Summary of The Last of Us Episode 3: Love in the Time of Cordyceps

DEVASTATION WARNING: This article provides details about Season 1 Episode 3 of HBO’s The last of us.

WARNING: The episode and synopsis contain sensitive discussions about Suicide.

vocation The last of us Episode 3, titled “Long Long Time,” a TV spectacular is hardly an understatement. Written by series showrunner and co-writer Craig Mazin, this episode is an incredibly poignant and heartbreakingly tender reflection on vulnerability, love and the meaning of life through the eyes of two lovers named Bill (Nick Offerman) and Frank (Murray). ). Bartlett).

Before we get into the summary, it’s important to clarify a few things. One notable element of this installment, which is likely to cause heated debate among gaming fans, is how much it deviated from the source material to successfully enrich and use an otherwise sparse and dark story throughout the game.

For those who haven’t played the game but want to join the conversation, here’s a quick recap: In the game, Joel and Ellie meet an old acquaintance of Joel’s named Bill, who is the only resident of a small village is what he strengthens strong loves to stay infected. During their reunion, Bill mentions that his partner Frank disappeared a while ago after stealing his supplies. And unfortunately, while searching for more supplies, Bill, Joel and Ellie discover that Frank died by his own hand. Not only that, in his most recent post, Frank admits that after 20 years of living together, he purposely ran away because of Bill’s increasingly paranoid behavior. Yes, that’s it difficult. And comparisons between the two versions will spark thoughtful discussions long after the episode airs.

With that context out of the way, it’s easy to see why Mazin’s significant changes are a welcome breath of fresh air. Turning the tragedy into a compelling love story that offers redemption for both men’s stories further elevates the conversation about video game adaptations to show that things can be improved while still staying true to the spirit of the source material.

Now we continue with our summary.

After losing Tess (Anna Torv) on last week’s episode, Joel (Pedro Pascal) fulfills her last promise to take Ellie (Bella Ramsey) and seeks help from her friends Bill and Frank. During their five-hour journey, Joel and Ellie do their best to make small talk; After all, it’s nobody’s fault that Tess is dead, and they both need to shed any animosity toward each other if this whole cross-country trip is going to work. So what caused the end of civilization? Ellie asked casually. Joel is at first surprised by this lack of knowledge, as Ellie prides herself on being a smart teenager. But in one of the episode’s funniest lines, Ellie reminds Joel that she went to an authoritarian school where the government strictly censors any information that makes her look bad. Ellie admits bluntly, “You’re not teaching us how the damn government failed to prevent a pandemic.” It’s a clever break of the fourth wall that might as well have included a turn and a wink to the camera.

Joel explains that the world collapsed over a weekend after a mutated strain of Cordyceps infected the global food supply chain through products such as flour, grain or sugar. He also describes how the military deceived people in the early days of the collapse by placing survivors in a nearby quarantine area. However, if the QZs were full, Survivors would be killed instead. This misinformation led to many arguments and mistrust between the government and the survivors. And there is no man who distrusts the government more than Joel’s old friend Bill.

Herein lies the true focus and heart of the episode, the story of Bill and Frank.

2003

This series loves its flashbacks. A small picturesque suburban town is our setting. Bill stares at several surveillance cameras from his underground bunker as the military escorts everyone out except him. Now on his own, he knocks on the local gas station, stocks up at the Home Depot, builds a generator and manipulates the power station’s power grids. This burly man means business. During this time alone, he also loads wine, learns how to grow his own food and raises chickens. But its greatest feats of weaponry are the heavily reinforced perimeter fence and multiple booby traps used to keep the strays infested. Thinking he has a pandemic, Bill believes he will be safe and happy alone in his town indefinitely. Little did he know that his kingdom of isolation was about to collapse around him.

2007

Meet Frank. He is a survivor on the run from the recently collapsed Baltimore QZ. He is desperate for food, shelter and some company. While searching for a new location, Frank accidentally falls into one of Bill’s traps. After investigating the mess, Bill is surprised to find it’s someone else and immediately throws himself into a hostile defense – it’s been a while since he’s interacted with another human. After an ominous tête-à-tête between the two men, Bill gives in to Frank’s handsome face and deep blue eyes and allows him to temporarily stay at his home to recuperate. Frank indulges in a long hot shower and Bill’s exquisitely prepared meal. But once dinner is over, Bill sternly reminds him to leave.

Of course Frank doesn’t want to go. Why should he? He found a safe place, has access to good food, a working shower and a strangely stoic man to love. In a train of desperation and charming distraction, Frank runs from the dinner table to Bill’s vintage piano to prove that he can make a living entertaining. It opens with a poorly performed cover of Linda Ronstadt’s ballad “Long Long Time,” which echoes the episode’s theme while also giving the episode its title. Fed up with Frank butchering the song, Bill takes over and performs an emotionally charged version. Surprised by Bill’s sudden vulnerability, Frank asks him, “Who’s that girl you’re singing about?” (Soft!), to which Bill glumly replies, “There’s no girl.” Frank then sits back, “I know,” and gives a very soft kiss before leading Bill into the bedroom for some sexy time. What a sly fox he is!

2010

The couple drifted off into domestic life, where romance and fights abound. Bill can’t understand why Frank wants to mow the lawn and repaint the dilapidated storefronts of their empty town. It seems that Frank is tired of being alone and wants to make friends. What friends? It’s an idea that Bill doesn’t quite get. You are in an apocalypse. Frank then drops the bomb on him that he is casually communicating with a mysterious woman over the radio and that they will be visiting Bill’s town soon. Bill is incredibly angry.

It turns out that the surprise guests Frank invited to lunch are Joel and Tess. The ever-paranoid Bill keeps a gun trained on Joel throughout the meal while Frank and Tess chat over wine. During lunch, Joel tries to convince Bill that trading both ways would be the most beneficial. Life in the Boston QZ gives Tess and Joel access to medicine and scarce supplies. Namely, high quality materials that help Bill fix his beloved and now rusting fence. But no matter how Joel tries to convince Bill that he can help him fight the infected and the raiders, Bill dismisses his concerns, but Frank joins Tess anyway, and the two return to Boston.

2013

On a beautiful, sunny day, Frank surprises Bill by showing him a patch of strawberries he grows. As they share the budding fruit, Bill confesses that he had never felt fear before Frank arrived. The two share a kiss and a moment of sexy time before it goes to hell later that night. Joel was right. Robbers eventually came to destroy Bill’s town and in the ensuing shootout, Bill is wounded and asks Frank to radio Joel if he dies.

2023

Eventually, we make it to this day. Bill and Frank have grown older, but Frank is exhausted. He got sick. His daily routine consists mostly of painting, swallowing a mixture of pills and relying on Bill to get him in and out of his wheelchair. It’s heartbreaking, but he still retains his sparkling sense of humor. One morning, Frank calmly tells Bill that he wants this day to be his last day alive. Although Frank tries to ease the pain with jokes, Bill does not take the decision well. (Many thanks to Offerman and Bartlett for the incredible burst of emotion during this incredibly heartbreaking scene.) Frank confesses to Bill that he’s had “more good days than bad” with him in their life together and that he just wants Bill have to do it. Give him a nice day and respect his desire to date on his own terms.

Frank gives Bill a list of wishes, including toast for breakfast, getting married in the restored boutique, and one last delicious meal together before he helps him end his life. As previously requested, Bill crushes all of Frank’s pills into his glass of wine, and as they drink they sit in thoughtful silence about their lives. But wait, Frank feels that this perfect day is going too smoothly. Were the pills fake? no Bill reveals that he has also poisoned the wine bottle and will die with it as well. Frank is amazed. “It’s not the tragic suicide at the end of the play,” says Bill. ‘I’m old. I am happy. You were my target.” They share a smile and a soft kiss and head to the bedroom for their last good night.

Note the tears.

Some time later, we rejoin Joel and Ellie as they arrive at Bill and Frank’s. Joel and Ellie notice the spoiled food and there is complete silence. What happened here? Ellie notices a note. In Bill’s last letter to Joel, he said that although he never liked him, he still considered him a friend. He left Joel with all his supplies and a working vehicle – finally Joel is able to reach his brother Tommy (Gabriel Luna). Joel is struck lightly when he realizes he has lost another acquaintance. However, re-reading Bill’s letter confirms his intention. Bill tells Joel that they were (and are) here to protect the people they love and God help anyone who gets in their way. Joel takes this as a sign to continue protecting Ellie and bring her to the Fireflies to the west. They recover, gather supplies, and drive out of Bill’s town while listening to a tape of Linda Ronstadt’s “Long Long Time.”

Wow, what a great episode, isn’t it? These 75 minutes flew by!

Where will Joel and Ellie end up next?

Will we ever stop crying?

Players, what do you think of the changes in Bill and Frank’s story?

Let us know below and we’ll see you on next week’s episode.