the aids epidemic and the stigma that it caused all was going down during their formative years, it truly took an apocalypse for Bill to truly become himself, not just as a survivalist but as a person
Yeah, I think this is a great approach, honestly. Hit the same story beats, but give it a spin, shake things up a bit. This way we get two versions of the story, both being equally good!
Ellie has already been bantering with Joel ever since they met. It would have just been repetitive to bring in Bill just so Ellie could get messed with by someone else.
I think this version of Bill's story works much better for it being a TV show but the original version worked much better for it being a video game. This was a fantastic story but you couldn't really make this into gameplay.
everyone involved in TLOU are magicians.. writing, acting, directing, editing, sound design, SET design, shooting/framing.. and they're masterful at subverting expectations.
I beg to differ... The Last of Us Part 2: Positives: all scenes between Joel and Ellie, Gameplay, design of the apocalyptic world/environments, character models, inclusion of dogs, voice acting of Ashley Johnson and Troy Baker. Negatives: story, narrative structure, pacing, characters that were hard to get emotionally invested in (Abby,Jessie, Dina,) lack of Isaac Dixon, Ending with Ellie not killing Abby (doesn't feel earned) diminishes the urge to replay the game again and again, a bit too grim at times... a little levity missing.
The tenderness of Bill and Frank's first encounter really hit me hard. Considering that they met in 2007 in middle-ish age meant that they were around to witness the AIDS crisis a couple decades earlier. Same-sex marriage also wouldn't have become legal in non-TLoU Massachusetts until 2004, which adds another layer of poignancy to their story. They already survived an epidemic that seemingly targeted people like them, so for these two to find love and build a life out of the ruins of another devastated community is a lovely way to inject hope in a seemingly cruel reality.
This was the episode that that broke me. Two middle aged men growing old, finding purpose again in a world so divided and ill-advised on tearing itself apart and actually being able to die in peace as everything crumbles around them. A tsunami of tears left me by then. Is it wrong that I cried at this and not at Sarah and Tess’ death despite how emotional both were?
Nope, same here. I think it had to do with the TLOU original score from the giraffe scene as Bill was wheeling Frank to the bedroom that did me in though. I think f Sarah was younger in the show and they used the same score as the game, it would’ve got me too.
Depends, I cried a little when Sarah died but not neaaaaarly as much, but for me it's mostly because 1. I knew those deaths were coming since they happened quite similarly to the game and were arguably done as well or even better in that 2. the weird kiss moment took away some emotion from Tess' death and 3. this was waayy more drawn out and less simple shock value or tragedy, but also incredibly beautiful and something I haven't really seen in media depicted like this before.
I busted my tears when Joel walk out of the house. The letter from Bill just reveals how much Joel actually loved and cared about Tess. And that is the turning point for him to make a promise to himself to 'Keep Ellie safe' from then.
The thing that had me choking up is that despite all the things both of them did to survive, it was life itself that caught up on them when Frank got the disease. It's literally like surviving cancer only to die from slipping on a cold bathroom floor. The genius moral of this episode is that no amount of pandemic or a fungal viral outbreak will ever outweigh the fact that life's too unpredictable to assume that the worse things out there are the ones that'll kill you. Living for every single day hoping that you've had the kind of life Bill and Frank had...is something that every one of us aspires to end up having.
It's a common writing technique to intersperse humour with the pathos in grim, dark stories like this. You want the audience to feel engaged and too much sadness can and does make an audience switch off. However, too much humour can make an audience feel less invested in the grit of the setting, which can also affect how an audience engages with the story. The writing team here achieved an absolutely perfect mix. This sub-plot will be studied in literature and media studies in the future as a case study of a great short romance story. The performances of Nick Offerman and Murray Bartlett are stupendous and the writing is just incredible.
Bill and Frank have become one of my favourite couples in any fiction ever. Not even an hour and they transmit SO MUCH, thanks to the writing by Neil Druckmann and Craig Mazin, but also and specially thanks to Nick Offerman and Murray Barttlet who are PERFECT, it's impossible to say a single bad thing about them. I'm not someone who cries a lot with fiction, the TLOU games made me teary-eyed many times, but this had me crying my heart out ever since I saw them old, together and happy. I love them so much. And it's the only happy ending in the TLOU universe, tragic but happy, they chose their own deaths having lived a civilized and quiet life. "You were my purpose" and the delivery of every scene by Nick destroyed me of sadness and happiness at the same time. TLOU the game is a masterpiece. But this show is going even beyond.
Loved the opening scenes for Bill. I could just imagine all the "Don't tread on me" fellas cheering at all of Bill's prepper skills and knowledge. Than wailing in despair and crying "Woke!" when he turned out to be gay, which it was confirmed he was in the game lore. Bill was a badass. Total badass. All the stockpiling he did. Setting up the traps. The defenses. Taking a bullet to protect his love and home like a champ. The irony, for the "I'm an alpha male because I say I'm an alpha male" crowd, is that being gay is what made him such a badass. He grew up ostracized in a world that hated him and he hated in return. Probably spent his whole pre cordicep life bullied by everyone and the apocalypse gave him the opportunity for payback. Until Frank he was never afraid of dying and more than ready to go out in a blaze of glory.
This a masterfully executed work of art. As a character study of Bill, it finds a way to build the main characters. The self contained content of the episode is exquisite, yet feeds the main story. Poe wrote about the concept of a singular effect that a piece needs to have. Although 80% of this episode doesn't involve Joel or Ellie, it builds their characters. It's a truly great work on its own AND builds the overall narrative. Masterful is the only way I can think to describe it.
@@tequila6698 it gives context about the world, Tess, Joel's friends, his background, his motivation with respect to his relationship with Ellie? It doubles down on Tess' final wish.
@@tequila6698 It adds some context to Joel & Tess's backstory, more importantly, the letter that Bill leaves behind for Joel also serves to turn Bill into sort of an object lesson, for Joel to learn from. Bill meant for Joel to apply the advice to Tess, but it will instead be applied to Ellie, Joel will take care of her like Bill did for Frank.
@@johnohrstrom5112 so the only thing out of that whole episode that affects the overall arch of the story is a letter, imo they should have stuck more close to the source material, a car in these times is literally such a rare thing to have, for the show to have just given them one like that was ridiculous
@@snapgab it didnt give much on joel and tess's backstory apart from they were somewhat friends. And at this point joel doesnt care for ellie the same way that frank does so at this point i wouldnt say the meaning of applying his advice to those who he cares about matters all that much .
Okay, just this is making me cry. It actually reminds me of my husband and me. I'll be getting HBO Max just so I can watch this. And this ep will likely completely and utterly destroy me.
I gotta say I appreciate that Bill was a prepper who also knows how to farm and keep animals. I see too many doomsday preppers who just get a bunch of canned food and I'm like okay but you need to know how to grow your own food, too? A small detail that makes him seem much more legit than a lot of a whackadoos
I was into the prepping thing for a little while (it coincided with the early seasons of The Walking Dead and the Fukushima meltdown if you need a timeframe lol) Anyways that was always a pet peeve of mine. Most of the prepping community is about guns and armor and im over here like dude just do the math; one single living person needs the produce from a 1/2 acre of farmland at bare minimum to survive a year. And this doesnt even count the land it takes to raise livestock! No meat in that equation, just fruit and vegetables. The average person doesnt understand how labor intensive simply growing food to feed yourself would be. And that would be pretty hard livin too. MAJORITY of your time and efforts would be dumped into your personal food production. Yet most prepper forums bicker over "would and AR15 with a 16 or 20 inch barrel be better" Like dudes thats the least of your worries when society collapses.
The page Ellie found with the radio code: B/F (Obviously meaning Bill and Frank.) - 60's: No new stuff (To trade.) -70's: New Stuff (To Trade.) -80's: Just a red X (Ellie figured out that it meant trouble, but rather than just trouble it probably meant more specifically that they were dead.) In addition to voicing Tess in the game Annie Wersching also did all of the motion capture performance for the character.
That's my interpretation too. Joel said the '80s playlist would start up if they didn't change it manually, meaning Bill (ever in the survivalist mindset) programmed it to be a sort of dead man's switch.
Just wanted to chime in if you didn't already read this elsewhere, but the window shot in the last scene is an homage to the menu screen for the first game.
Thinking about this episode is so funny. A good few people I know started the show as the ‘new epic zombie thriller’ and then they’ve all just been hit with one of the best bits emotional writing ever.
That's what has been so frustrating about the game for a decade. It's the best storytelling I've ever seen in any medium, the most organic and natural character building and dialog I've seen, a brilliant ode to the complexity of being human, and an unapologetic display of diversity and inclusion. It just happens to be contained within a apocalyptic, stealth, survival zombie video game. It's not a zombie game. It's so much more than that you forget while you're playing it.
I liked in this episode that it was almost a bottle episode but it still informed the main plot. There’s a thought that Joel might have been more likely to head back to Boston and abandon Ellie’s goal if it hadn’t been for finding Bill and Frank like he did. I mean-he might have still gone along, but I think hearing Bill’s sacrifice and thoughts about why he did what he did pushed Joel to stand up and continue fighting for Ellie’s future. Maybe because Tess would’ve wanted it, but also because he decides that’s what he wants as well.
Let's be honest, it's a "maybe". It is not in Joel's nature to abandon Ellie and Tess also pleaded to him to not do it. I am pretty sure Joel would honour Tess's wish. This was a filler episode that didn't forward the plot at all, yet I understand why they went through this route. It showed a humane side in a post-apocalyptic reality, which makes every element around it even more grounded and believable. GoT achieved the same with its low fantasy genre, but it was the rare emotional plots and character emotional moments that made people empathize with the show. It felt real.
@@trailoffiends let’s not pretend that the game gave us much more plot. This episode gave us a beautifully fleshed out relationship, showed us how people can survive in an apocalypse and it managed to speak on all the themes of tlou, which isn’t bashing skulls of infected and humans in. It’s about love, how we love and how love can save us. It’s about relationships. This was most definitely not a filler episode. And it still gave Joel the means of traveling and made Joel realize that Ellie is the one he needs to protect, foreshadowing the end of the show. In the game we just travel to different locations to find a battery.
This episode was a roller coaster of emotions. It's beautiful, poetic, tragic, fun, sad. It has it all, and the fact that in a subtle way the episode is all about Joel, is just brilliant. I'm glad Bill and Frank died the way they did. In that world lots of people have their lives taken away from them, but they were able to have a different choice. I think that was powerful for the show in general. They lived, they loved, and they had the privilege to die together on their own terms. This is exactly what The Last Of Us is all about. This easily goes into my top 5 best episodes i've seen on television. I cried, i laughed, i got worried about the characters, what a ride. Nick Offerman and Murray Bartlett deserve an Emmy, the acting is magnificent.
The attention to detail of this show is great - the environment, even to the props and costumes. The iconic Ellie maroon shirt and Joel's green checkered shirt. There's also Ellie's little monster keychain that hangs on her backpack. Joel's backpack is game accurate. The paintjob of their truck is exactly what it is in the game, too.
Murray Bartlett's acting when Frank couldn't open the bag of pills was what made me start crying, after that my eyes were waterfalls for the rest of the episode
I was crying like crazy from this point on aswell. My father had cancer and a stroke that put him in a wheelchair.. it reminded me of him and how hopeless he was up until his death. This episode was more than just tv for me.. never excepted something like this in this series.
When Joel comes out of the shower, he & Ellie are each now wearing costume-accurate apparel from the original game. Yet another great attention to detail. It’s really fun having loved this narrative since 2013 and watching people getting to experience it for the first time. Thanks for making these videos!
Since we now learnt Bill was responsible for the *80ies song* played on the radio at the end of episode 1 it's worth having a look at some of the *lyrics* of the song and the *message* it kinda sent, taking episode 3 into account: *Never Let Me Down Again" by Depeche Mode* _I'm taking a ride_ _With my best friend_ _I hope he never lets me down again_ _He knows where he's taking me_ _Taking me where I want to be_ _I'm taking a ride_ _With my best friend_ [...] _See the stars, they're shining bright_ _Everything's alright tonight_
This is one of the best and most beautiful episodes of television I have ever seen. I thought that after watching Sunday night, and thought it might be the immediate recency bias and being swept up in the emotions, but 48 hours removed, I'm certain of it being true.
Trivia: In the game after a firefight, Joel finally caves in and gives Ellie a gun. It was a Beretta model 70, the exact same model as Franks gun that Ellie takes here.
it's perfect casting. despite both of em being straight they managed to show us one of the most beautiful love story out there. bill was so focused on his survival that he started to lose his humanity but frank reminded him of what it's like to love and be loved. that line "i'm satisfied and you were my purpose" broke me the most. despite the tears in his eyes he didn't look hesitant to die he was truly content. great reaction jacqui and thank you for being vulnerable and genuine with us! keep up the good work ♥️
@@cliffordsam8260 oh i see, for some reason i was under the impression that murray is straight but guess not 😅 still tho fantastic acting! thx for telling me btw.
I love the little details in this show. The scenes with Bill's house before Frank, the house is covered in dust, but after Frank moved in, the house is kept up and no dust. When Joel and Ellie get to Bill and Frank's is filled with dust again.
Not only was it shot the same way as their first lunch, he made the same meal and served the same wine. Bill remembered, because that was important. Who'd have thought in the middle of the "zombie" apocalypse we'd find one of the most beautiful love stories? Sure, their deaths were sad, but we all die in the end and they had nearly 20 years together first. We should all be so lucky. This episode presented Bill and Frank's relationship very different from the game. In the game Bill served as a warning to Joel what he could turn into if he stayed closed off to others. In the show, Bill showed what Joel could be if he opened up to love again.
I swear I would pay a double priced ticket to this episode as a movie, it was AMAZING, I mean this show is good but this episode is Magnificent, I love it, I’m not sure if Bill’s Husband is the same guy from “tales of the city” but he was great, I cried with both the show and your reaction, I enjoyed it very much❤️
I'm old enough to have seen the last episode of M*A*S*H*, which at the time was called the greatest episode of TV of all time. And growing up since then I've been a media junkie watching TV, movies, music video's (it was a thing on TV once), the internet, etc everyday. When I watched this episode of The Last Of Us, I didn't watch or look at anything for 3 full days. This brilliant piece of art broke me. Thank gawd I had therapy that week. The impact this episode will have on future generations will be iconic.
A terrific quiet moment to showcase the distance of Bill's arc in this episode was when an elderly Bill was watering the yellow and orange flowers outside the house, because it was what Frank would have done had Frank been mobile. And Bill knew that it was something important or maybe even recognized the beauty of having fresh flowers within line of sight from the alcove that was Frank's painting studio.
The preper survivalist could prepare for almost anything. Survive almost anything. But he couldn't prepare for or survive what shuffled into his camp 16 years ago.
Fun fact: in the game you meet Bill, who’s still alive and a little bit younger, but he doesn’t live in the suburbs; he lives in a little town full of infected where he has multiple hideouts because he trusts infected people more than humans. He says something like: “infected are predictable, they act like wild animals. Humans, on the other hand, are far more dangerous”.
Thank you Jacqui for this reaction♥️. It is genuinely so important for people who haven’t played the video game to love this show. So many people like to judge just because it isn’t 100% like the game. This is the type of reaction that makes it special.
I usually hate cinematographic adaptations because more often than not they are... not great. However, this is probably the first time that I think an adaptation has been made incredibly well despite not following certain plot stories from the original. The whole Frank/Bill portion was handled very differently in the game. There, Frank and Bill have split up after years of disagreements over lifestyle and we are first introduced to the character of Bill, alone. Bill's interactions with Ellie are quite amusing to watch, so I was a little sad we didn't get to see it, however it was worth it, because this episode was truly a masterpiece. In this part, game-Bill does not have a car ready, so the three go through the town in search of a battery from a Fedra (government) vehicle that crashed in Lincoln not long before, when they get to the car, however, they find the battery gone; they escape while being chased by infected and end up in a house, where they see Frank, who had been bitten while retrieving said battery and hung himself as to not turn. In a letter game-Frank wrote, it is revealed that he was planning to flee Lincoln as to not have to be close to Bill anymore. So basically the entirety of Bill and Frank's love story was new to everyone, even people who had played the game. I was very happy to see how they changed it, to be honest. This story could not have been told in the game, and the game's story could not have been told in tv format, it would have been tedious and also complicated the plot (with Joel still having to find his brother, which in the game he didn't, and Bill having the possibility to take Ellie off of Joel's shoulders). It also helps explore the whole point of the show (and the game as well). The creator, Neil Druckmann, has said multiple times that The Last of Us is, at its core, about love. Love is the only thing that could give meaning to life in a post-apocalyptic world and it is what keeps all of the characters going, or even, sometimes, holds them back. Joel's love for Sarah is what has made him shut off from everyone around him, because he could not save her. Joel's love for Tommy (at least in the show) is what made him accept the firefly's proposal. Joel's love for Tess is what's making him continue on this journey, because he promised her. Bill's love for Frank is what made him come alive, rather than being just a survivor. This episode does a wonderful job at exploring this concept. It also gives us a parallel between Bill and Joel, both of them are "protectors" (Bill by nature, Joel by nurture after what happened to his daughter), both of them can be quite violent for the sake of love and both of them are attracted to (not just in a romantic sense, I mean in general) outgoing, warm people that take up the room (Bill-Frank, Joel-Tess and then Ellie). In general, I loved this new take on Bill and Frank's relationship. Very often you see gay love stories being associated with suffering and terrible, tragic endings. But in this case, if you think about it, they got a happy ending. They got a whole life together, they managed to find solace in a post-apocalyptic world, they grew old together and died in each other's arms. They even got married! (which, tiny detail, the world fell apart in 2003, gay marriage was made legal starting from 2004 to 2015, so... yeah, I'm back to crying. Other little thing, Frank, a gay man, proposed the smuggling code with music, in which 80s signifies trouble and the 80s was the time of the AIDS crisis, just pointing out) Back to what I was saying, Bill and Frank's end wasn't tragic, not really. As you said, they found peace. As for Frank's disease, it was some kind of degenerative muscle disorder, like MS or ALS. Now let me point out some details from the game: the outfits Joel and Ellie change into at the end of the episode are exactly what they wear in the game, and the car they get is the exact same model and color (it was a nice little nod to the original). Also: the window. In the game, the very first thing that you see when you open it is a window with curtains blowing in the wind and plants peeking through, below that you see "press any button" or something like that, so this final scene was a nod to that. Sorry for the long comment lol I'm very fond of this game and I'm so stoked about this tv show, they truly nailed it and exceed any expectation I had.
That was very sweet of you to add the addendum about Annie passing away. You actually kinda look a lil like her and that is an enormous compliment cause I thought she was a beautiful lady. I first found her because I watched 24 back in the day and she was Renee Walker in seasons 7 and 8. My condolences go out to her family and friends may she Rest in Peace. Edit: It also now makes me happy they changed Tess’ dialogue in the show so it’s diff from the game that she says to Joel after he found out she was infected. Now that’s JUST Annie’s interpretation of Tess while Anna has her version. Cause I was originally upset they changed the lines that Tess delivers to Joel but not anymore
The number of detail and connecting threads in this show so far is pretty damn impressive. One example. In this episode we learn Bill and Frank left the 80's songs playing in a loop on their wireless. It did not mean trouble, as Ellie surmised, but that they were dead. And the last song played in E 1 was Depech Mode "I'm taking a ride with my best friend."
Fun fact: in the game, Bill and Frank’s relationship is much different. Instead of Joel arriving and finding them both dead, Bill would be still alive and frank would be missing. As you progress through the level with Bill, you eventually find that Frank had gotten infected and hung himself because he didn’t want to turn. Frank’s suicide note can also be found nearby, but instead of it being a proper goodbye note, frank pretty much writes a “screw you, I never liked you” note. However, it isn’t apparent if they really did hate each other or if Frank thought that Bill couldn’t handle a proper goodbye letter so he went the opposite route to soften the blow on Bill. They definitely did a great job on their relationship in the show though!
i dont think the 'i never liked you' part is right. frank said he was sick of bills set-in-your-way opinions or actions and that he would rather die than be with him for another second. to me its clear that they had a big falling out like we saw here 3 years after they met and it was big enough for frank to leave him
@@Mayra9148 Yeah it seemed like in the game, Frank grew resentful of Bill over time. Because unlike in the show, where Bill caved to Frank's wishes and indulged in Frank's desire to brighten up the area where they lived instead of focusing solely on survival, Bill in the game was too stubborn and never made time for anything like that, which drove Frank away.
Frank got bitten when he was getting the battery from the truck, which he needed with the rest of the supplies he stole to get away from Bill. So yeah, he definitely hated him.
At first I was afraid, I was petrified. Didn't know how I was gonna live without Bill beside Joel's side? But then I spent all night thinkin how I maybe wrong? And I grew strong, And I learned how to get along...
Nick and Murray crushed in this episode, made me cry a few times and were able to tell 16 years of relationship in less than an hour, it's good to have low expectations but this is season is going to be incredible.
Thanks, Jacqui! Episode 3 was the *most* beautiful hour and 15 minutes in television history, I'd say. I cried twice Sunday night... and again yesterday morning watching reactions. I truly hope all the cast and crew win *every* award they qualify for with this mini-masterpiece. 💎 #MovieNightAtJacquis #TheLastOfUs #TLOU #TheLastOfUsHBO
Max Richter committed a war crime when he made "On the Nature of Daylight" and Gustavo has very much followed in those footsteps. The music is just perfect
This is different from the game a bit on this scene between Bill and Frank, but beautifully done. The disease terminology you are looking for is not Parkinson’s, but MS Multiple Sclerosis. It’s a disease of the spinal cord that effects the response from the nervous system. I’m loving this series so far.
Sorry to leave two comments. The ending is wonderful. Playing "Long, Long Time" as we dolly back from the bedroom window. That shot gets me. Long, Long Time is the song that Bill played on the piano the day they first met. It was "Their Song." (SNIFF!) You are right. This is the HBO I know and love. Can't wait till next week.
I'm hoping SO BAD for a full Nick Offerman version of Long Long Time, the emotion behind that was amazing I haven't been able to get it out of my head but there's only like 40 sec of it :(
The music of Bill taking Frank to bed is music from the game. In the game, Joel and Ellie encounter a giraffe and that music starts playing. This is to me one of the best episodes on TV that I have ever seen. The pacing and writing were perfect and the fact that Bill was given justice and could find love in a world where hell was everywhere was beautiful. This episode is completely different from the game because Bill was a small section in the game that left a big impact and Frank was never seen but mentioned. They encountered bloaters for the first time and Bill teaches Joes how to make bombs and gifts him the shotgun the mission was to go around town and set up a car. In the show, Joel got the car easily. I like this portrayal of Bill because it showed a sensitive side of him while in the game he is just paranoid insanely.
It’s honestly incredible how you notice all the little details like reusing lines with new significance and shots while watching this for the first time. I was just sobbing incoherently.
Yeah sobbing alongside you! This episode hit incredibly hard, especially with some personal things I’ve had going on. Small detail: The song at the very end playing in the truck was the same one Bill sang to Frank on the day they met.
I know it’s not the point of the video, but the curse word alternatives Jacqui uses always make me chuckle 😂…and yes, I’m saying this to cope through the pain of this episode.
I'm here extremely late but like. I don't cry, not even at family funerals. This episode made me UGLY SOB. I haven't cried at something like that since I was a CHILD. "I'm old. I'm satisfied, and you were my purpose." AUUUUGH
Probably the most emotional episode of TV that I've seen in a long time. I've been a fan of Nick Offerman since Parks & Rec but I wasn't sure how he would do in a series like this. I'm glad to say that he was brilliant. Bill is a man who effectively living his best life while the rest of the world fell apart. However, a chance encounter led him to something he never expected: love. In the end, Frank made him a better man and Bill could not live without him. It's tragic, yes especially with the way LGBTQ characters seemed to be linked with tragedy in the media. However, this is different. This is a story of love blossoming in a terrible place. I loved it and hopefully, they got nominated for awards.
When Joel and Ellie entered the house, and the breeze closed the front door, it felt to me like the spirits of Bill and Frank had left the house because they knew Joel had arrived safely. An amazing episode and you do such wonderful reactions. :)
This episode didn't really hit for me until a second viewing but now all my emotional walls are down for the moment. Considering that I'm very empathic I just won't be able to watch any more people get emotional for now, even though I really want to give all the reaction channels that I subscribe to the views. Oof.
Single greatest episode of any TV show in the History of The Medium . Every aspect was brilliant from the writing to the directing and especially the acting . Touch my heart like nothing ever has. Greatest Love Story Ever
I hesitate to say it because recency bias is a thing, but this might have been the best hour(plus) of television I have ever seen. Masterfully written, brilliantly acted, beautifully shot...I don't think there was anything I could pick on that I didn't like
Really loving your reactions! what a beautiful episode. This show is far better than I could have hoped for and I'm a massive fan of the game - they are doing better than making it a great adaptation of a beloved source material - they're making it better. so impressed.
If this single episode doesn't sweep the awards, you know it was rigged. I've been watching tv for a mighty long time and can say with certainty - this is the best ducking piece of dramatic tv I've ever seen. But on a lighter note, can you imagine how much fun the casting people had, trying to come up with someone to portray Bill? "Who is this guy?" "Oh, he's like if Ron Swansen was having a post-apocalytic life...and was gay!" "Let's get Nick Offerman!!!"
As with a everyone else here, this episode destroyed me. Absolutely the best single episode of television I'd seen in at least a decade. I loved the story, I thought it was a well implemented deviation from the source material, it was just so beautiful. I appreciated how they seemed to take a somewhat less cynical approach than the game and how they deconstructed tropes with Bill and made him very complex. This character just felt so handcrafted for me to see myself in, from the preparedness to the piano to the taste in wine (especially funny that I quite like Beaujolais because of a food and wine pairing class I took in college, best three credits I ever bought). It did everything to twist the knife on me and I loved every second
Probably the best single episode of any show ever. What’s ironic is all the adult people out there that has a significant other that plays video games would probably roll their eyes of another zombie video game but turn it into a show and those same eye rollers are geeking out.
I loved episode three. Would watch it again. Wish it was the full length episode it was supposed to be. But my friend completely hated it. There's no accounting for taste.
I know some people are saying this episode was filler or had a problem with its content. It's sad that people will get hung up on that; they're going to miss an amazing story and performance. This show has done a wonderful job of show me, don't tell me. It shows Joel's 2 futures. One where he continues to be a closed-off survivor, losing everything and needing no one. The other where he found that one person to give him humanity. The truck scene is the first time he initiates banter with Ellie that's not tactical; it's human. It's also the first time he smiles at her joke. Episode 3 was such a dramatic turning point in Joel and Ellie's story, where the first 2 were grinding Joel down wiith loss, this one showed hope.
