Major spoilers ahead of HBO’s third episode The Last of UsSo watch out if you haven’t seen it yet!
With The Last of UsIn the first two episodes, co-creators Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann showed their willingness and enthusiasm to change the game’s story into live-action, and in doing so, delivered an adaptation that could stand apart from any other. upcoming video game projects . But the third episode really demonstrated how masterfully such alterations can be implemented, offering a full character exploration of Bill and his “partner” Frank, with Nick Offerman and Murray Bartlett anchoring the surprising and heartwarming episode.
Mazin and Druckmann have already spoken to 24 News Bulletin and other media outlets The Last of Us‘, where they were asked about the decision to change and expand Bill’s story for the HBO series, as well as give audiences a living version of Frank. Druckmann started the answer, explaining how the game brings Bill into the story after Joel gets caught in one of the former’s traps, leading to a frantic fight for survival. The director and co-writer of the game continued:
This is how you start to make a connection with him and how you survive this action sequence with him. And you get clues about who he is, as a person, his background, the fact that he created a safe city. He’s kind of a charming survival character that I think a minor adaptation would have seen this sequence like, “Okay, let’s do an action-packed episode where we have this fixed moment.” But instead, Craig very cleverly, and I think that was indicative of the ethos that we’ve taken on the show, said, “What if we didn’t do any of those actions and instead focused on this relationship that’s referenced here?” ? There’s a lot to learn from there, in terms of this very personal drama that finally shows another version of love in this world, and finally reflects on Joel and Ellie, and shows what they have to gain and what they have to lose. exploring this. . relationship even more.
HBO extension The Last of Us It added so much depth to Bill’s character that the game couldn’t go much further, with stark confirmation of Bill and Frank’s relationship as the lovers were only hinted at in the game. Not to mention, Frank has never uttered a word in the game. source material, his only personal contribution coming from a last piece of written correspondence. But the show has given both characters a much bigger and more meaningful story that, as Druckmann said, can serve as a beacon of hope (albeit a creepy kind of hope) for Joel and Ellie, while showing that not everyone has experiments in the post-apocalypse were as wild and cumbersome as any other.
Druckmann thinks taking a more personal and introspective path with Bill’s story was a smart move, rather than leaning towards violence, although he doesn’t think that’s the approach for others trying to adapt such a story. In his words:
Again, he prioritized the characters over the action. and more, in my opinion, superficial stuff that these game adaptations have gotten wrong in the past. Where they’re trying to show the game on a passive medium, where it’s like, ‘No, it works great here. [in video games]. It won’t work here [on TV].’
At least everyone carries the tetris movie streaming isn’t trying to make a movie about falling rocks. For now, anyway.
The “simple” detail of the banknote that most inspired Craig Mazin
Craig Mazin spearheaded the story building of Bill & Frank for HBO. The Last of Usand explained that it was a pretty simple idea that started the train of thought that soared in episode 103. Here’s how he put it:
Any changes I’ve made, anything I’ve written that is different from the game has always been inspired by the game in some way. What inspired me about the Bill section was this simple fact: it’s safe. No one else in the world is truly safe, perhaps until we get to Jackson. But in this first part of the game it is unique. An oasis has been created. And I started thinking, what does it mean to be safe? Is that the point? And then what if you are alone and have managed to reduce your world to yourself, and someone else enters? What we were able to do is something they couldn’t do in the game, because it was from Joel and Ellie’s point of view. But we can have different perspectives and the promise of what happened with Frank was very interesting to me.
While some of the anger and irritation present in Bill and Frank from the game was incorporated into the TV show, it was obviously much more nuanced and related to their specific characteristics, and was just a footnote in their joint symphony, rather than being the main factor. And really, given that Bill is probably one of the few prepared survivors who was able to live comfortably after Cordyceps destroyed the world, it makes sense that Nick Offerman’s iteration wouldn’t be that grumpy. He may not be the friendliest Casanova, but he can bring it out when needed.
Craig Mazin also explained that spending more time on Bill and Frank’s story allowed the series to give viewers a swashbuckling respite from the harrowing deaths of previous episodes, from the murder of Joel’s daughter Sarah during the first episode to the change of the sacrifice, but always fatal. made by Tess in episode 102. he continued:
We took it in a very different direction, but I enjoyed the break. I mean, the first and second episodes are very tense. Many things happen; there is tragedy. And then we need a moment to breathe and experience something that’s really successful. And this is Bill and Frank. Whatever the details of how it happens and ends, they win. And this is also where we start to see Joel and Ellie becoming “Joel and Ellie”. And it was the right thing to do. Sometimes all you have are your instincts, and that’s where they took us. You know, in general, people have really responded, and that’s very, very satisfying.
Despite the changes made since then The Last of UsThe critically acclaimed video game probably won’t appeal to everyone who has seen it, the creative team felt it was the right decision and I agree with them. Of course, there could be other ways to expand on Bill and Frank’s story through the A+ acting talents of Offerman and Bartlett, but those ideas just didn’t cross the line.
To that end, Neil Druckmann completed this point by discussing his thoughts on Mazin’s ideas for these characters, saying:
Just to talk a little more about the philosophy of our approach, in my opinion. The size of the gap we create must be proportional to the quality of this gap. That tone from Craig was so beautiful, and he spoke so well of the story themes to me, that it was a no-brainer to go that route.
If this were a more traditional “zombie” show, you’d have to joke that everything is a given in this world. But it’s not, so we’re assuming he didn’t mention it in the beginning. Like I’m pretending that the last shot of the episode wasn’t proof of Bill’s death, and that he was fine, looking out the camera window.
With more differences and detours to come during its first season, as well as the second season recently renewed . The Last of Us drops New episodes on HBO every Sunday night at 9 p.m. ET, with streaming available at the same time for those who have HBO maximum subscriptions . go to our 2023 TV premiere schedule to see what else hits the small screen for the rest of the year, assuming we can avoid all pimple-based breakouts.
Source: Cinemablend
