Current Events > Last of Us episode 3 Topic

(+) Yeah! (+)

That was a great episode. Like when it flashes forward and Frank was sick I got choked up.

Episodes 1/2- 10/10 as good as first 2 episodes can be

Episode 3-8/10. I dont mind deviations but the fact that bill died makes it seem like filler. One of the better repreentations of a gay relationship in a show where it isnt the main draw.

Shows still gojng great but that was the weaker episode for me.

Personally losing a scared young daughter while the world blows up is much sadder than an old couple dying together and maybe living a life better than most in that time frame

Blue_Popo posted...

Personally losing a scared young daughter while the world blows up is much sadder than an old couple dying together and maybe living a life better than most in that time frame

But I think their story was meant to inspire hope as much as sadness. They did make a good life together, for 16 years, despite how horrible everything is.

Blue_Popo posted...

Personally losing a scared young daughter while the world blows up is much sadder than an old couple dying together and maybe living a life better than most in that time frame

It wasn't supposed to be sad. Bill and Frank won the apocalypse. They got the happiest ending possible.

pegusus123456 posted...

It wasn't supposed to be sad. Bill and Frank won the apocalypse. They got the happiest ending possible.

I agree. Just read online about how its so sad

The first 2 episodes had sadder stuff

Blue_Popo posted...

that was the weaker episode for me.

Personally losing a scared young daughter while the world blows up is much sadder than an old couple dying together and maybe living a life better than most in that time frame

True

I wouldn't say this episode was filler only because it's called The Last of "Us". It's about showing the last people and how they live. Bill and Frank are part of "us."

At least that's the vibe I get from how they're adapting it. It's not just about Joel and Ellie, but also the people they meet in the apocalypse.

But also, Bill's letter definitely served as development for Joel.

Just got around to watching it.

I'm liking these flashback moments tbh. They're really fleshing out the history a lot more. I'm also appreciating the pacing. They're doing a good job varying the subject matter. I was originally concerned that they'd just run from zombies most episodes.

Beautiful episode overall. At first I thought they were going to kill off Bill and just swap him and Frank as Joel's contact. Instead it went in a much better direction. I wept manly tears. I much prefer this for a TV show over the original.

Blue_Popo posted...

Episode 3-8/10. I dont mind deviations but the fact that bill died makes it seem like filler. One of the better repreentations of a gay relationship in a show where it isnt the main draw.

Not sure how it would be considered filler, Bill never shows up again in the story (I think he might have been mentioned offhand in 2 but not sure) again anyway so it essentially changes nothing.

Darkninja42 posted...

Not sure how it would be considered filler, Bill never shows up again in the story (I think he might have been mentioned offhand in 2 but not sure) again anyway so it essentially changes nothing.

Well, that would be why you might consider it filler, because we didn't really go anywhere from that episode.

While I did really enjoy the episode, I still don't know how I feel about the effort into expanding the wider world of TLOU. Part of what made the games such a good story was how hyper-focused it was on Joel and Ellie. But its still only episode 3 so I'll hold my judgement there.

Honestly that was really boring and a total waste of time. What is the the point of spending so long with two characters that die anyway and never interact with the main characters?

Also, its really, really annoying we will never get Bill and Ellie interacting, and they cut out so much cool action to tell a love story for no reason.

Im baffled by the praise of this episode.

Proto_Spark posted...

Well, that would be why you might consider it filler, because we didn't really go anywhere from that episode.

While I did really enjoy the episode, I still don't know how I feel about the effort into expanding the wider world of TLOU. Part of what made the games such a good story was how hyper-focused it was on Joel and Ellie. But its still only episode 3 so I'll hold my judgement there.

I meant it changes nothing overall in being different from the structure of the game. Both ways end with Joel getting the truck, which was the point of needing to go to Bill's, so by definition it's not filler. If anything can be considered filler (from what I remember) it would be them meeting Sam and Henry

Its filler because the functioning parts of the episode amount for ten minutes if the run time, the rest is a filler love story that is both a massive deviation from the canon and doesnt effect anything.

Fair enough

ColonizedMind posted...

Its filler because the functioning parts of the episode amount for ten minutes if the run time, the rest is a filler love story that is both a massive deviation from the canon and doesnt effect anything.

If Bill doesn't meet Frank and change his outlook, he doesn't leave Joel that letter. The letter that will contribute to Ellie's well-being becoming paramount to Joel.

Not too much of note from the podcast this week though it is a fun discussion.

Con O'neill was originally slated to play Bill, but his role on Our Flag Means Death meant he couldn't take the part. No offense to him but thank fuck for that.

Bill's line about "new world order jack-booted fucks" was not originally dialogue. In the script, it was meant to just be the character's thoughts. Mazin says that Offerman said to him, "Just one thing, Craig, this line about the new world order jack-boot fucks. I'm saying that." Craig immediately agreed because, well, y'all heard him in the episode.

They make note of how adapting this part of the game directly would not make for very good TV. The story there is that you're exploring with Bill and facing dangers together, but without you playing the character, the audience doesn't get as much of a personal connection to him.

Death of the author and all that but this was Mazin/Druckmann's take on their meeting: Bill hesitates when Frank begs him for food mostly because Frank is hot. This immediately pings Frank's gaydar and he thinks "gotcha." But as he learns more about Frank - knowing to pair the wine and the piano scene, that kinda stuff - it goes from him trying to get a free lunch to a genuine attraction

Probably will be nominated for an Emmy

ColonizedMind posted...

they cut out so much cool action to tell a love story for no reason.

They only needed that action in the video game because it's a video game, and if you're not doing something the player would get bored. You need to think about encounters and levels and bosses when writing for a game. (You also need to make sure it's always on Joel and Ellie since they're the playable characters.) If we're talking about "filler," most of the combat segments in the game are "filler."

But this isn't a game, so they don't need to do that.

When writing for a show instead you need to think of other ways to keep the audience invested. If it's just action every episode that'd get boring too. And since they're not forced to linger on Joel and Ellie 100% of the time, they're given the freedom to branch out and give lots of focus to the other characters. So they opted to write an engaging story instead.

Rharyx211 posted...

They only needed that action in the video game because it's a video game, and if you're not doing something the player would get bored

For reference, Mazin and Druckmann say this nearly word for word in the podcast <_<

Rharyx211 posted...

They only needed that action in the video game because it's a video game, and if you're not doing something the player would get bored. You need to think about encounters and levels and bosses when writing for a game. (You also need to make sure it's always on Joel and Ellie since they're the playable characters.) If we're talking about "filler," most of the combat segments in the game are "filler."

But this isn't a game, so they don't need to do that.

When writing for a show instead you need to think of other ways to keep the audience invested. If it's just action every episode that'd get boring too. And since they're not forced to linger on Joel and Ellie 100% of the time, they're given the freedom to branch out and give lots of focus to the other characters. So they opted to write an engaging story instead.

Part of me also wants to say that this episode may have been trying to save some budget for some crazier stuff near the end of the season, but that's entirely me pulling stuff out of my backside.

Rharyx211 posted...

And since they're not forced to linger on Joel and Ellie 100% of the time, they're given the freedom to branch out and give lots of focus to the other characters. So they opted to write an engaging story instead.

This one is something I'm not sure if I'm stuck on or not. Because of course an adaptation doesn't need to be direct 1:1, in fact I think it shouldn't be, as long as the actually important parts of the story are there. But the hyper-focus on Ellie and Joel's relationship in the game is one of the actually important parts of the story, at least in the game. Putting this much added emphasis onto the wider world of TLOU could legitimately hurt the story by taking away that focus.

Its only the third episode, so I'm still optimistic for the rest of the season, but I will say its a bit of a worry right now for me.

Oh, I forgot one more thing from the podcast.

They were originally wanting to start every episode with looking out of an open window as an homage to the game's menu. The window would change depending on the episode and in place of a "skip intro" button, they'd change it to "press play." It didn't end up working out (the way they talk makes it seem like it was just bad), but it is the reason we got this lovely little ending shot. It was originally meant to be a bookend

Bruh this shit almost got me.

I'm conflicted about this episode. On one hand, I'm glad they aren't doing a 1:1 retelling of the story, but this episode didn't do much for me as it expanded on a small part of the story I didn't too much care about.

ColonizedMind posted...

Its filler because the functioning parts of the episode amount for ten minutes if the run time, the rest is a filler love story that is both a massive deviation from the canon and doesnt effect anything.

Nah, if they would've went thru this whole episode and then Joel and Ellie showed up and still went about with Bill after, business as usual, them it would've been filler. But they actively changed how they got to the same result, which again was getting the truck.

party_animal07 posted...

I'm conflicted about this episode. On one hand, I'm glad they aren't doing a 1:1 retelling of the story, but this episode didn't do much for me as it expanded on a small part of the story I didn't too much care about.

Didn't expand the over all plot, but does it HAVE to do that on every episode? Here we got to look through the indoor window of two other people loosely connect who survived and thrived in the apocalypse. It's an intersting story of perspective, with a profound meaning that contributes to the theme of the story and characters.

Im just assuming that people who dont understand the importance of that letter havent played the games

Oh, BTW everyone, the sad music in the almost final scene of Bill and Frank's story was lifted from the movie Shutter Island...

https://youtu.be/nDxbPbWwGa0

Cocytus posted...

Oh, BTW everyone, the sad music in the almost final scene of Bill and Frank's story was lifted from the movie Shutter Island...

https://youtu.be/nDxbPbWwGa0

And Arrival
https://youtu.be/EDMe_nUpzMM

I haven't played the game but what a great episode. I had to laugh at first about the romance, cause I couldn't get the guys Character in White Lotus out of my head, but it sure it the feels towards the end.

I actually had a older neighbor couple do what they did. The wife was terminally ill and the husband was a doctor so he had some easy access to the right meds and they ended it together falling asleep in bed.

wait, what White Lotus character was he?

i've seen this episode being compared to that intro sequence from "Up" and yeah, its a nice comparison.

ZevLoveDOOM posted...

wait, what White Lotus character was he?

I've never seen White Lotus, but the references I've seen since this episode makes me pretty sure that if I say he's the one who ate ass, you'll know who I'm talking about.

oh yeah, he was one of the few characters i liked besides the crazy rich white lady. lol >_>

ALIEN_WORK2HOP posted...

I actually had a older neighbor couple do what they did. The wife was terminally ill and the husband was a doctor so he had some easy access to the right meds and they ended it together falling asleep in bed.

Damn...

for real, i would love to see Nick Offerman in this type of dramatic roles more often.

i mainly know him from Parks and Recreation, that Fargo episode and that Pam & Tommy show.

A very lost part of this episode was Ellie's child-like wonderment of being in a car for the first time at age 14, along with marveling at the fact that Joel had been on an airplane.

It was such an innocent moment that showed no matter how much she tries to be a wisecracking hard ass, she's still just a kid.

8/10 episode. One of the better representations of a gay couple in a show or movie where it isnt the draw. The fact that bill died does make it feel like filler though

That said, people saying its super sad are lost. They were an older couple that maybe lived some of the best lives in that time frame. This is a show where a father lost his scared daughter in his arms.

Blue_Popo posted...

That said, people saying its super sad are lost. They were an older couple that maybe lived some of the best lives in that time frame. This is a show where a father lost his scared daughter in his arms.

well it still hit me in them feels tho... lol

ZevLoveDOOM posted...

well it still hit me in them feels tho... lol

It can! Theres nothing wrong with that it but its not even the saddest thing to happen in the show

Blue_Popo posted...

It can! Theres nothing wrong with that it but its not even the saddest thing to happen in the show

Yes, it was emotional, but ultimately they had a better fate than over 99% of the population. They seemed to be truly happy for 16 years.

Blue_Popo posted...

8/10 episode. One of the better representations of a gay couple in a show or movie where it isnt the draw. The fact that bill died does make it feel like filler though

That said, people saying its super sad are lost. They were an older couple that maybe lived some of the best lives in that time frame. This is a show where a father lost his scared daughter in his arms.

It's bittersweet, the kind where the presence of happiness just amplifies the sadness. While not the same level of tragedy of a the death of a child, it's still super sad imo

lived like kings (relatively) until they died

I do find it funny that their quality of life probably only improved upon the end of the world lol

I mean, yeah, there were the raiders at least that one time, and they're completely isolated apart from Joel and Tess, but still.

Rharyx211 posted...

I've seen a lot of smoothbrain takes on Twitter stating that since the show takes place in 2023 gay marriage had been legal for them for a long time, somehow apparently forgetting the entire apocalypse the show's premise is built around lol.

We just got gay marriage legalized like a decade ago wasnt it?

Makeveli_lives posted...

We just got gay marriage legalized like a decade ago wasnt it?

Federally it was 2015 due to Supreme Court decision on Obergefell v Hodges. The first state to legalize same-sex marriage was Massachusetts 2004. The apocalypse happened in 2003.

Reading the lower-rated reviews on IMDB is pretty funny.

"What are the chances that Bill came across another gay man in a zombie apocalypse who likes him back? The writing makes no sense." Idk, dude, about the same chances as the protagonist encountering the only person on Earth who's immune to the virus so the plot can happen? Isn't it funny how stories can just...have things happen? lol

Rharyx211 posted...

Reading the lower-rated reviews on IMDB is pretty funny.

"What are the chances that Bill came across another gay man in a zombie apocalypse who likes him back? The writing makes no sense." Idk, dude, about the same chances as the protagonist encountering the only person on Earth who's immune to the virus so the plot can happen? Isn't it funny how stories can just...have things happen? lol

The interesting thing about this comment is that Bill and Frank would have only gotten together in a situation like this. I watched an interview with both actors and they emphasized how these characters didn't have a ton in common. They wouldn't have ever been in the same social circles. They managed to find love in each other in an otherwise horrible situation. Plus, their differences compliment each other.