The Last of Us: Bill and Frank, Explained

The third episode of HBO’s “The Last of Us” is a major departure from what came before. That’s because Ellie (Bella Ramsey) and Joel (Pedro Pascal) only appear at the beginning and end of the episode. Most of the episode is about Bill (Nick Offerman) and Frank (“the white lotus“‘s Murray Bartlett) and their relationship throughout the pandemic caused by the fungus that changed everything in the world. The series shows us much, much more than the video game on which the series is based he did, and it expands their lives considerably, and changes their ending. Below, we break down what happens to them on the show, what changes the series made to its plot, and why it’s even more devastating for Joel and Ellie.

Bill and Frank on “The Last of Us”

At the beginning of the episode, Ellie and Joel are traveling on foot to where Bill and Frank live in Lincoln, MA. There, they can get supplies and maybe even a car with Bill’s help so they can continue west and try to find Joel’s brother Tommy (Gabriel Luna). Joel explains that when the outbreak started, the military rounded up people in small towns to take them to quarantine zones. But if they found there wasn’t enough space for the new people, the military would kill them.

The show then switches to a flashback and shows Bill when the outbreak started. He watches as the military round up the rest of the town’s residents around him, but since he’s a prepper with his own stash of supplies, including a…