Forgot to mention a few things. In the game, Naughty Dog wanted to use a Mortal Kombat machine but they couldn't get the rights or something like that so they made Angel Knives. Looks like they were able to get the rights this time around.........or at least HBO did. Also again I thought Nick Offerman looked a lot like Bill, but 2023 Bill looked exactly like him. I was really impressed with that. And yes I see now Frank didn't have Aids. My mom and I both thought that's what it was when we watched it. Cut me some slack I only get one chance to watch it because I don't have HBO. And Frank had Parkinson's and I didn't see anyone mention that as a possibility so everyone was wrong.
I will gladly give you my HBO password so you can rewatch the episode. As long as it doesn’t ruin you and your mom watch it together which is wholesome lol
To be specific, I do not think Bill and Frank were dead for months. Since the radio code was for Bill to inform Joel and Tess, at the end of episode 1 is when an 80s song plays. I don't think there was too much time in between the night of their passing and when Joel and Ellie made it to bills town. I was trying to find more evidence of they originally wanting to use an MK cabinet in left behind, I've been telling everyone that is the case because I remember you saying a few times. Do you remember where you read or heard it from?
@@focalpointexposure4933 Joel said he had to reset the timer on the distress music every few weeks, so probably not much longer than that, if even that long
I think in the audio companion neil or craig said it was either MS or ALS, not parkinsons. But tbh what he died from doesnt really matter. It was a fantastic episode
I get it but the ellie and bill interactions arent even that long I don't see how they could write an entire script of the whole bill section of the game without making it boring. Works for the game but not really for the show.
@@coltongreengbg That would literally defeat the whole porpuse. Why would he keep living ? He would just be sad and lonely with a not so good ending as this one.
Easily the best exchange in EP:03 is Bill and Frank about the piano. F - "You have a 1947?!" B - "Yeah" F - "Do you know how much this is worth? B - "Well currently, nothing" Pure class scripting.
@@mdh_masalewale8681 I’m starting to think I know who the show was made for. People who want to see a positive in any line of appropriation as is the love between two men is something to be used. This dialogue was something of impressive taste to this person when it’s literally just a barebones conversation. I’m so sick of stupid people making other stupid people rich
I saw a comment on reddit that summed up the episode best, imo. Paraphrasing, "Bill in the game is an image of what Joel would become if he stayed isolated and closed off. Bill in the show is an image of what would happen to Joel if he allowed himself to love again and have purpose beyond survival." As for Ellie stabbing that infected at the start, I think it was showing us that she's a bit of a sadist, and it was a form of revenge for Tess. She leaves a mark on it, waits a bit, then kills it. Ellie eventually grows up to be as violently capable as Joel, but, quoting the podcast for the games, "Joel doesnt derive pleasure from it, but Ellie does", and I think that's what they were demonstating here.
She has too much heart, that’s why we can’t really fault her. In a game the violence is implied, so I think they had to show more of that streak in the show. I loved when Tess mentioned how post-outbreak kids don’t talk they just start swinging.
This is just wrong, ellie was never some sadistic person who ENJOYS violence, she is actually greatly traumatized by it in part 1 and then LED to do horrible things through violence in part 2, but even there, remember how she gets after beating Nora? Yeah I don't get why they're crossing this bridge of making her more psycho and rude, she's meant to be the image of innocence at the beginning and it just reduces the weight of her eventual transformation
@@aristonaragao3171 Ellie brings a machete down on David's face 10 times before Joel stops her. She stabs Jordan in the neck twice and mutters to him "Got you, motherfucker." She goes out of her way to hunt down the WLF at all, and yes, she beats Nora to death with a pipe. The end result of all this *is* traumatic for her, but in the moment, it does bring her a satisfaction.
It's also showing how infected don't really react to other infected people even if they're still conscious. It's like they stop being aggressive and only want to speed up the process by feeding people with more fungus. You can see that with Tess and after scene with Ellie I'm convinced now that's the plot device they're going for.
Yeah - one of those degenerative neuromuscular diseases. Hate the thought of getting that myself, scares me. Hell, I'd rather go completely senile, not able to remember anything. But trap me in my own body unable to do ANYTHING? No thank you, I'll take the pills in that case.
Yes. My first thought was also Frank got AIDS, but then I realized that people can not live 17 years being HIV+ without proper treatment. It was probably multiple sclerosis or very likely a common cancer.
I believe the point of the episode was to show that even people that have completely lost faith in humanity (Bill and Joel) can redeem themselves by finding a purpose and protecting the ones they care about (Frank and Ellie). The note that Ellie read at the end kinda cemented that theme.
he said they couldn't treat it when the world was normal, and aids today as i understand you can get pills and still live a long and happy life. i think it was cancer.
The official podcast, Troy Baker asks if it was MS and Maizin and Druckman said they left it deliberately vague but definitely a neurodegenerative disease such as MS or early ALS
Remember when Ellie and Joel find the radio in Bill’s basement and it’s playing the ‘80s playlist? And remember at the end of the first episode when the radio plays an ‘80s song after Tess and Joel leave? That’s the moment when Frank and Bill died… only noticed that way after watching. Very cool little detail
9:16 "they've been dead for months" - I think both parties missed each other only by a couple of days. Just as we leave the QZ (end of Ep1), the camera pans on the radio, which plays 80s song - trouble. So unless anyone else got access to Bills and Franks radio, it was their last call.
The radio was a deadman switch. I think Joel said two weeks of nothing triggered it. Plus the letter was dated end of august. I think they went out right on a month ago. Present day is late september, right?
Joel mentions when they go into the bunker that if Bill doesn't touch his PC or something within two weeks, it'll play the 80s song playlist. Think it's far more than a couple of days
@@Mills65 Oh yea, true, seems like I missed some stuff as well. I also totally forgot that Joel took notice of the flowers near the house, which looked pretty rough, since no one could water them anymore. Definitely not just a couple of days.
We could discuss the changes to Bill and his story arc all day long... but I agree with decreasing the amount of action. Joel killing that soldier in episode one because a much less big deal if he slaughters a bunch of Robert's guys five minutes earlier. The infected become less scary if Joel is killing a bunch of them with ease. Ellie having to kill a regular person for the first time should be a huge moment as well.
I would’ve killed for a “listen here, you little shit!” From Nick Offerman, but what we got was really something quite beautiful and imagine how much more hollow Joel’s motivation would be if this episode didn’t exist. It definitely served a purpose in the story and it stayed true to the values and characters of the game if nothing else which is more than you can say for most tv shows and movies nowadays.
Just my opinion, but I think the Bill's Town part of the game would have been difficult to adapt to TV. Most of it is pure "gameplay" without advancing the story much. The way it was in the show lent for a much more memorable and relatable version of Bill, offers background for the Joel/Tess/Bill dynamic, explains the end of episode 1 and mirrors the (coming) relationship between Joel and Ellie
It would be definitely dumb scene if we saw Ellie not being able to cut the rope for 2 minutes and Joel just blasting through the infected with infinite revolver ammo lol.
In the show I thought Frank was going to leave Bill because he annihilated all of the raiders. I thought they'd go with "how could you kill those people, that could have been me" and then he would Bill all alone. And then the group finding Frank dead later. But I'm glad it ended the way it did.
@@flanthemanable no. The point of the story of the first game and this first season is that joel reconnects with his humanity through the innocence of a child. 4 years later in part 2 , he’s a changed man becuase of the journey of part 1 and ellie
@@flanthemanable that is his transformation , he’s more alive instead of just soley focusing on survival. Hence why its not really his gut reaction anymore to be selfish and why he , tommy and the town of jackson try their best to help other people and welcome them into the community. If it was part 1 joel , he wouldnt have helped abby escape the horde he would have just kept himself alive
I get why they made bill more of a postive character who changed but i still wanted to see him being alive after frank had died. Slipping back into his nihlistic old self maybe losing parts of Lincoln to infected, military raiding the school and then meeting joel and Ellie creating the great game dynamic.
16:21 I agree with that one, in the remastered I used to change their costumes but when I saw how the costumes didn't match with the ones in cutscenes (I think it matches in remake now) I used to get annoyed and left it at default
Literally my only gripe with the episode is that they didn't get raided until almost 10 years of living, and even after the once it happened I don't know if that's supposed to imply that it happened more often but that was just unrealistic that they'd go untouched from the world for almost 10 years and then another 5-6 years after the 1 raid
You dont have to show every raid that happens, especially if nothing came out of it. Maybe they could've shown another one just to make a badass scene of Bill destroying folks haha, but anyway
@@chootsart Yeah this being the most significant one they've had which is why it's shown over others. I imagine most times Bill's traps and his fence took care of most raids by themselves.
To be fair, it’s possible that with a low enough population of raiders, the town being isolated, and the fact he set up the complicated traps, that he just got lucky.
About the Ellie and the infected scene, I like to think that it’s foreshadowing Ellie’s sudden change into a brutal and ruthless murderer in part 2 (now knowing we will be getting a season 2 and possibly more) which is also supported by the fact that when Joel started beating the soldier up right as they were going out to the city, she seemed to enjoy it and was interested by it. Just some subtle details and I’m probably reaching but it’s cool to think about.
i loved this episode but there’s a part of me that was hoping it was more true to the game. i would’ve like to see ellie and bill interact and also would’ve liked them to elaborate on why bill owed joel in the game so much so that almost dying by a bloater to get a car battery makes them even. i’ve always been curious about their history. this also makes me think we might not get bloaters in the show… or they just want to save it for later
Worth mentioning the way they introduced how people around the globe were infected, as my first thought at the first episode wasn't clear: when Sarah went to neighbours and saw what was there, and than with Tommy & Joel they were telling that neighbours went to hospital a lot and maybe that's where old lady got infected(but I didn't buy it). But here in this episode Joel told everything about supplies and pancakes, meaning when he was offered one and if he took one we wouldn't see any the Last of Us happening... That was pretty cool!
I liked the episode but really missed the interaction between Ellie and Bill. Upside-down fight would have been such a spectacle too. It was really interesting to see how long Tess and Joel had been together. So sad that she loved him more than he was able to return.
@@doubledeckyomom Yeah don't listen to people. Neil is a competent director and writer who's only major blemish between both games was the pacing of part 2. Even in part 2 most of the writing isn't bad, just paced poorly. Ellie in the second game very much shows some sadistic tendencies. And we're getting a second season so they're building up for that.
I really liked the episode. For me it makes sense to save those action sequences, otherwise is going to get old pretty fast. Running around killing infected/fedra/raiders all the time works well on a game but not a live action, the tension will not be there anymore. Those action scenes are coming for sure, but I understand why they’re saving them.
I am not that emotional kinda guy when it comes to love storys but when Frank told Bill that he wants to kill himself and also with that wish to make his last day special and with this music on top, I cried like a b*tch
I'm watching this show with one of my buddies who hasn't played the game before, and we're both loving it. I definitely thought there were a few scenes in ep 3 that were uncomfortable to watch and I wasn't really sure about the episode while watching it , but 2 days later I can't really stop thinking about how beautiful it was. Would've loved the Ellie and Bill banter though.
@ 9:05 you ask what was the point of the episode. I've heard this a lot and personally- I think it was to show HOPE still existing, even 20 some years into this apocalypse. the franchise is literally called "The Last of US" Joel says in the game and show- "you find a reason to keep going" or "you keep going for family." The entire point of the last of us is the BOND that Joel and Ellie form together, which is the reason we would want to survive at all. Like you said, Bill was surviving alone, not living. The point of the episode is the point of the entire series, the point of Joel and Ellie. (this was intended to be an insight, not an argument. I enjoy all of your content and your opinions are interesting!
I’m almost on the same boat as Ant, feelin 50/50 about this one: I feel like this “version” of Bill’s world is very good for the Game audience, since the story of the show can get kinda stale (I mean, we already know what happens from the game), so changing the script brings something unknown and discoverable even for us. On the other hand I feel like the new audience could be a bit confused by this story within the story, cutting all the present day Bill part by killing him off might make them go like “wait, did I just go thru 1 hour of romance by two secondary characters I just met just for them to leave a car behind?” and the Bill-teaching-Joel-a-lesson part can go over their heads.
I get what you mean, but I'm not a big gamer and a mostly new viewer (casually watched one playthrough of the game) and I don't really think that'll go over their heads. I'm a long-time Walking Dead fan and there were quite a few bottle episodes over the years that depicted the journeys of ill-fated characters/how the apocalypse went for them. I think viewers of shows like TWD will appreciate this episode as a snapshot with a purpose; I personally thought it gave Joel more on-screen motivation to keep Ellie alive at all costs (including her own wishes/agency/respect) than the game did for me. As someone who is much more of a TV watcher than a gamer, I think it is important for TV viewers to be more overtly sold on why Joel ultimately does what he does.
@@sliceofzura I'm not saying it doesn't give any motivation at all, I'm saying that it fell short for me as someone just watching the play through/not being in Joel's "shoes" the way someone playing the game is. I can already tell that I'm going to feel more sympathetic to him in the show based on how they're setting it up, so I think it's a smart move. People who were already sympathetic to Joel in the game still will be, but they'll also grab people like me too
@@bagginbrooks6573 But what else are they going to do? I can see them maybe kill Tommy instead (it seems as if they’re making Tommy and Joel’s relationship more intense) but idk man.
@@bagginbrooks6573 Absolutely, Pedro´s work is amazing, it will be a surprise if Joel don´t die in season 2 but i will be happy if they change the way he dies
This is not how art works theyre not going to change the story of part 2 cos a bunch of cry babies on the internet wanted something different. Joel has to die in order for the story to work , its like the same thing as ned stark dying at the end of season 1 of game odf thrones. God people are so stupid and pathetic when it comes to part 2 , grow up its a fictional character that dies its not that big of a controversy that a loud minority of morons made it out to be
@Rhys m To be fair, part 2s story itself wasn't very good. It was a revenge story without the payoff and it made everybody really stupid. Ellie was dumb in it, she kept going after Abby even when Abby let her live like 4 times. Tommy miraculously lives a shot to the back of the head and made it all way way back from Seattle to Jackson just to send Ellie off on her own. And those are just a couple of it's story issues. Part 2 could use a complete rewrite like they did with episode 3 which didn't even need a rewrite.
In the game, it is much more grounded, dark and gave a deeper understanding on how dysfunctional Bill & Frank's relationship was, instead they show this cheesy, sappy, stereotypical and predictable Twilight love story that is already been done to death. Storywise, the episode is way too focused on telling this sappy Twilight love story than to make an episode about The Last of Us. Secondly, the important iconic moments from the game are left out: Joel hanging upside down, Ellie and Bill's banter etc. What a waste. They turned the intense section of the game into a Twilight love story. The rest of the story was great as usual, but the inclusion of the lame, romantic love story felt disconnected. The game was never romantic. This episode is divisive, and that usually happens when the film is agenda based, plus we know that Naughty Dog is good at divide its very own fanbase. All in all, this is the episode that did not do the game justice imo, because the game did it so much better.
@@mikez4388 Thanks! That is what I am trying to say. The episode just did not land for me, not because of their sexual orientation. Plus, we gamers already know Bill is gay! All the viewers are acting like they've never seen a gay couple in a film before, yet it's been done so many times before. In addition, I liked it a bit more seeing it a second time, but the way the game did it was way superior, and better imo.
@@hmat3255 it was more subtle, and left alot of room of imagination for gamers to think what Bill and Frank's relationship was like before everything took a dark path
Sure, the portrayal of the relationship made me quite uncomfortable, but it's better to get different insights and perspectives of people's opinions of the episode, rather than looking at what's obvious
I totally agree with you on the why. It was so different from the games, but it also dovetails with the themes of love and protection and hope in the face of harsh survival. Providing Joel that motivation, just like you said. (I did miss the Ellie/Bill banter tho) Also, just FYI, Frank didn’t have AIDS. He had something like MS, ALS, or Parkinson’s. Nothing to do with being gay, just human.
Excellent take! And I agree, but it also made me bury my hope to see iconic locations like the flooded subway tunnels, the Highschool Gymnasium and has me a bit worried about Pittsburg, the hotel, library and much later the University On the other hand I’m pretty sure one particular episode will be crushing
I heard somewhere that the violence in the show is reduced by a bunch. There's still blood. We've seen it already but it is reduced a lot. And it might be why we don't see as much "Gameplay"
it’s reduced by a lot to focus on the story, and yeah it isn’t a game so you can’t make the decision for the characters to go in there guns a-blazing taking out everything in sight. also they gotta save the action scenes for later episodes
Not seen anyone else mention this so could be wrong but I liked the bait and switch with the “Hawaiian shirt” in the pile of dead bodies, I thought it was somehow meant to be Frank when I first saw it
so far I've loved every moment that the show explores things that the game didn't fully dive into. really enjoying what they've put out so far and I was super skeptical before the release. real excited to see how the series plays out and if they can keep up with what they've done these first few episodes
So far I really like how the show expands the game's universe. But I have to say that part of why I like the first game so much is the subtlety of it. Things are hinted at more than they are outrightly said or shown, and there's so much depth to those moments. But I feel like being subtle and still make your point in a story is a difficult thing to do and it's unfortunately not done as much these days (Part 2 is an example of a story that terribly lacks subtlety lol).
I didnt like how frank and bill randomly got extremely old and then they both die, instead of frank being the only one dying and bill lives on and meeting joel and ellie later on. Idk its just how i feel about it but i do like the story they did with bill and frank, but i dont feel as if it plays an actual purpose cus i feel like the main attraction was to have ellie and bill meet and argue and get help from bill to get a battery and then leave. Thats just what i expected but i appreciate the nice screen time for bill and frank.
I personally think what they did to Bill and Frank was fantastic, in the game Bill is really there to show where the car battery is to Joel, that wouldnt really be super entertaining to watch, but seeing that relationship between Bill and Frank was really good. Good way to develop characters
Without getting political, this whole episode was basically a filler and bunch of nothingness, seemingly created for the indulgence of the writers; It barely did anything to develop the main story and characters. This new version of Bill's story doesn't really make much sense and doesn't fit the world of TLOU, at least for me it's too idealistic and nice. Despite making the ending of this subplot darker and depressing, with all the other changes they kinda degraded Bill's character (even though there wasn't a lot of it to begin with) and made his relationship with Frank unrealistic... One could even say that they completely changed Bill's character; from a pragmatic, pessimistic, rugged survivalist who with his stubborn attitude made his lover hate him... Into this romantic loaner who is still a survivalist, I guess? I don't know what's the purpose of that change because the way it was in the game worked a lot better in pretty much all aspects. I understand that they probably wanted to include some representation (which was already in the game, just in a more subtle and not as positive way) and preach their message for which they altered interactions between characters and made it more "lovely" but not only did it make less sense, it also robbed us of all the great character moments from the game by just not including any of them. I'm not saying that what they created is terrible because all the acting and character development was great, outside of the fact that they fell in love after the first "date" which was a little bit silly... I'm just asking, why? Why change something that was already great and everyone enjoyed? If they continue introducing changes such as this, it's going to completely destroy the pacing and flow of the story; not like there are going to be that many episodes in each season, they don't have the luxury of wasting time and this whole episode did basically that for the main plot, wasted time. It all started off pretty good, first two episodes were decent and now it's slowly going down, just as I worried... I want to like this show (at least the first season) but what they're doing with it makes it progressively harder. It was a good episode of a TV show, but it wasn't a good episode of The Last of Us TV show.
I liked this episode but also hope we get to see more action/combat at some point this season. Sidenote: when Joel and Ellie were driving away from Bill's Town, I was wondering why they couldn't have grabbed any of Bill's hats or sunglasses...
I do wish they had showed Joel disarming some of his traps, but otherwise this episode felt kinda pitch perfect to me. what a story to tell. I'm sure next week will have plenty of action.
I knew nothing about the game before I started watching the series. The acting and the intensity of episode 3 was stunning, and was one of the best one and a half hours of television that I have seen in the past decade. I was so moved, wonderful!
They made it a filler episode. As in nothing happens that helps the story progress. That being said, it did explain quite a lot about how they went and worked together as smugglers. It also shows that Joel, despite being the brute that he is, can also show emotions and grief.
Ngl I was a little worried what you were gonna say when you started off, but I'm glad you were able to appreciate the episode and what it was supposed to do without absolutely bashing it. I absolutely loved every bit of it, and definitely understand why they went this direction with it instead of adding all of the gameplay. Gameplay is good when you're playing a game but it's boring when you try to put it in a show. I also loved how well they portrayed a gay relationship-- in the official tlou show podcast they mention how it's common to have the gay relationship end in tragedy-- which I think is fine in plenty of circumstances but it's nice they tried to avoid it and managed to make it work. I think if you are gay you have a lot more of an appreciation of the episode but that's natural, there were a ton of things they did here in the relationship itself that was a huge breath of fresh air from most of the gay relationships I see depicted in media. I did miss the ellie/bill interactions but they were a bit of a nessecary sacrifice, because if you were to add them in you'd probably also need to tack on a bit of boring gameplay/tutorial stuff. Should have been a little more careful about assuming Frank had AIDS at the end though, considering it's negative stereotypical association with gay people, plus the fact that it's not degenerative and you can't live with it for ten years without treatment.
Before i watch your video, i want to say this episode meant a LOT to me as a queer man. Spoilery talk- It was so fantastic to see two older men fall in love and grow old together and have a "happy" ending. I'm so glad they avoided the bury your gays trope with Frank. Ofc im sad that we'll miss Bill and Ellie scenes, but I'm so glad that this episode wasn't filled with queer trauma. I honestly think this is some of the best queer media that has been produced Also they made it very obvious which people they took to the QZs and which they killed....
I also want to add that I hope this means they will cut the constant deadnaming and misgendering of Lev if we get a season 2. They can still show how terrible and transphobic his group is without hurting trans viewers (like me). I hope this a good sign they're going to tone down the queer trauma they had going in the games
I think it's brilliant for the gay community because it's brilliant on its own. The fact that he's gay didn't even cross my mind, it's all acted and directed so well. It really did only ever feel like a couple in love, a real couple in love. They didnt at any point play on the fact they're both gay or us it as a device. It's a masterpiece. The most well written, accomplished piece of work to come out of The Last of Us franchise. Hopefully the director gets another episode next season because him just having 1 episode this season now looks criminal.
The episode on it's own was great. The only downside is it could of been called anything else. It wasn't The Last Of Us. Uncharted was the same way. Good movie, but Imit wasn't Uncharted.
@@bagginbrooks6573 this was the last of us. At least to me, the last of us isn't about zombies. The zombies are a mere tool used to show the emotion of humans, similar to us, in extreme situations. The last of us is special because of precisely what we see in this episode. It wasn't only a great last of us episode, but it is quintessential TLOU. A perfect microcosm. It shows you exactly what is possible in the world of TLOU if a thing like vengeance doesn't rule your M.O. it could scarcely be more perfect in my opinion. Best thing I've seen in year.
I LOVED this episode. Legit had me and sister in tears. A lot of folks are upset they didn't have all the stuff with the town, such as the school sequence, but I wouldn't be shocked if they repurpose those sequences that for when the Pittsburg bit with the hunters. Even if they don't repurpose those, I wouldn't care as this show has been consistently quality.
I was only sad to not see the highschool bloater scene fight (I’m sure it’ll happen in a future episode the bloater fight that is) I was always thinking man when I see bill that scene and fight gonna happen I’m waiting 😂 but i don’t know I actually liked the difference they took for bill and honestly it felt very realistic about being put in this hell of a world filled with just dread and misery being so alone through it then having the love of your life show up growing with this person for so long after tragedy strikes but going out on your terms with the person you love
The point is the same as in the game. It's about exploring the themes in the show, yes, but also with Joel. In the game, you could have just been given the truck right away and skip all the Bill stuff, it's not necessary for the plot to flow along smoothly. The point of that segment in the game is for Bill's story to have an effect on Joel, because we will NEVER see Bill again in the games, he is of no consequence, he doesn't matter beyond his ability to give us a truck. In the game it's how Joel sees Bill closing off and freaking out about never needing anyone ever again and seeing the slippery slope he needs to avoid to not become Bill. In this, because Bill represents a more positive lesson for Joel, it's more about Joel having to confront and understand what just happened with Tess and reaffirm his commitment to taking this all the way, reminding him that Tommy is still out there and needs to protect him, even if he doesn't understand that what Bill told him applies especially to Ellie, because we know he still thinks of her as cargo. And plus, it can just BE its own great thing that has this additional purpose to the rest of Joel's journey. This should be fine, we're okay with the overall plot of the games REALLY taking its time, right? We take hours with Bill in the game just finding a car battery, The Last Of Us has NEVER been a fast paced romp, it has always taken its sweet sweet time to explore its world, characters and themes. To be honest the reason this episode is "divisive" in its reception is because unfortunately, there is a loud minority of people who have a problem when you really crank up the gay levels... We saw this with Left Behind, we saw this with Part II, we've seen it all the ding darn time "wokewokewokewokewoke"... I guess because it depicts a gay relationship instead of a straight one... And for a lot of people who get overly sensitive about "well what was the point of it? This was a waste of time", I think the point is quite evident and it is definitely linked to a preexisting disinterest. If you already don't want to see what's happening on-screen, you're far more inclined to dismiss it as pointless because you're already uninterested... Why might that be, I wonder?... There are sadly some unfortunate realities about the world we live in, where although most of us are pretty normal, pretty decent, the ones that aren't make a LOT of noise. If you're middling on this episode, then fine, it is what it is... But I'm really not sure I trust anyone who is visibly UPSET about this episode, there are some red flags there that I caution everyone to not ignore... edit: I am 100% validated now btw, metacritic is seeing the game review bombed by people who aren’t even trying to hide how homophobic they are…
I liked how they introduced Bill, how he set up everything. Wished we would see relation between Bill and Ellie, plus Frank and Joel, but it was alright. Next episode will be a banger!
The infected and Ellie scene also showed that the infected was sentient enough to want to die. Ellie slashed him to basically ask him "Do you want me to kill you?" and the infected then stares at the knife then back to her and very subtley nods at her to say "yes, kill me." At least that's how I interpreted it hahaha, I thought I could see the infected stare at the knife with hope/desperation in its eyes as it was a way out
I absolutely loved the episode and I'm loving the show so far. I think they're doing just about everything right so far. Although I have one big beef with the show so far....I don't like how likeable the characters are besides Ellie. In the game you're not supposed to like anyone, like everyone is supposed to be survivors that have made it this long because they've become not good people. And in the game Ellie is supposed to be the one you like. But in the show now everyone is much nicer and not as harsh as they are in the game. Idk how I feel about it yet and I'm interested to see how it goes
I feel the scene with Ellie and the infected was for her to experience her first infected kill assuming that was her first as far as the show is concerned I thought the episode was excellent but was sad not to see any Bill and Ellie interaction which was fabulous in the game I believe the point was that they showed that some people won in life in this desperately awful world Your interpretation of the point is excellent btw
Overall I quite enjoyed the episode, but I was bothered by the fact that we don't have the school section, which in my opinion is one of the most exciting areas in the game, and now we'll probably go straight to the ambush, but I'm still hoping to see something about that. the school.
true, but i think infected would become less of a threat if joel killed them like in the game and it wouldn’t work in a tv show to introduce the bloater in episode three, so i get why they skipped it
I know you're not a professional movie/tv reviewer but, after watching yours I feel way more informed and see things from different perspectives than I would having watched anyone else's reviews. Keep up the good work 👍
For me the only thing that mattered in the episode was the beginning and end. I do not like these kinds of episodes. Last one I dealt with was the Laura episode on FTWD. That was the flash back episode when John found Laura. These kinds of episodes are just incredibly boring to me.
Joel is good at predicting? What about all the traps he fell into in the game? He’s a great survivor, but he’s not super smart. Even trusting Henry enough to sleep with him on the first night was dumb. But him sleeping with Henry isn’t predicting, just him doing dumb things.
In the game, I sitll think Bill had such a high ceiling for a character, but in the end is largely irrelevant. Always wished he had more time to shine, and the game explored his character a bit. Do love that this show is now the method in which we see these kinds of explorations for all the various side characters, bravo.
Surviving ’ or thrivin, it’s a conscious choice we have to make everyday. ❤ Thanks Ant, love the episode reviews. I always like hearing your thoughts even though it’s not your regular program.
It was a great episode in the world of last of us but not for bills town, this was my favorite part in the game, theres so much banter we didnt get from joel and ellie, now bill is dead😔
Because it's easy to replicate elsewhere with other characters they can add to the show. Unsociable old guy that doesn't like people is an easy void to fill in the context of interacting with Ellie. It was omitted this time around because there was a bigger and better story to tell with Bill. Honestly this episode was easily the best writing and acting to ever come out of the last of us franchise. If they change the entirety from here on out but improve on it to such a high level then I'm all for the ride. Im now looking forward to the bits I know a lot less, because it's already evident the bits we don't know are substantially improved. Ep 1 was a solid 8 out of 10 for me, ep 2 felt the weakest so far, mainly action with very little character development, I'd give it a 7 and then ep 3 came out of nowhere and is an actual masterpiece and is the first episode that truly show the humanity that The Last of Us is renowned for. Absolutely stunning work, did not expect in a million years we'd ever get such quality from the series after the first 2 eps. I was half expecting TLOU to turn into another walking dead. Thank God it's not though. However the director for episode 3 isn't involved in any more episodes which is sad.
@@upon-fe2720 EP:02 didn't feel right to me either. I mean, it wasn't shit, it just could have been more. It felt like a couple of clickers were thrown in the better it. On your point about Ellie/Bill, ok, I'm in. It would be easy for Ellie to pipe-up and steal the whole show when it was supposed to be a Bill love story. Ok, I get that. Also, one of the dangers that I think Druckmann has given a lot of thought is that if the series is just the game, then MILLIONS of gamers are left with no reason to watch it. One thing I will demand though, at some point, Joel has to go full psycho with Molotovs, bombs, shotguns, arrows, the full works. That'll make a legendary episode.
@@bagginbrooks6573 That's not true... at all. There are zombies, infected, doomer prepping... and on top of that, Bill and Frank weren't very different than who they were in the games... this is just a different aspect of them.
Forgot to mention a few things. In the game, Naughty Dog wanted to use a Mortal Kombat machine but they couldn't get the rights or something like that so they made Angel Knives. Looks like they were able to get the rights this time around.........or at least HBO did. Also again I thought Nick Offerman looked a lot like Bill, but 2023 Bill looked exactly like him. I was really impressed with that. And yes I see now Frank didn't have Aids. My mom and I both thought that's what it was when we watched it. Cut me some slack I only get one chance to watch it because I don't have HBO. And Frank had Parkinson's and I didn't see anyone mention that as a possibility so everyone was wrong.
Warner Bros owns HBO and the Mortal Kombat IP, so the show didn’t need to get the rights. They already had them.
I will gladly give you my HBO password so you can rewatch the episode. As long as it doesn’t ruin you and your mom watch it together which is wholesome lol
To be specific, I do not think Bill and Frank were dead for months. Since the radio code was for Bill to inform Joel and Tess, at the end of episode 1 is when an 80s song plays. I don't think there was too much time in between the night of their passing and when Joel and Ellie made it to bills town.
I was trying to find more evidence of they originally wanting to use an MK cabinet in left behind, I've been telling everyone that is the case because I remember you saying a few times. Do you remember where you read or heard it from?
@@focalpointexposure4933 Joel said he had to reset the timer on the distress music every few weeks, so probably not much longer than that, if even that long
I think in the audio companion neil or craig said it was either MS or ALS, not parkinsons. But tbh what he died from doesnt really matter. It was a fantastic episode
I was sad that bill and Ellie didn’t have an interaction.
Agreed. I liked the episode, just wish Bill didn’t commit suicide with Frank so we could get those interactions.
That's what the game is for.
I get it but the ellie and bill interactions arent even that long I don't see how they could write an entire script of the whole bill section of the game without making it boring. Works for the game but not really for the show.
@@mysticdana_ bruh💀
@@coltongreengbg That would literally defeat the whole porpuse. Why would he keep living ? He would just be sad and lonely with a not so good ending as this one.
Easily the best exchange in EP:03 is Bill and Frank about the piano.
F - "You have a 1947?!"
B - "Yeah"
F - "Do you know how much this is worth?
B - "Well currently, nothing"
Pure class scripting.
Although pianos are worth less when they're old, so Frank would have deserved even more of a schooling😅
.... really? that was just okayish dialogue... how is that a highlight for you, much less 'pure class' lmao
@@mdh_masalewale8681 I’m starting to think I know who the show was made for. People who want to see a positive in any line of appropriation as is the love between two men is something to be used. This dialogue was something of impressive taste to this person when it’s literally just a barebones conversation. I’m so sick of stupid people making other stupid people rich
Rip to Annie Wersching (Voice actress for Tess on the game)
yeah bro rip 😭
I saw a comment on reddit that summed up the episode best, imo. Paraphrasing, "Bill in the game is an image of what Joel would become if he stayed isolated and closed off. Bill in the show is an image of what would happen to Joel if he allowed himself to love again and have purpose beyond survival."
As for Ellie stabbing that infected at the start, I think it was showing us that she's a bit of a sadist, and it was a form of revenge for Tess. She leaves a mark on it, waits a bit, then kills it. Ellie eventually grows up to be as violently capable as Joel, but, quoting the podcast for the games, "Joel doesnt derive pleasure from it, but Ellie does", and I think that's what they were demonstating here.
She has too much heart, that’s why we can’t really fault her. In a game the violence is implied, so I think they had to show more of that streak in the show. I loved when Tess mentioned how post-outbreak kids don’t talk they just start swinging.
I thought it was more of Ellie getting revenge for Riley than tess
This is just wrong, ellie was never some sadistic person who ENJOYS violence, she is actually greatly traumatized by it in part 1 and then LED to do horrible things through violence in part 2, but even there, remember how she gets after beating Nora? Yeah
I don't get why they're crossing this bridge of making her more psycho and rude, she's meant to be the image of innocence at the beginning and it just reduces the weight of her eventual transformation
@@aristonaragao3171 Ellie brings a machete down on David's face 10 times before Joel stops her. She stabs Jordan in the neck twice and mutters to him "Got you, motherfucker." She goes out of her way to hunt down the WLF at all, and yes, she beats Nora to death with a pipe. The end result of all this *is* traumatic for her, but in the moment, it does bring her a satisfaction.
It's also showing how infected don't really react to other infected people even if they're still conscious. It's like they stop being aggressive and only want to speed up the process by feeding people with more fungus. You can see that with Tess and after scene with Ellie I'm convinced now that's the plot device they're going for.
Frank got MS or early ALS, not AIDS.
Yeah - one of those degenerative neuromuscular diseases.
Hate the thought of getting that myself, scares me.
Hell, I'd rather go completely senile, not able to remember anything.
But trap me in my own body unable to do ANYTHING? No thank you, I'll take the pills in that case.
Please tell me he didn't go with saying he got aids
Yes. My first thought was also Frank got AIDS, but then I realized that people can not live 17 years being HIV+ without proper treatment. It was probably multiple sclerosis or very likely a common cancer.
@@adamdurok866 it's really problematic to equate aids to gay people as your first thought.
I believe the point of the episode was to show that even people that have completely lost faith in humanity (Bill and Joel) can redeem themselves by finding a purpose and protecting the ones they care about (Frank and Ellie). The note that Ellie read at the end kinda cemented that theme.
Exactly
The show was very true to the game the way Bill ran out in the open like an idiot and got himself shot so Frank had to assist him
LMAO
Yep, Bill had a plus sign there.
Somebody needs to make a video of that. 😂
I'm so glad I'm not the only on who thought that, definitely pictured a plus sign in my imagination in that moment. Incredible meme material.
Tbf I think he was pulling away the gunfire from the house where Frank was
It wasn't specifically mentioned, but there's no way it would be aids, it's implied to be some form of MS or something of the sort
I assumed it was cancer.
he said they couldn't treat it when the world was normal, and aids today as i understand you can get pills and still live a long and happy life. i think it was cancer.
@@stokedd Aids doesnt just appear out of nowhere... Wouldnt have been a 17 year long relationship if so
The official podcast, Troy Baker asks if it was MS and Maizin and Druckman said they left it deliberately vague but definitely a neurodegenerative disease such as MS or early ALS
Multiple Sclerosis or ALS maybe
Bill was such a memorable character in the game. It’s cool to see him get such a great story in the show.
Remember when Ellie and Joel find the radio in Bill’s basement and it’s playing the ‘80s playlist? And remember at the end of the first episode when the radio plays an ‘80s song after Tess and Joel leave? That’s the moment when Frank and Bill died… only noticed that way after watching. Very cool little detail
🥺
9:16 "they've been dead for months" - I think both parties missed each other only by a couple of days.
Just as we leave the QZ (end of Ep1), the camera pans on the radio, which plays 80s song - trouble. So unless anyone else got access to Bills and Franks radio, it was their last call.
The radio was a deadman switch. I think Joel said two weeks of nothing triggered it. Plus the letter was dated end of august. I think they went out right on a month ago. Present day is late september, right?
Joel mentions when they go into the bunker that if Bill doesn't touch his PC or something within two weeks, it'll play the 80s song playlist. Think it's far more than a couple of days
@@Mills65 Oh yea, true, seems like I missed some stuff as well. I also totally forgot that Joel took notice of the flowers near the house, which looked pretty rough, since no one could water them anymore. Definitely not just a couple of days.
Anyone else notice the Rock Cairn Joel made at the beginning of the episode as a burial for Tess? Reminded me of Uncharted 4.
Oh shit, no. Thanks for mentioning it.
I'm always impressed by your analysis of the game/show. You really understand what the creators were trying to do.
We could discuss the changes to Bill and his story arc all day long... but I agree with decreasing the amount of action. Joel killing that soldier in episode one because a much less big deal if he slaughters a bunch of Robert's guys five minutes earlier. The infected become less scary if Joel is killing a bunch of them with ease. Ellie having to kill a regular person for the first time should be a huge moment as well.
Exactly! Think of how much harder the hospital scene is gonna hit because of the toned down frequency of action.
Anthony giggling at his strawberry scene joke is exactly how Bill giggled eating the strawberries 😂
I would’ve killed for a “listen here, you little shit!” From Nick Offerman, but what we got was really something quite beautiful and imagine how much more hollow Joel’s motivation would be if this episode didn’t exist. It definitely served a purpose in the story and it stayed true to the values and characters of the game if nothing else which is more than you can say for most tv shows and movies nowadays.
How would Joel’s motivation be more hollow if this episode was different? Lol
Just my opinion, but I think the Bill's Town part of the game would have been difficult to adapt to TV. Most of it is pure "gameplay" without advancing the story much. The way it was in the show lent for a much more memorable and relatable version of Bill, offers background for the Joel/Tess/Bill dynamic, explains the end of episode 1 and mirrors the (coming) relationship between Joel and Ellie
It would be definitely dumb scene if we saw Ellie not being able to cut the rope for 2 minutes and Joel just blasting through the infected with infinite revolver ammo lol.
In the show I thought Frank was going to leave Bill because he annihilated all of the raiders. I thought they'd go with "how could you kill those people, that could have been me" and then he would Bill all alone. And then the group finding Frank dead later. But I'm glad it ended the way it did.
This episode sets us up for Joel’s transformation in season 2
Transformation into being dead?
@@flanthemanable no. The point of the story of the first game and this first season is that joel reconnects with his humanity through the innocence of a child. 4 years later in part 2 , he’s a changed man becuase of the journey of part 1 and ellie
@@anonymous4k4k I agree with that. As you say that happens in part 1. I was asking about what v01c3 meant with "Joel's transformation in part 2".
@@flanthemanable that is his transformation , he’s more alive instead of just soley focusing on survival. Hence why its not really his gut reaction anymore to be selfish and why he , tommy and the town of jackson try their best to help other people and welcome them into the community. If it was part 1 joel , he wouldnt have helped abby escape the horde he would have just kept himself alive
I get why they made bill more of a postive character who changed but i still wanted to see him being alive after frank had died. Slipping back into his nihlistic old self maybe losing parts of Lincoln to infected, military raiding the school and then meeting joel and Ellie creating the great game dynamic.
16:21 I agree with that one, in the remastered I used to change their costumes but when I saw how the costumes didn't match with the ones in cutscenes (I think it matches in remake now) I used to get annoyed and left it at default
Literally my only gripe with the episode is that they didn't get raided until almost 10 years of living, and even after the once it happened I don't know if that's supposed to imply that it happened more often but that was just unrealistic that they'd go untouched from the world for almost 10 years and then another 5-6 years after the 1 raid
True!!! I can only assume his town in the show was supposed to be seen as the impenetrable deathtrap it was in the game lol.
And they only ate dinner twice in 20 years!! Crazy!!! Think you have to presume they didn’t show other raids that must have happened
You dont have to show every raid that happens, especially if nothing came out of it. Maybe they could've shown another one just to make a badass scene of Bill destroying folks haha, but anyway
@@chootsart Yeah this being the most significant one they've had which is why it's shown over others. I imagine most times Bill's traps and his fence took care of most raids by themselves.
To be fair, it’s possible that with a low enough population of raiders, the town being isolated, and the fact he set up the complicated traps, that he just got lucky.
About the Ellie and the infected scene, I like to think that it’s foreshadowing Ellie’s sudden change into a brutal and ruthless murderer in part 2 (now knowing we will be getting a season 2 and possibly more) which is also supported by the fact that when Joel started beating the soldier up right as they were going out to the city, she seemed to enjoy it and was interested by it. Just some subtle details and I’m probably reaching but it’s cool to think about.
I agree. Its a cool theory for sure.
I agree with you too. It's also going to make more sense when we see Ellie lose Riley to an infected.
Yea. I too felt like they want to hint at a little more sadistic side to her.
Ellie kinda forgot that she never enjoyed killing. Neil Suckmann is turning into David Benioff
i loved this episode but there’s a part of me that was hoping it was more true to the game. i would’ve like to see ellie and bill interact and also would’ve liked them to elaborate on why bill owed joel in the game so much so that almost dying by a bloater to get a car battery makes them even. i’ve always been curious about their history. this also makes me think we might not get bloaters in the show… or they just want to save it for later
I liked watching your reviews, hoping for an ep 4 & 5 review
Worth mentioning the way they introduced how people around the globe were infected, as my first thought at the first episode wasn't clear: when Sarah went to neighbours and saw what was there, and than with Tommy & Joel they were telling that neighbours went to hospital a lot and maybe that's where old lady got infected(but I didn't buy it). But here in this episode Joel told everything about supplies and pancakes, meaning when he was offered one and if he took one we wouldn't see any the Last of Us happening... That was pretty cool!
I don't it was Aids necessarily, but rather a neurodegenerative disease (like MS) as a result of aging
I liked the episode but really missed the interaction between Ellie and Bill. Upside-down fight would have been such a spectacle too. It was really interesting to see how long Tess and Joel had been together. So sad that she loved him more than he was able to return.
On the official podcast for the game, Druckmann said, “I hate to say but Ellie almost enjoys killing.” That scene with the infected came to mind…
Neil doesn't even understand his own characters
@@Hero_Of_Old I think hes the original creator of Ellie and two triple A games that star her but i might be wrong 😅
@@Hero_Of_Old more like he doesn’t know what exactly he wanna do with them.
@@doubledeckyomom Yeah don't listen to people. Neil is a competent director and writer who's only major blemish between both games was the pacing of part 2. Even in part 2 most of the writing isn't bad, just paced poorly. Ellie in the second game very much shows some sadistic tendencies. And we're getting a second season so they're building up for that.
@@Hero_Of_Old honestly
I hope in a flashback Bill teaches Joel to do the nail bombs
I was thinking the title of this video was going to be "finally bill got killed" with a happy Ant face as thumbnail
I really liked the episode. For me it makes sense to save those action sequences, otherwise is going to get old pretty fast. Running around killing infected/fedra/raiders all the time works well on a game but not a live action, the tension will not be there anymore.
Those action scenes are coming for sure, but I understand why they’re saving them.
for real. the action they’re depriving us of makes us want to watch the next episode even more, which is pretty smart
great point
I am not that emotional kinda guy when it comes to love storys but when Frank told Bill that he wants to kill himself and also with that wish to make his last day special and with this music on top, I cried like a b*tch
I'm watching this show with one of my buddies who hasn't played the game before, and we're both loving it. I definitely thought there were a few scenes in ep 3 that were uncomfortable to watch and I wasn't really sure about the episode while watching it , but 2 days later I can't really stop thinking about how beautiful it was. Would've loved the Ellie and Bill banter though.
@ 9:05 you ask what was the point of the episode. I've heard this a lot and personally- I think it was to show HOPE still existing, even 20 some years into this apocalypse. the franchise is literally called "The Last of US" Joel says in the game and show- "you find a reason to keep going" or "you keep going for family." The entire point of the last of us is the BOND that Joel and Ellie form together, which is the reason we would want to survive at all. Like you said, Bill was surviving alone, not living. The point of the episode is the point of the entire series, the point of Joel and Ellie. (this was intended to be an insight, not an argument. I enjoy all of your content and your opinions are interesting!
My only gripe with the episode is the hunters. They just ran into the fire like some NPCs on very easy
For what it was it was a INCREDIBLE episode but I'm still partly upset because of how it changed so much and cut out all of Bills town pretty much..
I’m almost on the same boat as Ant, feelin 50/50 about this one: I feel like this “version” of Bill’s world is very good for the Game audience, since the story of the show can get kinda stale (I mean, we already know what happens from the game), so changing the script brings something unknown and discoverable even for us. On the other hand I feel like the new audience could be a bit confused by this story within the story, cutting all the present day Bill part by killing him off might make them go like “wait, did I just go thru 1 hour of romance by two secondary characters I just met just for them to leave a car behind?” and the Bill-teaching-Joel-a-lesson part can go over their heads.
I get what you mean, but I'm not a big gamer and a mostly new viewer (casually watched one playthrough of the game) and I don't really think that'll go over their heads. I'm a long-time Walking Dead fan and there were quite a few bottle episodes over the years that depicted the journeys of ill-fated characters/how the apocalypse went for them. I think viewers of shows like TWD will appreciate this episode as a snapshot with a purpose; I personally thought it gave Joel more on-screen motivation to keep Ellie alive at all costs (including her own wishes/agency/respect) than the game did for me. As someone who is much more of a TV watcher than a gamer, I think it is important for TV viewers to be more overtly sold on why Joel ultimately does what he does.
@@fluffyemu8445 the game does give motivation to Joel’s actions
@@sliceofzura I'm not saying it doesn't give any motivation at all, I'm saying that it fell short for me as someone just watching the play through/not being in Joel's "shoes" the way someone playing the game is. I can already tell that I'm going to feel more sympathetic to him in the show based on how they're setting it up, so I think it's a smart move. People who were already sympathetic to Joel in the game still will be, but they'll also grab people like me too
I just missed the Ellie's trying to whistle scene at the beginning in the house. One of my favourite funny interactions between the two
The way Troy says "Are you alright??" is my favorite line in the game. Fucking hilarious exasperated dad delivery.
Considering all the controversy with Part 2 I think the season 2 of the TV show will bring a lot of changes like this
Pedro is carrying the show. Bella Ramsey won't be able to lead the show like that. If I were to bet, I'd gamble on them not killing off Joel.
@@bagginbrooks6573 But what else are they going to do? I can see them maybe kill Tommy instead (it seems as if they’re making Tommy and Joel’s relationship more intense) but idk man.
@@bagginbrooks6573 Absolutely, Pedro´s work is amazing, it will be a surprise if Joel don´t die in season 2 but i will be happy if they change the way he dies
This is not how art works theyre not going to change the story of part 2 cos a bunch of cry babies on the internet wanted something different. Joel has to die in order for the story to work , its like the same thing as ned stark dying at the end of season 1 of game odf thrones. God people are so stupid and pathetic when it comes to part 2 , grow up its a fictional character that dies its not that big of a controversy that a loud minority of morons made it out to be
@Rhys m To be fair, part 2s story itself wasn't very good. It was a revenge story without the payoff and it made everybody really stupid. Ellie was dumb in it, she kept going after Abby even when Abby let her live like 4 times. Tommy miraculously lives a shot to the back of the head and made it all way way back from Seattle to Jackson just to send Ellie off on her own. And those are just a couple of it's story issues. Part 2 could use a complete rewrite like they did with episode 3 which didn't even need a rewrite.
In the game, it is much more grounded, dark and gave a deeper understanding on how dysfunctional Bill & Frank's relationship was, instead they show this cheesy, sappy, stereotypical and predictable Twilight love story that is already been done to death. Storywise, the episode is way too focused on telling this sappy Twilight love story than to make an episode about The Last of Us. Secondly, the important iconic moments from the game are left out: Joel hanging upside down, Ellie and Bill's banter etc. What a waste. They turned the intense section of the game into a Twilight love story. The rest of the story was great as usual, but the inclusion of the lame, romantic love story felt disconnected. The game was never romantic.
This episode is divisive, and that usually happens when the film is agenda based, plus we know that Naughty Dog is good at divide its very own fanbase. All in all, this is the episode that did not do the game justice imo, because the game did it so much better.
Finally, some good criticism that isn't just hating on the gay relationship of the episode.
@@mikez4388 Thanks! That is what I am trying to say. The episode just did not land for me, not because of their sexual orientation. Plus, we gamers already know Bill is gay! All the viewers are acting like they've never seen a gay couple in a film before, yet it's been done so many times before. In addition, I liked it a bit more seeing it a second time, but the way the game did it was way superior, and better imo.
@@hmat3255 it was more subtle, and left alot of room of imagination for gamers to think what Bill and Frank's relationship was like before everything took a dark path
Sure, the portrayal of the relationship made me quite uncomfortable, but it's better to get different insights and perspectives of people's opinions of the episode, rather than looking at what's obvious
No Dan Dority from Deadwood was my only gripe. He played Bill so so well in the game. I’ve met the guy, really nice and sweet.
I totally agree with you on the why. It was so different from the games, but it also dovetails with the themes of love and protection and hope in the face of harsh survival. Providing Joel that motivation, just like you said.
(I did miss the Ellie/Bill banter tho)
Also, just FYI, Frank didn’t have AIDS. He had something like MS, ALS, or Parkinson’s. Nothing to do with being gay, just human.
I imagine Anthony's mom sitting next to him watching the show and shouting: "HA, GAAAAAY!"
Excellent take! And I agree, but it also made me bury my hope to see iconic locations like the flooded subway tunnels, the Highschool Gymnasium and has me a bit worried about Pittsburg, the hotel, library and much later the University
On the other hand I’m pretty sure one particular episode will be crushing
I feel like the game takes place in an alternate reality where Bill doesn't agree to kill Frank.
I heard somewhere that the violence in the show is reduced by a bunch. There's still blood. We've seen it already but it is reduced a lot. And it might be why we don't see as much "Gameplay"
it’s reduced by a lot to focus on the story, and yeah it isn’t a game so you can’t make the decision for the characters to go in there guns a-blazing taking out everything in sight. also they gotta save the action scenes for later episodes
Not seen anyone else mention this so could be wrong but I liked the bait and switch with the “Hawaiian shirt” in the pile of dead bodies, I thought it was somehow meant to be Frank when I first saw it
Great episode sadly no Bill Ellie interaction tho. Also love that they’re using music from the game even Pt2.
Really glad theyre cutting down on the action to give us more character moments.
Limited interaction with infected and raiders keeps the tension high.
so far I've loved every moment that the show explores things that the game didn't fully dive into. really enjoying what they've put out so far and I was super skeptical before the release. real excited to see how the series plays out and if they can keep up with what they've done these first few episodes
So far I really like how the show expands the game's universe. But I have to say that part of why I like the first game so much is the subtlety of it. Things are hinted at more than they are outrightly said or shown, and there's so much depth to those moments.
But I feel like being subtle and still make your point in a story is a difficult thing to do and it's unfortunately not done as much these days (Part 2 is an example of a story that terribly lacks subtlety lol).
6:46 except Part 2 lmao 😂
I didnt like how frank and bill randomly got extremely old and then they both die, instead of frank being the only one dying and bill lives on and meeting joel and ellie later on. Idk its just how i feel about it but i do like the story they did with bill and frank, but i dont feel as if it plays an actual purpose cus i feel like the main attraction was to have ellie and bill meet and argue and get help from bill to get a battery and then leave. Thats just what i expected but i appreciate the nice screen time for bill and frank.
I don't think it was aids, someone said parkinson's, another said MS.
I like the episode a lot, but this world they've created does not seem very dangerous as far as raiders and infected
YOOO FR! The lack of decay and infection make this town stand out as a Jackpot for hella raids.
That “…except in part 2…” left me dead 😂😂😂
I personally think what they did to Bill and Frank was fantastic, in the game Bill is really there to show where the car battery is to Joel, that wouldnt really be super entertaining to watch, but seeing that relationship between Bill and Frank was really good. Good way to develop characters
7:05 this was too real i felt that one 🤣
I don’t think Frank got aids lol I think it was ms or als
MS
Without getting political, this whole episode was basically a filler and bunch of nothingness, seemingly created for the indulgence of the writers; It barely did anything to develop the main story and characters.
This new version of Bill's story doesn't really make much sense and doesn't fit the world of TLOU, at least for me it's too idealistic and nice. Despite making the ending of this subplot darker and depressing, with all the other changes they kinda degraded Bill's character (even though there wasn't a lot of it to begin with) and made his relationship with Frank unrealistic... One could even say that they completely changed Bill's character; from a pragmatic, pessimistic, rugged survivalist who with his stubborn attitude made his lover hate him... Into this romantic loaner who is still a survivalist, I guess?
I don't know what's the purpose of that change because the way it was in the game worked a lot better in pretty much all aspects. I understand that they probably wanted to include some representation (which was already in the game, just in a more subtle and not as positive way) and preach their message for which they altered interactions between characters and made it more "lovely" but not only did it make less sense, it also robbed us of all the great character moments from the game by just not including any of them.
I'm not saying that what they created is terrible because all the acting and character development was great, outside of the fact that they fell in love after the first "date" which was a little bit silly... I'm just asking, why? Why change something that was already great and everyone enjoyed?
If they continue introducing changes such as this, it's going to completely destroy the pacing and flow of the story; not like there are going to be that many episodes in each season, they don't have the luxury of wasting time and this whole episode did basically that for the main plot, wasted time.
It all started off pretty good, first two episodes were decent and now it's slowly going down, just as I worried...
I want to like this show (at least the first season) but what they're doing with it makes it progressively harder.
It was a good episode of a TV show, but it wasn't a good episode of The Last of Us TV show.
I originally thought that the infected which Ellie sees would be Frank.
I liked this episode but also hope we get to see more action/combat at some point this season. Sidenote: when Joel and Ellie were driving away from Bill's Town, I was wondering why they couldn't have grabbed any of Bill's hats or sunglasses...
I do wish they had showed Joel disarming some of his traps, but otherwise this episode felt kinda pitch perfect to me. what a story to tell. I'm sure next week will have plenty of action.
I knew nothing about the game before I started watching the series.
The acting and the intensity of episode 3 was stunning, and was one of the best one and a half hours of television that I have seen in the past decade.
I was so moved,
wonderful!
well bill did get a plus sign being shot by raiders lool
They made it a filler episode. As in nothing happens that helps the story progress. That being said, it did explain quite a lot about how they went and worked together as smugglers.
It also shows that Joel, despite being the brute that he is, can also show emotions and grief.
Ngl I was a little worried what you were gonna say when you started off, but I'm glad you were able to appreciate the episode and what it was supposed to do without absolutely bashing it. I absolutely loved every bit of it, and definitely understand why they went this direction with it instead of adding all of the gameplay. Gameplay is good when you're playing a game but it's boring when you try to put it in a show. I also loved how well they portrayed a gay relationship-- in the official tlou show podcast they mention how it's common to have the gay relationship end in tragedy-- which I think is fine in plenty of circumstances but it's nice they tried to avoid it and managed to make it work. I think if you are gay you have a lot more of an appreciation of the episode but that's natural, there were a ton of things they did here in the relationship itself that was a huge breath of fresh air from most of the gay relationships I see depicted in media. I did miss the ellie/bill interactions but they were a bit of a nessecary sacrifice, because if you were to add them in you'd probably also need to tack on a bit of boring gameplay/tutorial stuff.
Should have been a little more careful about assuming Frank had AIDS at the end though, considering it's negative stereotypical association with gay people, plus the fact that it's not degenerative and you can't live with it for ten years without treatment.
Before i watch your video, i want to say this episode meant a LOT to me as a queer man. Spoilery talk-
It was so fantastic to see two older men fall in love and grow old together and have a "happy" ending. I'm so glad they avoided the bury your gays trope with Frank.
Ofc im sad that we'll miss Bill and Ellie scenes, but I'm so glad that this episode wasn't filled with queer trauma. I honestly think this is some of the best queer media that has been produced
Also they made it very obvious which people they took to the QZs and which they killed....
I also want to add that I hope this means they will cut the constant deadnaming and misgendering of Lev if we get a season 2. They can still show how terrible and transphobic his group is without hurting trans viewers (like me). I hope this a good sign they're going to tone down the queer trauma they had going in the games
I think it's brilliant for the gay community because it's brilliant on its own. The fact that he's gay didn't even cross my mind, it's all acted and directed so well. It really did only ever feel like a couple in love, a real couple in love. They didnt at any point play on the fact they're both gay or us it as a device. It's a masterpiece. The most well written, accomplished piece of work to come out of The Last of Us franchise.
Hopefully the director gets another episode next season because him just having 1 episode this season now looks criminal.
The episode on it's own was great. The only downside is it could of been called anything else. It wasn't The Last Of Us. Uncharted was the same way. Good movie, but Imit wasn't Uncharted.
@@bagginbrooks6573 this was the last of us. At least to me, the last of us isn't about zombies. The zombies are a mere tool used to show the emotion of humans, similar to us, in extreme situations. The last of us is special because of precisely what we see in this episode. It wasn't only a great last of us episode, but it is quintessential TLOU. A perfect microcosm. It shows you exactly what is possible in the world of TLOU if a thing like vengeance doesn't rule your M.O. it could scarcely be more perfect in my opinion. Best thing I've seen in year.
I LOVED this episode. Legit had me and sister in tears. A lot of folks are upset they didn't have all the stuff with the town, such as the school sequence, but I wouldn't be shocked if they repurpose those sequences that for when the Pittsburg bit with the hunters. Even if they don't repurpose those, I wouldn't care as this show has been consistently quality.
6:50 not this anthony haha
are you listening to the podcast with troy?
I was only sad to not see the highschool bloater scene fight (I’m sure it’ll happen in a future episode the bloater fight that is) I was always thinking man when I see bill that scene and fight gonna happen I’m waiting 😂 but i don’t know I actually liked the difference they took for bill and honestly it felt very realistic about being put in this hell of a world filled with just dread and misery being so alone through it then having the love of your life show up growing with this person for so long after tragedy strikes but going out on your terms with the person you love
The point is the same as in the game. It's about exploring the themes in the show, yes, but also with Joel. In the game, you could have just been given the truck right away and skip all the Bill stuff, it's not necessary for the plot to flow along smoothly. The point of that segment in the game is for Bill's story to have an effect on Joel, because we will NEVER see Bill again in the games, he is of no consequence, he doesn't matter beyond his ability to give us a truck. In the game it's how Joel sees Bill closing off and freaking out about never needing anyone ever again and seeing the slippery slope he needs to avoid to not become Bill. In this, because Bill represents a more positive lesson for Joel, it's more about Joel having to confront and understand what just happened with Tess and reaffirm his commitment to taking this all the way, reminding him that Tommy is still out there and needs to protect him, even if he doesn't understand that what Bill told him applies especially to Ellie, because we know he still thinks of her as cargo.
And plus, it can just BE its own great thing that has this additional purpose to the rest of Joel's journey. This should be fine, we're okay with the overall plot of the games REALLY taking its time, right? We take hours with Bill in the game just finding a car battery, The Last Of Us has NEVER been a fast paced romp, it has always taken its sweet sweet time to explore its world, characters and themes. To be honest the reason this episode is "divisive" in its reception is because unfortunately, there is a loud minority of people who have a problem when you really crank up the gay levels... We saw this with Left Behind, we saw this with Part II, we've seen it all the ding darn time "wokewokewokewokewoke"... I guess because it depicts a gay relationship instead of a straight one... And for a lot of people who get overly sensitive about "well what was the point of it? This was a waste of time", I think the point is quite evident and it is definitely linked to a preexisting disinterest. If you already don't want to see what's happening on-screen, you're far more inclined to dismiss it as pointless because you're already uninterested... Why might that be, I wonder?...
There are sadly some unfortunate realities about the world we live in, where although most of us are pretty normal, pretty decent, the ones that aren't make a LOT of noise. If you're middling on this episode, then fine, it is what it is... But I'm really not sure I trust anyone who is visibly UPSET about this episode, there are some red flags there that I caution everyone to not ignore...
edit: I am 100% validated now btw, metacritic is seeing the game review bombed by people who aren’t even trying to hide how homophobic they are…
Love your analysis!
LOL when you said that Joel is good at predicting things. Good episode though.
Dying to know what you think of the past two episodes 😅
I liked how they introduced Bill, how he set up everything. Wished we would see relation between Bill and Ellie, plus Frank and Joel, but it was alright. Next episode will be a banger!
Thank for the insight,Ant!
The infected and Ellie scene also showed that the infected was sentient enough to want to die. Ellie slashed him to basically ask him "Do you want me to kill you?" and the infected then stares at the knife then back to her and very subtley nods at her to say "yes, kill me." At least that's how I interpreted it hahaha, I thought I could see the infected stare at the knife with hope/desperation in its eyes as it was a way out
I absolutely loved the episode and I'm loving the show so far. I think they're doing just about everything right so far. Although I have one big beef with the show so far....I don't like how likeable the characters are besides Ellie. In the game you're not supposed to like anyone, like everyone is supposed to be survivors that have made it this long because they've become not good people. And in the game Ellie is supposed to be the one you like. But in the show now everyone is much nicer and not as harsh as they are in the game. Idk how I feel about it yet and I'm interested to see how it goes
I loved Bill and Franks relationship it was beautiful and I can't stop thinking about this episode
We need ep 4 review
and five already
I feel the scene with Ellie and the infected was for her to experience her first infected kill assuming that was her first as far as the show is concerned
I thought the episode was excellent but was sad not to see any Bill and Ellie interaction which was fabulous in the game
I believe the point was that they showed that some people won in life in this desperately awful world
Your interpretation of the point is excellent btw
Overall I quite enjoyed the episode, but I was bothered by the fact that we don't have the school section, which in my opinion is one of the most exciting areas in the game, and now we'll probably go straight to the ambush, but I'm still hoping to see something about that. the school.
A school section has been done on Walking Dead though, so they might've omitted it because of that too
true, but i think infected would become less of a threat if joel killed them like in the game and it wouldn’t work in a tv show to introduce the bloater in episode three, so i get why they skipped it
@@aurowski5270 exactly
i have a crying hangover from watching it yesterday
I know you're not a professional movie/tv reviewer but, after watching yours I feel way more informed and see things from different perspectives than I would having watched anyone else's reviews. Keep up the good work 👍
Even though i havent watched a single episode im enjoying these reviews!
For me the only thing that mattered in the episode was the beginning and end. I do not like these kinds of episodes. Last one I dealt with was the Laura episode on FTWD. That was the flash back episode when John found Laura. These kinds of episodes are just incredibly boring to me.
Joel is good at predicting? What about all the traps he fell into in the game? He’s a great survivor, but he’s not super smart. Even trusting Henry enough to sleep with him on the first night was dumb. But him sleeping with Henry isn’t predicting, just him doing dumb things.
As someone who didn't play the game, I love this series.
In the game, I sitll think Bill had such a high ceiling for a character, but in the end is largely irrelevant. Always wished he had more time to shine, and the game explored his character a bit. Do love that this show is now the method in which we see these kinds of explorations for all the various side characters, bravo.
When they had the same outfits from the game all I did was scream and my sister cringed so hard 😂😂❤️
Surviving ’ or thrivin, it’s a conscious choice we have to make everyday. ❤ Thanks Ant, love the episode reviews. I always like hearing your thoughts even though it’s not your regular program.
Been waiting for ur review bro
It was a great episode in the world of last of us but not for bills town, this was my favorite part in the game, theres so much banter we didnt get from joel and ellie, now bill is dead😔
7:41 in a way its like TLOU from a different universe kinda..
How was there only one group of raiders in 20 years?
I don't think there was, but that one ended with Bill being shot
Ellie and Bill's dialogue was legendary. That was sorely missed in the episode, and I honestly can't understand why that dynamic was omitted.
Because it's easy to replicate elsewhere with other characters they can add to the show. Unsociable old guy that doesn't like people is an easy void to fill in the context of interacting with Ellie. It was omitted this time around because there was a bigger and better story to tell with Bill. Honestly this episode was easily the best writing and acting to ever come out of the last of us franchise. If they change the entirety from here on out but improve on it to such a high level then I'm all for the ride. Im now looking forward to the bits I know a lot less, because it's already evident the bits we don't know are substantially improved. Ep 1 was a solid 8 out of 10 for me, ep 2 felt the weakest so far, mainly action with very little character development, I'd give it a 7 and then ep 3 came out of nowhere and is an actual masterpiece and is the first episode that truly show the humanity that The Last of Us is renowned for. Absolutely stunning work, did not expect in a million years we'd ever get such quality from the series after the first 2 eps. I was half expecting TLOU to turn into another walking dead. Thank God it's not though. However the director for episode 3 isn't involved in any more episodes which is sad.
@@upon-fe2720 EP:02 didn't feel right to me either. I mean, it wasn't shit, it just could have been more. It felt like a couple of clickers were thrown in the better it.
On your point about Ellie/Bill, ok, I'm in. It would be easy for Ellie to pipe-up and steal the whole show when it was supposed to be a Bill love story.
Ok, I get that.
Also, one of the dangers that I think Druckmann has given a lot of thought is that if the series is just the game, then MILLIONS of gamers are left with no reason to watch it.
One thing I will demand though, at some point, Joel has to go full psycho with Molotovs, bombs, shotguns, arrows, the full works.
That'll make a legendary episode.
@Upon-Fe Yeah, but if you were to change the names of Bill and Frank to Jim and Bob, you would never know this has anything to do with The Last Of Us.
That was my only complaint... but honestly... I didn't care at the end.
@@bagginbrooks6573 That's not true... at all. There are zombies, infected, doomer prepping... and on top of that, Bill and Frank weren't very different than who they were in the games... this is just a different aspect of them.
Joel is very good at predicting things
GOTCHA!
Don’t know why youtube decided to put this notification out 10 hours after it released lol. Regardless great review