HBO’s The Last Of Us Executive Producers Explain Why The Show Changed Bill And Frank’s Story
Their romantic relationship and philosophical differences are fleshed out in the live-action adaptation.
The Executive Producers of HBO’s The Last of Us have revealed why Bill and Frank’s story was changed from what was originally shown in the game. The couple’s relationship is the focus of the show’s most recent episode, which premiered this past Sunday.
In a short video shared by PlayStation on Twitter, The Last of Us Executive Producers Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann provide insight into the reasoning behind narrative changes made in Episode 3. The standalone episode stars Nick Offerman as Bill, a stubborn survivalist, and Murray Bartlett as Frank, a free-spirited artist. Mazin shares that he saw a chance to expand the story of Bill and Frank, which was not explored in depth in the game.
The live-action adaptation was a way to bring Bill and Frank’s romantic relationship to life, reveals Mazin. In Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us, Joel finds a handwritten note that illustrates Frank’s frustration with Bill’s “set-in-your-ways attitude.” When Joel asks Bill about the note, Bill admits that Frank was his partner. This note and Bill’s response, along with other clues in the game, only imply that Bill is gay. “There’s this very small allusion to Bill’s sexuality and the fact that he had this partner named Frank,” Mazin said. In comparison, the show fleshes out the development of Bill and Frank’s romance, starting from the tense moment the two first meet. Offerman and Bartlett’s emotional performances have drawn high praise amidst homophobic review bombing of the show.
Druckmann, who is also co-president of Naughty Dog, highlights how the third episode served to more fully explore the philosophical contrast between Bill and Frank, briefly depicted in the game. The two men take different attitudes towards life in a post-apocalyptic world: Bill takes a purely survivalist approach, while Frank wants to experience more from life. This conflict takes a toll on their relationship — in the game, Frank decides to leave Bill, which eventually leads to his death.
However, Mazin and Druckmann chose an alternative portrayal of the couple’s issues. HBO’s The Last of Us delves into what it would take for Bill and Frank to overcome their disagreements and emerge stronger for it. As stated by Mazin, the live-action adaptation aims “to show a successful relationship” and “two people who meet, fall in love, fight like cats and dogs, but stay together, [and] make it work.”
Even with their clashing personalities, Bill and Frank achieve balance and contentment when they work together, notes Druckmann. “When you do have someone that can protect the other, and someone that loves the other and brings beauty into their life, they can live a full, fulfilling life, all the way to the end,” Druckmann said. Without revealing too much about Episode 3, Bill and Frank are able to grow old together, with an ending some might consider less tragic but more heartbreaking than that of the game.
Episode 4 of The Last of US, tiled Please Hold My Hand, will premiere on February 5 at 6 pm PT on HBO Max.
