The Last Of Us Team Had A Perfect Response To Episode 3's 'Filler' Criticism
"The Last of Us" isn't just an action story about a fungus zombie apocalypse; it's also a compelling, character-driven drama with tear-jerking performances. There are scary-looking monsters that charge at the screen and deliver jump-scare moments, but there are also heart-rending love stories that illustrate what it means to find life-changing companionship in a world that's collapsing in on itself. The HBO series based on the award-winning game from Naughty Dog and Sony Computer Entertainment has been described as one of the most faithful adaptations in TV history: It takes the source material and only makes changes that further enhance its storytelling. It's a stunning, visceral retelling with many breathtaking installments — notably "Long, Long Time," the third episode of the show's first season.
Instead of diving deeper into the show's post-apocalyptic world and steering us toward some monsters, the episode hits the break on zombies and offers a thematic change: It showcases the blossoming relationship between characters Bill and Frank (played by Nick Offerman and Murray Bartlett) over 20 years. From their first meeting to their union and, later, their deaths, it is an 85-minute long impactful cinematic piece that documents perhaps the most sincere depiction of love, loyalty, and growing old together that we've ever seen on television. Some viewers feel otherwise, of course, and the episode was criticized for being "filler" that didn't hold much significance to the story. Many, including myself, disagree entirely, and the team behind "The Last of Us," showrunners Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann (who co-directed and wrote the first game), have a fitting response to this critique.
Bill and Frank's arc sets up a larger story
Official "The Last of Us" podcast host Troy Baker (who also voiced Joel in the original video games) and Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann were joined by Ashley Johnson — who played both Ellie in the original games and a pivotal character on the show — for their discussion of the season 1 finale. Their conversation eventually turned to the discourse surrounding "Long, Long Time" and the criticisms that it was little more than "filler." Based on what Mazin and Druckmann had to say, the showrunners are very proud of the episode regardless of the somewhat divisive response. (As they should be!)
Bill and Frank's story is anything but a "filler." It's a catalyst in setting up the larger picture. How else would Joel move on in his journey if it wasn't for them? Druckmann suggested that Bill and Frank being each other's purpose foreshadows the future for Joel and Ellie — who, as we come to learn, are also each other's purpose:
"Look at what Bill says to Frank. Right? Which is like, 'You are my purpose.' And this is even a further expression of that thought. Again, when it's your child, that is your purpose. That becomes your entire life."
'The skeleton key for everything that happens'
Craig Mazin also offered his two cents, noting that if Bill didn't live a life with Frank, he wouldn't have left behind a letter for Joel that would remind him why he was still in the world: to protect the people he loves.
Here's Mazin's response to the "filler" objection in his own words:
"The notion that there is no such thing as life without you. That I don't even understand what life would be without you. 'It's a pointless life without you' is set up in episode three. If Bill doesn't go through this life with Frank, he's not going to write that letter and leave the letter behind. And the letter is not going to say to Joel, 'Let me define you for who you are. And let me point out something I know that maybe you haven't figured out. This is why we're here. We are here to protect the person we love. And God help any motherf***ers that get in our way or stand in our way.' Now, all these things that we've been talking about, right? That all roads lead to this moment. And so maybe the least filler-y thing we did across this entire season was the Bill and Frank story because it is the [...] like I said, the skeleton key for everything that happens."
All episodes for "The Last of Us" season 1 are now streaming on HBO Max.