HBO’s The Last of Us is pushing all the right buttons by telling new stories

HBO’s The Last of Us has been very cautious to stay to the supply materials for the most half — a sensible but additionally quite logical alternative, given how cinematic the unique sport was. The painstakingly crafted similarities between Naughty Dog’s survival shooter — which was already nice — and HBO’s present have been a serious half of why individuals had been fast to name The Last of Us the finest online game adaptation ever. But it’s by shifting away from the sport in favor of telling new stories that The Last of Us has actually been capable of blossom the method it does in “Long Long Time,” the collection’ third episode that introduces Nick Offerman’s Bill and Murray Bartlett’s Frank.

As it’s introducing two of The Last of Us’ most memorable supporting characters, “Long Long Time” provides a lot new depth and dimension to them that they virtually find yourself feeling like totally different individuals. But the actual magic of “Long Long Time,” and the cause it’s one of The Last of Us’ strongest episodes but, lies in how spiritually true to the sport it feels even whereas it’s doing its personal distinct factor.

After holding its focus largely on Joel and Ellie in its first two episodes, The Last of Us switches issues up in “Long Long Time” by leaping into the previous to inform the story of how delinquent, paranoid prepper Bill (Offerman) and hapless survivor Frank (Bartlett) met in the apocalypse. Back in the earliest days of the cordyceps outbreak, when there was nonetheless little understanding of what was occurring, numerous uninfected individuals misplaced their lives as the American authorities started rounding up and executing civilians en masse in an try and comprise the mutant fungus’ unfold.

While dozens of his trusting neighbors had been unknowingly carted off to their dooms, Frank made certain to hold again of their small city till he was completely sure that the total factor was utterly abandoned and able to be transformed right into a fortified compound for one. Being the delinquent person who he was, the concept of spending the relaxation of his zombie-filled days in solitude and with Ron Swanson-esque self-sufficiency appealed to Bill. All issues thought-about, that way of life appeared to go well with him effectively. But that modified the day Frank wandered onto Bill’s property searching for security and as a substitute discovered himself caught in a single of Bill’s traps.

It’s solely clear for those who’ve performed the video games simply how rather more substance there is to HBO’s tackle Bill and Frank as “Long Long Time” spotlights how their first, tense encounter started the begin of a friendship that advanced right into a passionate romance powered by the music of Linda Ronstadt. When you meet Bill in the sport, he’s a jumpy, hard-boiled survivor who’s misplaced a lot over the years that he’s change into all however shut off from connecting with anybody, and it’s exhausting to grasp how he and Joel got here to know each other. All of these issues are positively nonetheless true of Bill’s character in HBO’s The Last of Us, however quite than leaving you to deduce necessary particulars about Bill’s interiority from his sparse dialogue, the present lays quite a bit of it out by giving Frank a voice and presence in a method the sport by no means did.

The Last of Us is by no means the first apocalyptic narrative to marvel what it would really feel like to search out love in the finish instances and even the first zombie present to give attention to a pair of homosexual males passionately loving one another once they aren’t busy mowing down ghouls. But as a tackle a longtime story, “Long Long Ago” brings a lot extra texture and emotional heft to Bill and Frank that it’s honest to name the episode a major improve to how they’re dealt with in the sport.

“Long Long Ago” exhibits you ways Frank and Bill saved one another by giving each other causes to stay and, in doing so, made certain that they had been each round to change into allies to Joel and Tess. Because it’s so wrapped up in Frank and Bill’s lives, it’s legitimately shocking once you understand that one of the fights they find yourself having is about Frank making contact with somebody who seems to be Tess. It’s pleasant to look at as the two {couples} change into mates, and you may simply think about how their collective bond performed an necessary function in holding them all grounded. It additionally makes it that a lot simpler to grasp why Tess’ loss of life impacted Joel a lot.

As it’s zooming in on pivotal moments throughout Frank and Bill’s years-long relationship, “Long Long Time” is additionally very deftly encouraging you to step again and admire the bigger world they exist in for what it is: a lonely, violent place the place individuals die and happiness is exhausting to return by. Those are some of the largest takeaways from the a lot, rather more bleak method Bill and Frank are dealt with in the sport throughout a collection of missions about having access to a working automobile.

In that telling, it’s solely implied that Bill and Frank had been ever lovers, and by the time Ellie and Joel arrive of their city, Frank has died by suicide after rising disillusioned with Bill, making an attempt to go away, and being attacked by clickers in the course of. By displaying you the arc of their relationship, although, “Long Long Time” primes you to be devastated by the method issues play out for the pair and to grasp some of what their time collectively may need been like in the sport earlier than issues went bitter between them.

Obviously, Bill and Frank spending many completely satisfied years as a pair earlier than deciding to finish their lives collectively as outdated males like they do in “Long Long Time” is very totally different from Frank turning on Bill and Bill in the end outliving Frank like in the sport. But the essences of each eventualities aren’t so distinct that they really feel wholly divorced from one another, which is exactly the kind of vibe that you just need to get from a “faithful” online game adaptation that’s wandering off the crushed path.

The Last of Us’ capability to faithfully recreate issues is spectacular, true. But it’s the present’s capacity to construct out new items of lore that really feel like they had been all the time current that’s most promising, particularly with characters like Storm Reid’s Riley and Melanie Lynskey’s Kathleen on the horizon.