series of The Last of Us from HBO just released its third episode this past Sunday. In one of its biggest departures from the source material so far, it took us through the lives of Bill and Frank in detail. A couple of survivors whose love story captivated a large number of viewers.
Despite the quite positive reception it is having, there are still people against this deviation. Some even mention that they consider it as a mere filler. Although the events did not happen as in the video game, it has a solid thematic relationship with the events of the video game. Here I tell you why.
The Last of Us expanded what had only been inferred, but maintains the same path
With the third episode The Last of Us It shows what a good adaptation is capable of. It takes the little bits and pieces we know of Bill and Frank’s relationship and expands them into one big TV episode. It shows us a moving story, powered by great performances from Nick Offerman and Murray Bartlett.
Within the video game we do not have the opportunity to see the dynamics of this relationship. We simply know it from the subtleties of different objects with information throughout the experience. However, it remains something that is there from the origin story and not something totally created for its transfer to television.
Having said this, Although the path is very different, Bill’s outcome and purpose remain the same. Joel and Ellie go with him in search of a vehicle so they can get to their destination faster. In the video game we see a whole odyssey to get a car battery, while in the series the vehicle is simply an ‘inheritance’ that Bill leaves for Joel.
It is important to keep in mind that these are different media and what works in one does not always work in the other.. If this episode of The Last of UIf it had been just like in the game, we would have had an hour of Joel and Ellie dodging Bill’s traps and dealing with Infected.
While the action is usually welcome, the fact that they’ve taken this risk on the series is applaudable. Since they delve into the story of a character who was already very loved, but they also do so by keeping the basic components. Not to mention the narrative weight they give it for what will come next
Individuals are the importance in a world where everything is over
In my journey through the networks I found several comments against this episode and mentions of ‘filling’. In my opinion there is nothing that you gave more than this assertion. The third episode of The Last of Us he is the one who has done the most to set the tone and cement the foundations of what is to come.
The Last of Us, from the video game, is a story that shows us human resistance. Even when all is lost, you can still find something to fight for. This episode is the living representation of it. He introduces us to a hardened surviving Bill, whose facade crumbles and changes once he meets Frank. This is a journey quite similar to the one Joel goes on with Ellie.
Joel is a cold, depressed and pessimistic character due to the loss of his daughter. But Ellie’s arrival and his subsequent journey make him a touched protector. Even at the end we see what he is capable of doing in order not to lose what he loves so much.
The series makes this point clear with the letter that Bill leaves Joel, as well as with different phrases. ‘I was not afraid until you arrived‘ is a moving and brilliant phrase for those who know what’s in store for Joel and Ellie.
Attachment, love and the impossibility of continuing without the people we love are constant threads in The Last of Us. This we also see, and surely will see, with Henry and Sam. So the series does nothing more than give us one more example of the importance of individual relationships even when the world came to an end. Although we can’t save the world, we can still save each other.
The Last of Us took its first big risk and hit it right
This third episode of The Last of Us It surely took many by surprise, especially those who expected something more faithful. However, the risk was worth it as it gave us one of the most touching hours of television. In addition to the fact that it could be a brief respite before the dizzying journey that the remaining six episodes prepare.
It is a fact that we will continue to find these deviations from the source material and the third episode is a very positive precedent. Not to mention, it shows the potential for The Last of Us to surprise even those who know all of the original work.
No doubt everyone has their opinion about this episode, but considering it filler seems wrong to me. It takes the base elements of the game, expands on them in a way that captivates audiences, and was a departure that still paved the way for our heroes. Both figuratively with Bill’s words to Joel, and tangibly by giving them a vehicle to continue their odyssey.
Of course we cannot ignore his successes in terms of direction. Since only one hour was enough to tell us a decades-long love story whose outcome left us on the verge of tears. With scenes that help to better understand their characters. What did you think?
Don’t stop following us on Google news. You can also go to our discord to talk about series and other topics.
#episode #filler #EarthGamer