Drinker's Chasers - Our Thoughts On The Last of Us Episode 3

[@jimbo9305]

If, in the middle of a zombie apocalypse, someone gifted me a town with a bunker, a cache of weapons, traps, an electric fence, electricity, a garden, and hot, running water, I would be extremely hard-pressed to continue on whatever mission I had.

[@JoseMunoz-vs4tr]

This. Bill turned out to be a bit of a softy in the show so you're telling me he wouldn't let two very capable hands stay around in one of the houses? You're telling me that Joel and Tess wouldn't choose to try and stay there instead of slaving away in the QZ? We were told before that Tess and Joel did awful things to survive this far, that's how Tess convinced him to keep carrying on this mission. We get a glimpse of their past and they are having tea with this fairly vulnerable people they found that are sitting on a pile of goods. All they had to do was take Bill out and they could have taken everything he had. They live in such a perfect little bubble that I found it jarring. I'm not asking to see every raider attack or infected intrusion but reflect it in their world. Their house and the one around should have been boarded up with shot out windows. Burned cars on the street. Hodge podge patches on the fence.

[@LordNithilus]

I'm more surprised more people (including the military) didn't try overtaking the compound considering it had working electricity, weapon stashes, lots of non-perishable food and a relatively large fruit/veg garden.

[@dobrepytanie828]

two dead dudes in the bedroom though

[@shanetaylor761]

@Jose Munoz I think sometimes for the sake of enjoyment you gotta make assumptions. Really it just comes down to if fedra or the fireflies found out about it. You know a group big enough to either swarm him or attack multiple times. If not the maybe he just has the best defense system ever. I thought it was so weird when in the middle of being shot he was like the fence will take care of the rest. All i though was how many people can run into fire and electricity and why did you put your life in danger then. Also why didn't he have cars or some type of cover set up. You'd think you'd fortify your...fort so that you're not standing in the middle of the street with a rifle. I found that scene so enthralling but that took me out of the moment a little still. Stuff like that or Joel not raiding his gun room at the end make me feel like robots write these scripts sometimes.

[@deathpyre42]

@@shanetaylor761 My guess was that he used a bunch of infested suburbs as a decoy. Fedra doesn't have satellite surveillance right? So if he just left a ring of seemingly untouched but very infected buildings around his compound with subtle relatively safe routes in&out that only he knew about, then from the ground you wouldn't really be able to spot anything.

[@JoJoJoker]

Why did Joel leave all of Bill’s rifles when he is about to travel thousands of miles through dangerous territory to protect a very important person?

[@Lawful_Rebel]

Granted I don't know the game, but in real life it would be prudent to keep weight to a bare minimum and the larger calibre hand gun for close quarters would be far more useful than a long weapon.

[@HansKlopek]

Because guns bad.

[@rogue_of_the_winds1286]

@@Lawful_Rebel A rifle is far more useful. Handguns don't hit worth a shit past a few yards. If the rifle has a scope, you can use it for scouting and tracking. A heavy ass handgun would be junk, maybe a light handgun with a large magazine and M1A for mid to long range. It's really not that hard dog.

[@LittleMopeHead]

Yeah, you never know what you will run into. They have a vehicle to carry such weapons. Carry maybe 5 to limit if you want to play that game. When they need to walk on foot, they can then choose from the collection. Better than having nothing on hand.

[@Vhalikuporamee447]

@Lawful Rebel Long arms are in a totally different league when it comes to practical accuracy at any distance. They may be bigger and heavier, but nonetheless they are indispensable. No kind of handgun can supplant a carbine or rifle in terms of general use.

[@Cyberguy64]

I don't know why anyone would give modern entertainment the benefit of the doubt these days. Either they're upfront with their intentions to destroy what you love, or they're going to pull a bait-and-switch once they think they've gotten you hooked.

[@devlinallistair5147]

Exactly. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me several dozen times...

[@danielwhite1135]

Yup

[@ashmelon7272]

Opinions are opinions and I respect the guys'. However, they should understand better why people feel so jaded and skeptical about this show as well. And while this one has not been bad, it is difficult to enjoy something when you anticipate the rug being pulled out from under you once they get you nice and comfy because they do it every time.

[@MGSVxBreakpoint]

Yup. And never pre-order. Ever again

[@HansKlopek]

These people are punks. They just keep conforming.

[@ProxyDoug]

They ask actors not to check the source material so they can avoid a Cavill situation where the actor cares more about the source material than they do.

[@schmucknorris2672]

And they are wrong for it. Cavill was right to car about that role. The decision makes NO FUCKING SENSE to ask an actor be less prepared. It's a horrible choice. Especially when you're already starting with a horrible actress who never should have gotten the role in the first place.

[@TacticalDimples]

And look at where that got them lmao. Honestly people wouldn’t care if the Witcher was actually adapted with love and care like the last of us. While the last of us isn’t a 1:1 adaptation, it still retains the core themes and characterization of the games.

[@hoagiemacintosh781]

@@TacticalDimples Mehh, is definitely pandering with messaging and tones, but it’s just more subtle than other modern projects.

[@herrikudo]

@@TacticalDimples not at all correct in any way whatsoever thank you

[@Erasureeraser]

Uh Pedro did play the game. Yeah he was told not too but he played it anyways. And it's not even the actor's job to know about the source material since the writers are the ones who control the story. It's their choice to learn it or not, if they play it that's fine, if they don't play it, that's also fine. Any problem with the show is the responsibility of the writers rather than the actors 🤷

[@buddyrem9917]

Killing off Bill and Frank early robbed Joel of a lesson learned. Bill is Joel’s foil, a warning from the future about where Joel’s path of emotional isolation will lead. Bill ended up pushing everyone he cared about out of his life, dooming himself to “surviving” alone, bitter and sad. Turning Bill’s tragedy into a happy ending betray’s the original message. Also, the romanticizing of assisted suicide doesn’t vibe with the ending the game gave us, but it matches perfectly with TLoU part 2’s interpretation of the ending. I think it’s gonna be all downhill from here.

[@JoseMunoz-vs4tr]

Part of me feels they were afraid of portraying a gay relationship in a negative. But what is the point of showing a story of a hard man learning to care when the story at large is of a hard man learning to care again? In the game Bill was a look into what Joel could become, in the show it was just our main story speed run

[@TacticalDimples]

Bill is still Joel’s foil just in a positive light instead of a negative one. Whether it’s a good change or not is something we won’t know until towards the end of the season. Let’s hope they know what they’re doing.

[@shawklan27]

@@JoseMunoz-vs4tr good point

[@marinawolf]

@@TacticalDimples A foil is an active character, not a dead one whose challenges come from a suicide note.

[@jimluebke3869]

Either "The Last of Us" is a story about how genuine sacrificial masculinity and its love and protection of genuine femininity can give us hope even through the worst possible disaster, or it's a nihilistic tale signifying nothing. It's Joel's job to make sure Ellie can find a nice young man and together they can repopulate humanity. Any other path this story takes, is a path to oblivion. Wokeness is the antagonist here, both in-story and meta.

[@StriderDSC]

What's divisive about it isn't the content, it's that they left out key elements of character development and interaction between Joel, Ellie, and Bill. At that point in the games, Ellie actively has to prove she is capable of dealing with both infected and other humans that aren't enemies, but also don't give a shit about her. It's one of her key tests to see how the rest of her journey is going to go. It also gives Joel the platform to show how good of a smuggler and survivor he really was / is and how good of a survivalist Bill was. By giving Bill a different ending, it removes further barriers for Ellie to overcome and it doesn't display that Joel is very, very capable and brutal. It also misses the chance to further escalate danger because Joel and Ellie make it to Bill / Frank's unopposed and just walk right in, which was very much not the case otherwise. Would've been better if they kept the best elements of Episode 3 between Frank and Bill, but then brought the game scenario for Bill, Ellie, Joel. It would've hit WAY harder.

[@rockettheracoon85]

Um no…what’s divisive is the content for most people who are reactionary online. If your acting in good faith criticisms then yes, what was divisive was the characters and their development through the story. But most ppl are making it divisive. Cuz of the big gay which shouldn’t matter at all.

[@tyv1383]

@@rockettheracoon85 They wouldn’t have shown the relationship if it was a straight one. 😂😂😂

[@osmanyousif7849]

Not to mention it removes one of the scarier aspects that the three end up confronting: The Bloater. But maybe, they’ll confront one when they run into Henry and Sam or when Ellie meets David.

[@natediaz1863]

@@tyv1383 exactly, and if they did it would have been toxic.

[@rockettheracoon85]

Wdym? Of course they would have…

[@lionheart1531]

Bill in the game was gay, and it's just not a big deal at all, it barely comes up at all and I thought it was nice that a character is gay without it being his fucking personality. Otherwise his character is quite similar. In the game each chapter is a different season, and looks at a different aspect of humanity. 'The last of us' is a nod to the last of humanity in this broken world. Bill in the game is a prepper. The town he lives in is huge and infested with infected. His character I loved. He's such an asshole, but he's very prepared. He's fat for a start which shows he has food resources, good in a fight, has traps everywhere, shitloads of supplies. But he's cold, untrusting. First thing he does in handcuff Ellie to a pipe and hold Joel at gunpoint before agreeing to help. You go through the entire town to get a car battery. You succeed, but at the end you find Frank. He's hung himself, and left a note for Bill calling him a peace of shit, and he'd rather try and survive alone than put up with his shit anymore. Before you and Ellie leave town, Joel thanks Bill and wishes him well, and Bill tells him to get the fuck out if his town, and Joel looks uncharacteristically hurt. Bill has everything materialist he could need. He's the ultimate survivor. He has the first 2 points of maslows triangle down. But he has no reason to live. Frank was the only spark of humanity he had, and he pushed him away because he had become so obsessed with surviving. Its really tragic but well done.

[@bigscheesy4982]

You got a really good faith take on this episode, i wish more people who have something to say about this episode didn't come from a place of blind hate or appraisal. I think both versions of bill are good, and i dont think I could say one is objectively better. Its a real shame gay characters are divisive like this, where if a character is subtly gay its not enough for people, and if a character is shown being gay its too much. I feel like this episode will be a standout in terms of deviating from the game and the rest of the show will probably be smaller changes like tess. Hope you have fun watching the show.

[@lionheart1531]

@Bigscheesy498 I'm biased and love the first game, so I prefer the game version, but I still enjoyed the ep and respected it who what it accomplished. I really disliked part 2, and I feel the biggest loss for that game was the world building, where the apocalypse feels so different between the 2 games. Bill in the game isn't an awful guy, but he's a product of circumstance, same as the raiders and other characters later on, where as in the show its an almost idyllic life Bill leads which doesn't teach the lesson for the player and Joel that it does in the game. Like I said, still good but preferred the game.

[@someguycp]

wow an actual good critical take that doesn’t have an obviously negative undertone about how “modern entertainment has fallen off”. god bless you man.

[@tumhalad1]

Being gay *isn't* his personality in the episode. OMG.

[@yesman9792]

@@tumhalad1 he loves wine, grows flowers, wears plaid shirts tucked into khakis, and has double dates with his boyfriend now....they definitely made him extra gay and a borderline stereotype.

[@Last_March_of_the_Gents]

I liked the episode right until Bill killed himself and we were robbed of that amazing interaction between Ellie, Bill and Joel. And when you realize that the interaction was robbed, the question now is what was the purpose of that episode? In isolation, fantastic acting and an engaging character study. But what did it add to our protagonists journey or development? Nothing. In fact all they contributed as ruined ellie by making her bloodlust hungry

[@zachrohler1047]

That's the objective. To make her hostile and aggressive so abby has a more valid reason for killing all her freinds.

[@4203105]

I think we got "interaction" through the letter. It told us that Bill and Joel are much the same (in the show). So through exploring Bill's life in the apocalypse, by excited we explored Joel's (while still leaning the writers enough room for actual future Joel flashbacks).

[@zachrohler1047]

@@4203105 except bill and Joel are 2 entirely diffrent people. That's part of the problem. Bill was a hostile lonely hermit who wanted to be left alone. Joel is a beaten down survivor who has stayed alive and working the entire time after the traumatic death of his daughter. They have some similarities but are 2 diffrent men. Shows need to stop pretending every Male is the same. Frank hated Bill's guts by the end and would rather die than be around bill anylonger (as stated in the game note) so seeing a loving relationship between to men has absolutely nothing to do with Joel or ellie's story. They dont even meet bill so it matters none. A letter isnt enough to change your outlook over a tragic experience.

[@terragthegreat175]

@@4203105 eh not the same.

[@jarrarwinks8470]

This

[@jackburton2946]

Rob is wrong sbout Ellie, she has been in boarding school all her life and occasionally sneaks out. Yes she probably seen stuff but nothing really of what lies out there. The others are right about the actress playing Ellie. They have made her character to strong minded. Her spiky attitude in the game comes from covering up her innocence. Things like playing with fireflies for the first time, not being able to swim, reading jokes to Joel, first time seeing a giraffe, a horse, her arcade machine excitement, teen movie poster on the wall excitement . These child like moments are the things that chip away at Joel's barrier and ours to let him become a father again. The games Ellie does it in such away that she is so charming, you can see why you would be become her protector. Hopefully the actress can pull this off but time is running out.

[@edmediciN7]

I really missed these moments with Ellie. She is just so unbearable in the show, like a stupid kid that has no ideia it is living in an apocalipse

[@Th-ch5ez]

No replies on this post?

[@johnwilliams9412]

robs wrong on all his takes.

[@cympimpin20]

They're not gonna pull it off. They don't want to. Remember that Cuckman wasn't really the motive force behind the Last of Us game, Amy Hennig was. Once she was edged out and Cuckman was in charge, we got the sequel. The people who have been in charge hate the idea of a girl being portrayed as weak, naïve, needing guidance, relying on a man for anything, etc. Even if those are beginning traits set up to show her growth, they can't stand doing it at all. They couldn't let themselves make show Ellie and Joel be more like game Ellie and Joel because game Joel has too much agency and game Ellie makes you want to take care of her because she needs to be taken care of. These basic "heteronormative" human traits make Leftists blood boil.

[@jamiekelly6851]

@@johnwilliams9412 no he is not, he's more reasonable and in the middle and willing to give something a chance. Most of the guys on here have already made up there mind before they see something short of drinker and mauler.

[@WeirdFishes_]

Really enjoyed Eric July/ YoungRippa59’s opinions on this episode, think he nailed it on the head for this one 👏

[@Jimmy-oi4go]

100% agree. His take on this episode has given me hope for the rest of the season 😂😂

[@minifridge6330]

I’m not crazy right? He didn’t say anything? I watched the whole episode waiting for him to talk😂

[@rollzmoist5061]

he just kept drinking an empty carton lol

[@jamesR1990]

I kept waiting for him to get involved 😂

[@GinNBoost]

Guy is a beacon of knowledge

[@terragthegreat175]

I miss the grittiness of the game. The world of the game feels a lot more brutal than this one. They've really clipped a lot of the violence and gore, and taking Bill from a crusty, cynical, and morally vague individual into a soft and caring lover really contributes to watering down the vibe of the show. I'm not saying it's bad, but the game feels more like an apocalypse than the show.

[@wkatz0]

Sadly, that's probably due to budget. Scenes of characters talking are so much cheaper than action.

[@randomdude189]

The last of us sucks and was a cliche story. The uncharted games suck too but people love crap. The masses lose mediocre bs

[@widexawake_]

​@@randomdude189 Dude, you didn't need to out yourself as being tasteless like this.

[@bryanbarr4151]

The grittiness if the show was very apparent in episode 1 especially. They did a really good job with the mayhem in the beginning (when Joel lost his daughter) and then showing the walled city of Boston. They got a lot of that right. Episode 2 showed more of the same with major reminders of events in the game, but they got episode 3 all wrong. Bill's town was not a utopia. It was full of infected and they changed major events in the game. They also eliminated all dialog that went on between Bill, Joel and Ellie. It was not true to the game and that is what game fans are looking for. True that some are watching that arent fans of the game, but remember TLOU film version would not even exist without the game. I hope the writers have that in mind for the future of the show

[@SecondTake123]

@@randomdude189 tell us how you really feel 🤣

[@SIRSHANKSALOT12]

It's a shame that Bill and Ellie never got to meet.

[@chimp_monke123]

well these are neither bill nor ellie, so it was impossible from the start...

[@jackcarver5412]

@@chimp_monke123 spoke how i fell about these characters

[@chimp_monke123]

@@jackcarver5412 the irony is that i never even played the game, but from all the conversations i have heard about it i have the love and respect for the thing as sacred art... thats how real fans are supposed to be, not wanting things changed, but wanting something good to be cherished...

[@SecondTake123]

And them meeting would advance the story how?

[@chimp_monke123]

@@SecondTake123 it would contribute a whole lot more then broke back mountain ever did...

[@malzo1701]

Having a filler episode, regardless of quality, be the third episode is a huge red flag. Also, anyone giving Druckman the benefit of the doubt is just asking for disappointment.

[@marinawolf]

Bingo!

[@whadayadoin3300]

Exactly

[@GusAdolphus-jf7ee]

if you hate the creator of this show so much why are you watching? maybe go watch something else if that is going to get in the way of you enjoying something?

[@disregard7275]

@Gus Adolphus Because maybe he liked the game an wanted to give the series a shot? Or maybe it's the fact he's allowed to give criticism on the show? Don't act like a child just because you don't like what you hear lol

[@GusAdolphus-jf7ee]

@@disregard7275 saying the episode is bad because the director said something in some interview is precisely the reason this person shouldnt be watching. Not all criticism is valid.

[@garym6315]

As a straight person I've never enjoyed watching gay content on TV and I think the reason for that is that they tend to always show gays as stereotypes and fixate on CONSTANT public displays of affection. They probably think that we wont know someone is gay if they're not flamboyantly over the top or kissing all the time. The comic industry has gone all in on that disrespectful style of representation. But as these guys say about this episode, it is just two people who happen to be together in a relationship and act like a normal couple.

[@thecensoredmuscle563]

The whole gay episode grossed me out, and it served no purpose to the show.

[@donovan4222]

@@thecensoredmuscle563 Ok guy with a profile pic of oiled up muscle men

[@thecensoredmuscle563]

@Donovan lol I'm not oiled up in this pic. That would be funny though.

[@jtm1283]

You reveal your actual feelings when you say that a gay couple living behind a flame-throwing traps and an electric fence exhibit "CONSTANT public displays of affection."

[@BruthaGrimm]

Completely get what you're saying. It really bought the humanity that the show needed in a world where hope and happiness is rare. They took a small part of the game and did an amazing job with expansion, the downside being that it's a high water mark that the show will have trouble reaching again.

[@apex403]

For Mauler @ 17:30 , regarding the "green screens" of the city - those are actual shots of the city / buildings (city I live in , Calgary AB for most of this), but they CGI'd onto the building/cityscape to make them look dilapidated / taken over by nature. (aside from the toppled buildings, obviously ;) ). It's super surreal to see the city I live in , and the buildings I see on my drive into work down looking like that on the show

[@tommymaddox6785]

The 91 octane gas is a dead giveaway as well

[@markgreen3199]

Interesting, thanks for the tidbits. I actually find this more interesting than the episode lol

[@AndersonClips]

you aren't allowed to say anything bad about it online. people are writing articles saying its a masterpiece.

[@mattcollins3591]

‘Allowed

[@ayanithtalreign]

Really feels like a song and dance. Ellie/Joel's relationship is nonexistent and the rest of the series won't change that if I wanted to bet. People will look back on this episode as a "well, guess they should've used their time better" realization.

[@IknowIamkindagreat]

allowed

[@SuperSuperdude88]

id say i agree, but also you cant say anything positive about it either without people attacking you for that.

[@mister-pinkman]

@@ayanithtalreign the series should absolutely be 11 or 12 episodes imo. But the point of this episode is to show Joel that this is his third chance have a purpose and protect because he failed Sarah and Tess. Bill was hardened too but he found a purpose with Frank

[@taylorco64]

@06:16 Although I agree with point of trying to find light in a dark age, that role wasn't for Bill and Frank. That role was for Ellie, which led to influencing Joel. Bill and Frank's story in the show could have been a romantic story which ended tragically to expand upon the characters and follow the rhythm of the games. If they really wanted, they could have even had Bill go out feeling bad he Pushed the one person that loved him away.

[@wtfisdaking99]

Which is what the game does lol. It may be more detailed or whatever ppl wanna call it but it’s been years since the game came out. They could have at least made it tied to the story or if they wanna do the detailed episodes, add more for the season AND do it for all big side characters like Tess. She got done dirty. When she died I was more like meh

[@Enigma75614]

Another thing I didn’t like was that Ellie stole the gun. Joel finally trusting her with the rifle was such a good moment in the game, and it looks like we’re not going to get that scene.

[@jp3813]

Joel trusted her w/ the rifle after he scolded her for taking his handgun and shooting a guy.

[@Dustyphoto915]

@@jp3813 Imagine if the show was as good as the game and we saw that. A sense of urgency, danger, and bonding between the two main protagonist. Hope this show gets back on track soon.

[@jp3813]

@@Dustyphoto915 That was after the Bill section. Hence, we haven't gotten to that part of the story yet.

[@Enigma75614]

@@jp3813 They completely changed it.

[@jp3813]

@@Enigma75614 Not completely. She still had to shoot a guy to save Joel, the gun was still confiscated, and then entrusted to her shortly after. The big difference is that she wasn't portrayed as a sharpshooting sniper who can take out waves of men w/o tearing up about it.

[@RoamingRyan]

I find it disappointing that fans of the franchise cannot be unhappy with this episode without being labeled. Episode 3 wasn't necessary in the way it was portrayed.

[@WickedScott]

Don't be afraid to say you don't like watching gay sex. They are wrong.

[@mister-pinkman]

This point of this episode was to show that even someone who has completely lost faith in humanity (Bill and Joel) can still redeem themselves by finding a purpose and protecting the ones they care about (Frank and Ellie). Joel failed twice with Sarah and Tess, and now he has a third chance to protect Ellie. He can’t and won’t let screw it up again. The note that Ellie read at the end of the episode cements this theme.

[@johnglue1744]

We all got the point. It wasn’t that deep. The original comment mentioned being labeled because for criticism of the episode.

[@mister-pinkman]

@@johnglue1744 I was only responding to him saying the episode was unnecessary

[@SurferMan127]

@@mister-pinkman It was. You’re literally saying the point of the episode was to telegraph Joel’s character arc with a couple of side characters that appear and leave in one episode. How about just… giving us Joel’s character arc? Three episodes in, it is WAY too early to label this episode as some entry in the pantheon of Golden television (and we all know why people are rushing to do that). This soon in a show’s run, it is a completely self-indulgent detour from a writer that has far from “proven himself” in his ability to tell this story. At its core this episode was an annoying and unnecessary sideshow.

[@fionnaitsradag5152]

Frank hated Bill in the game and left him a very spiteful letter. In this, they tried to make a sicky sweet "perfect' relationship to push an agenda. Their toxic relationship in the game was way more interesting.

[@hisdudeness8328]

Exactly. And to me, hearing Bill struggling to suppress his clearly broken heart at the sight of Frank’s corpse was ten times more emotional than this whole thing.

[@mister-pinkman]

There is no agenda being pushed. This point of this episode was to show that even someone who has completely lost faith in humanity (Bill and Joel) can still redeem themselves by finding a purpose and protecting the ones they care about (Frank and Ellie). Joel failed twice with Sarah and Tess, and now he has a third chance to protect Ellie. He can’t and won’t let screw it up again. The note that Ellie read at the end of the episode drives this theme home.

[@hisdudeness8328]

@@mister-pinkman except, you know, the director openly gloating that he deliberately misled the audience to shove a gay love story into this series.

[@minbari73]

@@mister-pinkman You sound like a gay.

[@mister-pinkman]

@@hisdudeness8328 Bill was clearly gay in the game. Like Mauler said in the video, the theme of Joel becoming just like Bill if he can’t find a purpose is the exact same, just told in reverse. Bill gets the bad ending in the game, but the good ending in the show.

[@Last_March_of_the_Gents]

The fact that Bill and frank made such a utopia instead of fighting for survival undermines Joel's choice at the end of the game. Clearly you don't need a cure, civilisation can blossom in remote areas and the biggest threat is humans, not infected

[@00spinz35]

Wouldn't that actually be a point towards Joel making his choice? He knows bill and frank were prosperous no cure needed He knows Jackson was prosperous no cure needed I'd say it would help him make that decision , reinforce not undermine

[@4203105]

Joel's "choice" isn't a choice anyway since these quacks don't have a snowball's chance in hell of finding a cure. They prove that by getting ready to kill their only test subject after like 12 hours. Joel's "choice" is the only right course, both for his family and for humanity. Maybe there are actual competent doctors elsewhere on the planet, who can find a cure with Ellie's help.

[@thp4315]

The problem with the episode is that it has nothing to do with the plot. Drinker, as a writer, I figured you would hate it for that reason.

[@codyglass809]

Exactly. Pure filler 3 episodes in. Still haven't even established a character to care about. Ellie is insufferably annoying and Joel is just a bump on a log.

[@r.e.z9428]

What happened to that whole “The Message” thing he likes to point out or how the show changes events that just didn’t happen from the source.

[@ayanithtalreign]

Seems like we're hesitant to call it like it is until the rest of this trainwreck derails.

[@KingEgyptian]

@@r.e.z9428 For real, "the message" was in everyone's face, yet the Drinker didn't seem to mind.

[@zillawith3zs234]

Poor Drinker is being driven into madness.

[@BlackMetalGods]

Noticed that Eric didn't say anything in this video but it doesn't surprise me. Since he's like me and tweeted about it not to long ago that he doesn't consume modern content from companies and people that hate you.

[@shrimpersfan100]

What was the point of him being on the panel though? Was real weird waiting for him to speak and... nothing

[@harrydubois6619]

Then he might as well just be an empty seat if all he ever has to say is “I didn’t watch it, I don’t care”

[@jrconway3]

@@shrimpersfan100 This clearly is a clip from a larger stream. Drinker does these all the time, actually very often specific conversations in a longer stream are clipped out to highlight one piece of a conversation. Eric just didn't have anything to say in this part of the stream. Even then, Eric still comments on things sometimes even if he doesn't watch them. He can read about what actually happened and compare it to the games assuming he played the games and provide commentary on it without having actually watched the show at all.

[@markgreen3199]

@@shrimpersfan100 This is clipped from a steam where they talk about many things. I was confused at first as well.

[@octavianschaefer7294]

If you don’t say anything nobody will care about the opinion you refused to share

[@tbone262001]

It was a well done episode. That said it deviated from the game completely for the Bill story. In the game the lesson of Bill was that no matter how hard you prepared and tried to keep people you love safe you can't. And if you try too much you can actually drive those you love away, even until death. The TV show was the exact opposite. It makes me a bit nervous about how the show will end.

[@TacticalDimples]

But they serve the same purpose and that’s to impart on Joel. In both the game and show, Bill represents what Joel could become. The only difference is that one is negative and the other positive.

[@robrick9361]

@@TacticalDimples Except that directly contradicts the ending. Joel ends up choosing Ellie over humanity. That's why something bad happens with every character encountered in the game. Showing Bill and Frank making a nice life for themselves in this terrible world undermines why Joel would choose Ellie over humanity. If reclusive and paranoid Bill can find someone then maybe humanity is worth saving........see the problems this causes.

[@roberthesser6402]

@@robrick9361 the moral of the original game was never that humans were or weren’t worth saving. It was about the relationships we develop together, the loves we form, friends and family, father and daughter, etc. joel wasn’t sacrificing humanity to save Ellie, he was at worst denying the fireflies the chance to reign Supreme by butchering his adoptive daughter. And that’s assuming you believe the procedure would work, which I doubt it would. The fact that they thought they had to kill her tells me the doctor didn’t know what he was doing. Ultimately, the story of the last of us is about love. The first game in particular is about finding the light of love in a dark world. It’s not about saving humanity, it’s a smaller and in many ways more meaningful story about the relationship between a father and his adoptive daughter. It doesn’t concern itself with the grand philosophical questions, such as whether or not humanity is worth saving. That question is almost trite in comparison to the meat of the story, which is about how far you would go to save your loved ones.

[@robrick9361]

​@@roberthesser6402 You're forgetting that the game ends with Joel lying to Ellie about the Fireflies. If this is about love then why wouldn't he just tell her the truth? Because Joel knows Ellie was willing to sacrifice herself to help humanity. Which he decided against. Also your idea about how far you'd go to save your loved ones, IN REGARDS TO JOEL PROTECTING ELLIE, makes no sense since Ellie takes care of Joel after he's almost killed and even manages to kill her attempted rapist. Ellie was capable in her own right. She started off an ignorant girl to the world but quickly developed into a survivor........like Joel. Which is something many seem to completely miss. Ellie was not some helpless girl by the end of the game. She very much took after Joel and grew into the daughter he cared for. This wouldn't have happened if the world wasn't so cruel and filled with Bills and Franks in happy relationships.

[@tbone262001]

@@robrick9361 this

[@JadeRunner]

No talk about how in the game Bill's character was totally different, his relationship with Frank was a disaster, and Frank died telling Bill that he hated him. They completely changed all that, making their relationship perfect, so as not to offend the Alphabet mafia.

[@duderino6171]

Important

[@taboowriter9229]

Have you so much hate in your heart you cant appreciate a beautiful short story about two people who love each other in difficult times?

[@Kayne1b]

Yeah, the relationship itself was fine, it was how they tried to make it so perfect that made it seem weird to me. Right up to the 'death by instantly perfectly dissolving 20 year shelf life medication that just makes to fall asleep' conclusion. I'm fairly neutral on the whole thing, but it mostly came across to me like an idealized imaginary relationship that a young person might fantasize about.

[@jodi2847]

@@taboowriter9229 Right out of the mafia textbook: Don't address the actual comment. Judge the person who made it, presuming their intent BEHIND said comment. Show how inclusive and tolerant you are by contrast. This is discourse now.

[@5HoH5520]

@@jodi2847 well said by you and the OP. Just goes to show how pointless it is debating an idiot.

[@catnip9757]

I never played the game. not knowing the two characters I didn’t enjoy what felt like a filler episode for two characters or place we’ll never see again felt like a giant waste.

[@Aaron-ld1lu]

I think that the episode was great but it wasn’t for this particular show. It had nothing to do with the story and was pointless

[@gamermike24]

I haven't seen it yet but Frank is already dead by the time Joel and Ellie meet Bill in the game. And Frank didn't particularly like Bill leaving a crumbled letter that Joel finds.

[@keiichi8191]

If I remember correctly from the game, Joel and Ellie come up on Bill's territory and almost get killed in one of his traps before he finds and rescues them. Then Joel basically calls in a favor with Bill to extort him into helping them find a working car. Bill says he thinks he knows where one might be, and they all set off across the town, heading through a school, and into a residential neighborhood all while being periodically chased by hordes of infected. You finally find an old truck that Bill and his "partner" had at one point been trying to fix, which is when Bill discovers that his "partner" who had disappeared some time ago had left because he couldn't stand being around Bill any longer, then gotten himself infected and decided to hang himself. He leaves behind a really bitter letter basically calling Bill an insufferable piece of sh-t and saying that he'd rather die than spend another minute around him. It's only then that the player even really discovers that him and Bill had been romantically involved and that Bill was gay. Bill's sexuality was all but irrelevant to the chapter. Figures the modern television show would make literally the entire episode revolve around it.

[@zachrohler1047]

@@keiichi8191 nobody in social media seems to remeber that Frank hated bill at the end...

[@Fadaar]

@@keiichi8191 Yeah this is the one change so far I REALLY wasn't a fan of. We were robbed of the Bill/Ellie interactions for one and also killing Bill off just sucks.

[@mardigrasw]

It was boring AF didn't move the plot 😒

[@nothajzl]

but gay drama….

[@codyglass809]

Im finding this main girl to be insufferably annoying. Didn't find a gay love story filler episode to be necessary when they still haven't developed any characters to be connected to. Joel is a bump on a log and Ellie is just annoying. The rest is generic zombie stuff

[@jello8467]

The Last of US, is not a gay love story. Imaging making a statement that you admit to "tricking your viewers" into watching your sh!t.

[@canderoussnurd4265]

Man I am shocked you guys liked episode 3. I gotta side with Az on this the entire episode was a complete betrayal of the characters of Bill and Frank and it portrayed the relationship so idealized that it bordered on fantasy. As if living in isolation wouldn’t breed contempt or arguments. Hell the fact that Bill is blue collar and Frank is clearly a white collar guy in the episode should’ve bred tons of clashes just on how they deal with things alone. Yes in isolation it’s a moderately entertaining story about love in a horrific time. Yes the acting from the two leads is stellar and yes the cinematography was beautiful. But was this Bill and Frank from the Last of us? No. Does this show us how horrific the apocalypse is through how a relationship fell apart and got someone killed? No. Does it show the regrets of not holding onto someone you loved and trying to do more than just exist behind a wall? No. Does this in any way shape or form effect Joel by showing him what being so cold and pragmatic will eventually lead to? No. Does this add anything to the goddamn story? No. And there’s the problem. The entire episode was a waste of time and did nothing but show an event that had nothing to do with the main characters or even effect them. This isn’t a series of vignettes. It’s a cohesive narrative with a central character going on a journey both to a location and on a metaphorical journey of rediscovering his humanity. I mean like what you like. Im certainly not one of those people that thinks you need to constantly agree with me or validate my opinions. Still a huge fan. Just shocked that this one worked for ya. Either way still interested in your takes on the coming episodes and hoping that we’re all wrong about where we all think this is gonna go before the T-off comes in season 2. That’s all I got for today. Going away now.

[@Wolfman7870]

These guys must be trying to tone down thier alt-right image or something. Anyone capable of pragmatic, logical thinking sees this episode exactly for what it is and it's honest about how jarring, senseless and narratively off putting this episode is. They brought the show to a screeching halt to ram a gay love story down our throats.

[@ZChronicNebula]

True

[@GusAdolphus-jf7ee]

how is it a betrayal of Bill and Frank's character? This is the TV show. The video game is separate from this. The two do not have to be consistent with each other.

[@bryanbarr4151]

Cancerous is absolutely on point. Here are my thoughts. I get that some people are watching that have never played the game, but most of the people that are watching are faithful fans of the game. In the past, other game to film adaptations have been done and usually game fans have something to say when major film changes take place that change the complexity of the storyline of the game. Most people dont mind minor changes (like in episode one when the Fireflies killed Robert, instead of Joel and Tess). At least in the show Joel and Tess were in pursuit of Robert (like in the game). However, in episode 3, the film version changed Bill's character entirely into a sappy bowl of jello. He is a hateful hardass that only slightly showed any hint of empathy in the game. My point is, with these changes, the writers of the show ruined this part of the game storyline and betrayed much of its fanbase, since a good portion of the audience is faithful to the story of the game. I just hop we dont see continued major changes like this in future episodes

[@EmilePesky-n1v]

@@Wolfman7870 and it's non consensual That's the problem. I didn't sign up for this crap This is a waste of time, gay romance novella... To the name callers who might read this, brokeback mountain was a brilliant, unforgettable film, so stick your name calling up the poop hoop

[@eastendthug]

I genuinely shocked that the drinker enjoyed this Hallmark melodrama. If Bills' storyline was like this in the game, it would have been universally mocked.

[@fejkpirat5118]

He coped just as hard for the latest Batman. 😂

[@dr.indianajones9558]

He have to show how open minded he is 🤣😂 grifter at finest Worst melodrama propaganda by far Two bearded man kissing and drinker don't care he care about the story haha such a 🤡🤡🤡

[@chrispekel5709]

It's ok, sometimes people can have a different opinion

[@halphpint7400]

lol OMG he actually had an opinion as opposed to ringing the "WOKE" bell over and over like every other grifter/schill he normally shares the screen with.....dont worry sure Nerdrotic has his fake outrage turned to 11 for the neck beards....

[@Miykael]

I usually agree with the drinker says about 90% of the time, but not on this show . I find it mid 5.5./10 so far , plus all roads lead to big poppa pump Abby. Plus Elle is horribly miscast and insufferable , so they totally ruined her. Pedro will never be Joel no matter how hard he tries. So I think I am done.

[@robl1616]

Critical Drinker likes the MESSAGEEEE!!! hahaha

[@chrispekel5709]

I didn't mind it but their scenes should have tied in better with the present. A scene with an argument over making a battery or something would have been good. Not just all about their love story. Do the love story but tie it in with Joel and Ellie's present problem

[@chrispekel5709]

What I mean is, their love story didn't have enough consequence for the present day, and it became a hamfisted way to tell us what Joel needs to do - except he wasn't even there and only read a letter from a guy he didn't like much

[@blackdynamite_5470]

Disney got to him soon Critical Drinker channel will be run by a black genderfluid attack helicopter furry

[@TheLordNugget]

I'm intellectually willing to admit that it was a well enough written episode. They at least know how to write a decent script. The problem for me is the game was simply better. They used Bill to foreshadow Joel's eventual lowering of his walls. Even the hard edged survivors feel something and all that. Bill was a cool character that you knew would survive. Hell, they almost entirely removed the debate between being absolute loners vs having friends and living in a community. They boiled it down till it meant literally nothing more than a gay romance. That's why people are upset with the episode. It was shit in comparison to the game's portrayal.

[@4203105]

They used Bill the exact same way in the show. Only here they went the opposite direction for how his story ended. But even that isn't a big departure, as the only change was that Bill bent a little, when it came to what his partner wanted in life. The paths diverged from that one single decision.

[@jarrarwinks8470]

It was a well written relationship at least, better than most in general in movies.

[@Lawrence_Talbot]

Well that and you’re telling me these two dudes managed to survive for 20+ years according to the show in the middle of this zombie apocalypse without encountering any zombies? Wtf. Completely pulled me out of the setting, and if this is zombie free zone why would anyone ever leave?

[@BunkerAnon]

@@jarrarwinks8470 Was it? They had one argument in Twenty odd years and Bill coincided to letting Frank "play House". I mean Frank is barely an extention of Bill let alone a actual character. It was cheap string pulling.

[@skyhunter2816]

Bad take.

[@DMGregAdventure]

Drinker: woke Hollywood is destroying film and movies! Also Drinker: andor, house of the dragon and the last of us are the best!

[@TrueCarthaginian]

Funny how he ignores blatant pushing of "THE MESSAGE" in these pieces of media.

[@FichtenFin]

Yes, because it has is focus on the story and the character and not "THE MESSAGE". If you are not seeing this, then you are blind and blended by your own agenda.

[@casualhamburger9607]

Lmao I love this, his own fans are turning against him! Serves him right, trying to appeal to a specific audience never goes well.

[@Refridgerraptor]

Just curious, what message was there on Andor? I really hate any pushing of propaganda in media, but i watched the whole show without once feeling sick to my stomach. It was a pleasant experience. The only thing i can think of was the lesbian couple? But they were bitter and not portrayed as rainbows and sunshine without faults.

[@TheRocco96]

I don't care much about the gay aspect, but what bothers me is that the situation was forced and didn't feel naturally. First of all, Bill made many deadly traps around his property, but when Frank fell into the trap, he wasn't injured. Shouldn't there have been spikes at the bottom of the pit? It's too much coincidence that Frank managed to fall in a trap that wasn't deadly. And then they fall in love just by playing a song on a piano, that was way too quick. In the end, Frank was very selfish. He's been pampered for many years by Bill, but then one day Frank is like "I want this to be my last day, and you must do great effort to make it the best day of my life."

[@chrispekel5709]

He probably had warning signs around the areas with deadly traps which the infected couldn't read and so walked into. I'd imagine the logical entrance was setup like this so he could trap people. Any infected that fall in can just be shot or burnt. It's hard to tell without seeing the exact way he set it all up

[@chrispekel5709]

He wasn't a psychopath, I don't think he would have wanted to kill anyone unless they ignored all warning signs and got right up to the fence. Remember when the raiders attacked? He was already awake when frank woke up, so maybe he had a manual trigger for all the deadly traps near his front gate. Why was involved in a gunfight whilst standing in the middle of the street? That was dumb

[@K5_RC]

100% forced. Wasn't necessary, wasn't in the game, and doesn't have any importance to the story line. Absolutely garbage.

[@sarov7658]

It's so forced but i didn't care until in twitter the guys if this show said it's to bait people into watching this shit and all the bs like they are obsessed on making homo ppl hateable in rl lol

[@nosouponhead]

You should care about the gay aspect.

[@shearer1682]

I can't believe the drinker likes this. I agree this was a a good stand alone episode but one hour fifteen minutes of two characters that only have a purpose to give Joel a working vehicle is ridiculous when it's real purpose is to a have a partial sex scene between two men on screen

[@Utsi74]

In bed: "I'm gonna start with the simple things...". Thank you for sparing us from the advanced things in the dungeon😆

[@Sjcstro84]

Staying true to the lore is applied very selectively. When it comes to color or sexuality we have to not only stay true but really elaborate on the lore. When it comes to anything else well.. "it's a fictional story and why are you taking it so seriously"

[@Sjcstro84]

@@sugartoothYT this exactly. The changes can only go one way, either colored or female. But not the other way

[@Shipwreck15151]

So many idiots were gushing over how Sarah in the show was wearing the same shirt that Sarah did in the game, or how the certain sets looked like it did in the game. But the second you mention that Sarah wasn’t a mixed race girl, or that the whole Bill/Frank relationship was unnecessary and wavered too much from the story, you get labeled a bigot, homophobe and “this doesn’t have to mirror the game exactly”. It’s so annoying.

[@Shawn6751]

@@Shipwreck15151 It was softcore porn for the whole episode. It was good from a storyline point of view but it leaves a plot hole. How in the heck the prepper knew Ellie? The piano and the bedroom scene was uncalled for.

[@Americium-120]

@@Shawn6751 Agreed. I could infer that if two gay men stay together for years that they would have sex. It wasn't necessary to show him giving the other guy a Hoover.

[@josephcamhi5676]

Chernobyl has one fictional character, and she is a Mary Sue. Ulana Khomyuk, played by Emily Watson, is a composite character of all the scientists. She knew everything and was perfectly flawless. She was not realistic like the other characters in the show who were based on real people. And at the end of the show, they showed a picture of all the scientists, and they were all men.

[@lostcause78]

Eh it felt like the same "perfect gay couple" stereotype that every production have these days. It didn't feel "real" at all, the game did it better.

[@BunkerAnon]

Yea the games allusion to maybe they tried but bills personality just conflicted with Frank's wants leading them to hate each other in the end. It's a fantastic tragedy showing how this world can break even those that love each other. The show was just fluff garbage.

[@123612100]

To me the stereotype is usually femmy gay guys so I'm glad they went with two bears.

[@mranderson9813]

Yea lol mr perfect bear falls into a whole isn't a secret raider , doesn't betray Ron, and lives happily ever after. That almost never happens in real life so post apocalyplse? Inconceivable"

[@boneshaker115]

The stereotype for a long time was that gay couples are abusive and manipulative, so I'm glad they're defying it without being overly woke or preachy

[@Kernwadi]

"But, how did it make you... feel?" -Bilbo Baggins

[@Kernwadi]

@Hostmann Socrates Understandable.

[@mrdelaney4440]

I felt nothing.

[@Kernwadi]

@@glibfacsimile You're still alive (⁠・⁠o⁠・⁠)

[@MeYou-ut4kr]

I don't really care if there are really gay characters in a show as long as it makes sense to the plot and story and not just put in there to tick a box!

[@codyglass809]

This whole episode was literally just to check a box.

[@broodingnights1515]

@@codyglass809 No it wasn't.

[@codyglass809]

@@broodingnights1515 what a great point.... What are you 5?

[@aidanfoley6463]

@@codyglass809 Says the guy who refuses to acknowledge that gay people are humans too. You’re fine with white people being represented, why not gay people?

[@magicplacebo2143]

@@broodingnights1515 lol yes it literally was its lazy could've had a good action packed episode but no ruined for this crap the worst thing on T. V ever an I've seen really bad films and programs

[@christophertaylor9100]

Why did they pick that odd looking girl to play Ellie??

[@RebelsParadox]

So they can make Abby seem hotter in comparison haha

[@4203105]

Because people loved her in GoT, another big HBO show. Sadly she doesn't seem to have too much range.

[@IGotNewsForYou987]

Same reason they picked a Spanish guy to play Joel

[@DarkPhoenix6853]

It's the third episode, so still near the start of the show. Your two main characters are finally alone together, and you need to start working on their dynamic because literally all I've heard about the game is how amazing the Joel/Ellie relationship is. And instead you go on a boring tangent love story with zero impact on the plot, for three quarters of the episode. It's just the usual hollywood bait. Throw in an extremely contrived gay relationship, and when people don't like how it's shoehorned into the plot with neon signs saying "LOOK HOW ACCEPTING WE ARE" just label them as part of the toxic fandom.

[@CallingAllMadMen]

Nothing beats the games. The games are brutal and so well done. This show is just a money grabber.

[@RetroFan2.0]

It feels like it kinda takes away some suspension and realism by having frank and bill survive for so long without one of the other dying, plus the relationship had a fallout in the game too which led to an even more heartbreaking moment when finding frank hanging himself after being bitten and the letter being given to him afterwards, and the quest to get the truck back for Joel and Ellie by luck they had a fully functioning vehicle on hand only 2 weeks after dying.

[@Americium-120]

Also, the ability to reach Boston by nightfall being considered "remote" or "out of the way" just shows how Hollywood these people are. I'm sorry, if a small town is close enough to reach by nightfall at mid-day then it's not remote or out of the way from Boston. That town would be hit like a ton of bricks by scavengers and all it would take is one survivor saying "there is this place heavily defended, there has to be some good stuff there" to encourage an even larger raiding party to hit it even harder. It. Makes. No. Sense.

[@PaladinCiel]

I don't care how good this show starts, the games started great too. Never giving these people a dime of my money or a seconds worth of time.

[@BunkerAnon]

They'll trash Joel's character at the end. Probably have Abby's father beg for his life before Joel kills him.

[@mister-pinkman]

@@BunkerAnon the doctor is the game is basically begging Joel not to take Ellie back. And then Joel takes the scalpel and drives it into the doctors throat. He’s not portrayed as a hero in the game.

[@Anders4Anders]

@@mister-pinkman He risked his own life to save his baby girl from getting cut up for a possible cure and killed a small army while doing so. Sounds pretty heroic.

[@mister-pinkman]

@@Anders4Anders it’s meant to be morally grey dude. He is NOT portrayed as a hero in the game at all, nor a villain. He slaughters dozens of people including Marlene, who if you listened to her audio logs in the hospital, says she struggled to come to the decision of sacrificing Ellie. The people in that hospital were not evil they were doing their jobs. And then Joel lies to Ellie about it all. He did it because he didn’t want to lose his daughter for the second time

[@4203105]

@@mister-pinkman I maintain that Joel did the only right thing. There is no way that these quacks, who would so readily kill their only test subject, had a snowballs chance in hell of finding a cure. Thus Joel keeping Ellie alive is the only chance humanity has for eventually finding a cure. Maybe there are some actually competent scientists left in South America, Asia or Europe. Druckman to this day hasn't satisfyingly explained why you'd have to rip all of the fungus out of Ellie instead of just getting small samples through through biopsies. The latter is good scientific practice, the former is something somebody who once saw a scientist on TV would do. If Druckman wanted this to be "morally grey" and not just the clearly right choice it is, he should have written it better.

[@RomeroSanFran]

That moment when Ben Shapiro is better critical drinker than critical drinker 😂

[@cubablue602]

They 'agendified' a gay relationship. Not brave enough to portray as originally written. What they did with it was well acted it has to be said but overall it did not work for me. I felt I should have been more emotionally involved and after hearing the hype I was kind of disappointed that I wasn't. Frank and Bills relationship felt too contrived, too rushed and there were other incongruities like Raiders leaving them alone for 10 YEARS after the first attack. Ehh? Enjoying the series overall but agree that Bella Ramsey (or rather how she's being directed) is a weak point.

[@SeraphsWitness]

I just don't want an hour-long gay romance diversion from the main plot. It didn't contribute to the main story and characters, and was clearly an insert episode to hit their gay quota. If you want to make a gay story, go ahead. But this is just shoehorned. There's no conflict. No zombies. No stakes. They're just living until they die. They can't reproduce (duh) so there aren't even interesting moral questions about the necessity of continuing on in the first place.

[@masamune2984]

Absolutely adored the episode, and don’t give a fuck who didn’t. I HATE modern Hollywood and Twitter agendas/tropes, but there is a point where good movies/episodes really separate the wheat from the chaff aka the actual humans vs the pure haters.

[@chrisd653]

So you enjoy sausage action huh? Good for you 👏

[@Dustyphoto915]

It was a great episode of stand alone television. As the third episode of TLoU, it was total horse crap. They left out way too much of TLoU to create Nirvana. TLoU is conflict from start to finish. They could have at least had some conflict between Bill and Frank. Franks a corpse. Not the central theme of your third episode.

[@dansuduhast1051]

@@chrisd653 good mask off moment, where just the existence of gay people is "woke" to you

[@casualhamburger9607]

@@chrisd653 So you enjoy saying stupid shit huh? good for you.

[@natediaz1863]

I too like softcore gay pron

[@AgentHurt]

i think, for me, the thing to consider is that ashley johnson has such an underrated range of acting. when you couple that with the fact that she’s an adult actress that can channel life lessons of pain, awe, and trauma, with just an overall better acting range, you have a better video game ellie than anything we can expect from bella ramsey

[@chrispekel5709]

Bella Ramsay looks and acts like a special needs kid

[@gailseatonhumbert]

Bella is 19 she is just short at 5'1". I think her performance of the character is great.

[@TorvinRW]

The episode lasts over 1 hour. The main characters are in it for around 10 minutes or less. We spend 50+ minutes watching a story about 2 characters who by the end of the episode mean nothing. There is absolutely no purpose to this episode. It has no identity or function. It was like I watched an episode of another series inbetween two 5 min segments of the show I wanted to watch. Look, idc about the sexual orientation of the characters in the sub story. Just. Why did I waste my time expecting 1h of zombie apocalypse to get a romance story for 1h. This episode is just fishing for appraisal from a woke world for being inclusive. Which in of itself is offensive. Just tell the story like they are apart of it. Don't make them the focus above the main story to check boxes. It just does the opposite of what u intend.

[@krakenmckraken9128]

Good or poorly executed single episode aside. The story told in it wasn’t relevant or a better version of the events in the game. It actually robbed some of the best interactions in the game from the show. My takeaway is that bill was a highlight of the game. He shouldn’t have died in the show and instead lived like in the game. Take bills story and expand upon it if you want because he’s an interesting asshole of a character that’s just fun to watch. Just don’t do it in Joel and Ellis story because it’s not relevant. Joel shows up after frank had already dipped and has zero knowledge of him (like us the audience) and bills relationship. Joel gets the car and leaves bill behind to deal with his own business. So why spend so much time and focus on this aspect that was never part of the tlou’s story?

[@MrSolobear333]

Wouldn't of been better if it started how it did with bill and Frank. That instead of being together for years and everything is perfect, you get a story where they are in love but after years of being secluded you see that relationship break down . And Frank dips out and Bill becomes like he is in the game and then you have that whole interaction with Joel and Ellie.

[@reelgriff]

It was a Gay Hallmark Episode, with bonus gay sofcore fap material. The guy who was a closeted gay for decades gets one kiss from the all-knowing Prince Charming and climbs into bed with him? FFS, that would be risible and justly mocked in a heterosexual context, and it's just as ridiculous and emotionally shallow in a Message-approved story.

[@maulcs]

Making Ellie such an unlikeable brat is a baffling move. And Joel is just blah. How are they going to properly develop this relationship to where it has an impact? I really don't know.

[@chasehedges6775]

Making Ellie such an unlikable brat. Reminds of the girl from Jurrasic World Dominion who was so unlikeable

[@bryanbarr4151]

Well, to be fair; Ellie's character is a bit annoying at times, as well as defiant. Also a bit of a smartass. I also agree that the casting for Joel could have been better, but Pascal is an incredible actor. To be honest, to find the perfect Ellie, or Joel (to match the game), probably would have been impossible. The producers did a fine job with casting choices

[@maulcs]

@@bryanbarr4151 Bella was not a good casting choice, imo, but it's made even worse with the writing. Ellie was not overly mean and bratty with sadistic tendencies like the person in this show. In the game she was likeable basically from the first scene, and was a great foil to Joel with her upbeat, quirky personality. We liked her, so we understand why Joel liked her, and how he regained his humanity with their relationship.

[@markc2182]

Rotten Tomatoes and IMDb won't even let you post a negative review on the show. What a joke!

[@augustopoliche8908]

Funniest thing is they portrait frank as a nurturing housewife. Bill actually says to Joe that he has to "protect" what he loves. So yeah if it's a gay man you can make him a damsel in distress.

[@augustopoliche8908]

@L'Ephebe well yeah it's exactly what I'm saying. Like since he's a gay guy we wouldn't notice.

[@crispybatman480]

Isn't Ellie a sort of sweet person in the game at first because she was extremely sheltered from the Apocalypse for the majority of her upbringing? She wasn't just some cabbage patch kid that popped up. Even a life of military school for youths is extremely sheltered compared to the people outside. Also, the outrage is not because of "the big gay", they were very much gay in the games too. The difference is their plot was better, while having an integral part in Joel and Ellie's character development. Here it is an okay standalone story, that basically just leaves loot for Joel to find(and leave most of it behind lol).

[@rp-2f]

Yeah the ellie of the game is much more like the daughter in episode 1. But did anyone really expect them to write ellie that way for modern tv? In modern times the female protagonist MUST have a foul mouth (because that promotes strength in their minds for some reason) she MUST be prone to aggression and violence and she MUST be angry. I was devastated when the daughter died in episode 1. But if ellie died I would not care at all

[@Сайтамен]

@@rp-2f She was hostile and angry at the start of the game. Which makes perfect sense for this world. In ep4 of the show she became warmer and friendlier to Joel.

[@donovan4222]

The plot was not better in the game, Bill is mostly just a side quest and you don’t even see any of his backstory. The changes make sense with the character. And plenty of people mad about it absolutely are mad about gay people just existing.

[@donovan4222]

@@rp-2f LOL wtf? Did you play the game? Ellie in the show acts exactly the same way. The first thing she does when she sees Joel is attack him in the game.

[@crispybatman480]

@@donovan4222 This isn't a super hero franchise, we don't need an origins story for literally every character. Sometimes, less is more with storytelling.

[@justanothernobody7142]

This episode was awful. It felt like a filler episode from a late season of TWD. It was well acted but completely out of place as a third episode and making them both die at the end made the whole story pointless to the overall storyline. It wouldn't have been so bad if Bill had lived and would make further appearances in the show because then it would have been just a backstory, even though it was far too long overall. The only reason people are calling this a masterpeice is because it featured a gay couple, if this was a love story between a man and a women this would be getting slated as the pointless filler it was.

[@4203105]

It was far from pointless. The letter impressed some important things upon Joel and by seeing Bill's life we got a glimpse into Joel's, as those two were very similar characters. The episode even spelled that out for you at the end.

[@justanothernobody7142]

@@4203105 Yes but I mean pointless in that it didn't need to take up an entire episode. That whole story could have been condensed down into a 20 minute story. Plus the game story was far more interesting so there was really no reason to change it.

[@DaveSkylark111]

WEF: “You will live in zee pods, eat zee bugs, wear zee mask, own nossink, and watch zee gay people make out, and you vill be happy.

[@AdubsMMA]

Mis-characterized both of them, just to tell a "gay story". And everyone is "on board" or "too chicken" to say the truth.. Frank ends up leaving Bill because Bill is so "set in his ways" and actually steals a lot of Bills survival equipment before he leaves... You don't even know they were gay until you find a note as Joel and it's from Frank basically saying how much he hates Bill. Its forced into a beloved story. They manipulated a targeted audience to spread this shit. And a director of the series, who just happens to be gay said, "sometimes you have to trick an audience into watching a gay story". 👌🏼 Bait and switch. Expectations subverted. 💩

[@AdubsMMA]

@Charley kinda like they shoulda named it something else.

[@AdubsMMA]

@Charley yes. 🤡🤦🏻‍♂️

[@AdubsMMA]

@Charley now that you've posted your opinion and I've read it fully 3 times................. I still don't care about your opinion of my opinion. 🙂

[@AdubsMMA]

@Charley fucks sake. 🤦🏻‍♂️🤡🌎

[@AdubsMMA]

@Charley I see why you enjoy this series. 👌🏼😂🧠❌

[@TheChildofAuraReborn]

I knew the moment they changed Tess’s death (which was incredibly insulting to the character. Tess’s original death was defiant, even though she was infected she still took control of her fate and went down fighting, killing two trained military personnel when she was outmatched six to one) that something was wrong with the direction they were taking some creative liberties in. I’m actually really concerned over how they’re gonna treat Henry and Sam once we get to them, aside from Tess those two are my favorite characters that Joel and Ellie meet.

[@bryanbarr4151]

Agreed. I would have rather seen Tess go out that way. The change was a bit annoying, but it was nothing compared to the debacle of episode 3

[@mr.raslyon6626]

Yeah, I've been having it out with HBO Stans since last week over that shit.

[@TheChildofAuraReborn]

@@mr.raslyon6626 Currently having it out with an HBO stan right now on a comment I made trying to carefully explain WHY game fans are mad about Bill’s story change. I swear, some of these people are dense and just want to argue.

[@TheChildofAuraReborn]

@@bryanbarr4151 Episode there was just a bunch of meaningless fluffy drivel that managed to destroy a super important arc for Ellie, where Joel learns to trust her more after seeing her hold her own.

[@warmcoffee69]

My biggest complaint is that the tone of the scene when they kissed was a bit off. Didn't play the games so I didn't know about the characters. Perhaps I've seen too many bleak depictions of an apocalypse. But I was expecting the guy to get his head blown off once he lowered his guard to play the piano... I mean he did end up getting his head blown but not in the way I expected lmao. Actually laughed out loud because it seemed so out of nowhere.

[@Enigma75614]

Nothing with Bill and Frank in this show was in the game.

[@anthonykarnes6804]

The episode started out feeling like a build up to a gay porno,otherwise it was good

[@Lawful_Rebel]

No, I expected it, all we see are gays on screen, one would think that's the norm.

[@warmcoffee69]

@@Enigma75614 Oh so it really did come out of nowhere haha. Funny thing is that I think it could have worked. But when they kissed, my suspension of disbelief was shattered. Not because 2 men can't kiss in an apocalypse. But because no 2 people would end up kissing in that situation and that quickly lmao.

[@LittleMopeHead]

It's a filler episode. Got to tick the boxes.

[@ivanthenuke9995]

Wake me up when they do the same sort of carefully thought out and well written story about a hetro couple having a long, loving relationship in this same phucked up apocalyptical world.

[@MaD0MaT]

Never going to happen.

[@merlindo8267]

They made Joel and Tess...

[@4203105]

Maybe if you didn't sleep through the episodes you would have noticed Joel and Tess. Their relationship was explored in all three episodes so far.

[@ivanthenuke9995]

Not the same. I want a side character, barely noticed in the game, to be pushed front and center and then to have a personal and caring relationship that takes up an entire episode - completely unrelated to the main story.

[@merlindo8267]

@@ivanthenuke9995 well, in the tv show it was very clear that Joel and Tess sleeped together, and had a romantic relationship, at the same time, none of this happened in the game, the director could come out and say that in the game Joel and Tess are just friends (or that they just had sex a few times, nothing romantic) and most people would believe, but the same statement cant be done for the tv show.

[@lalalarose8197]

Didnt really mind the episode. My main issue with the show thus far is Ellie. Tv Ellie is a bully and a total weirdo. There’s nothing endearing about her.

[@chasehedges6775]

Unendearing and unlikable teen characters are TIGHT!

[@ticoworld7195]

YoungRippa said enough plenty by is vote of silence 🤣

[@Mythos1981]

Seriously guys? The vanishing of civilization is when two gay men die in a series based on a game which never had these things in it? Yeah, yeah, it "insinuated" that these two had a relationship (btw the word partner doesn't describe just a couple but ok) but that's the entirety of it. To make an entire episode for this, well, we all know the times we live in so let's not kid ourselves as to the why they did it.

[@msanjelica]

I really liked it. Found them more compelling than Joel & Ellie. Hopefully they release the full 2 hour version.

[@Mythos1981]

@@msanjelica well some people like perverted things i am well aware.

[@msanjelica]

@@Mythos1981 Lame.

[@Mythos1981]

@@msanjelica plain truth

[@msanjelica]

@@Mythos1981 Your opinion.

[@dmacarthur5356]

Eric D July was so disinterested in that garbage episode he didn't even say a word.

[@EricVidfarne]

Loved the episode. Some of the best modern television I've seen in 15 years.

[@weatherby1982]

that wasn't bill that was my problem.....use this story in some other show don't ruin a good character and an already good story.

[@tinglemccringleberry8899]

It was awful frank hated bill

[@piotrswat169]

It was the greatest hour of tv in history😂 until the next week.

[@DigiMyst]

I'm not so sure. When Bill told Joel to "Get the f out of my town", do you think he really hated Joel or he just had his walls up again?

[@ImotekhtheStormlord-tx2it]

Ppl seem to refuse to see how many plot holes and inconsistencies this show already has.....

[@GiltleyRage]

Can you give examples? I think it's pretty solid writing.

[@trenchmouse2438]

To those who played the games, the episode was likely a big disappointment. Not because Bill and Frank were gay, but because it’s a complete departure from the whole Bill’s Town sequence. We missed out on a lot of dialogue between Ellie and Bill that definitely helped me like Ellie as a character when I first played the game. They could’ve changed Bill and Frank’s details a bit to make a happier ending but instead we got fanfic levels of writing. Also, this casts a whole shadow over the show now. What else are they gonna change? What if they change the ambiguity of the ending to justify the beginning of TLOU2? I’m hoping i’m wrong but clearly nothing is safe moving forward.

[@ashmelon7272]

That's exactly why I'm not liking much of it. I understand deviating from the source material to some extent but Bill's section is really an interesting part of the overall story that holds meaning to it. Killing him off just cheapens whatever Ellie and Joel learn from that interaction. Lots of people don't care if they're gay, that was a bit obvious in the game and it was also done in a nicely subtle way ( with a bit of comedy with the magazine ), with them finding Frank's bitter farewell note. Bill ending up alone makes it more impactful than just having him go too.

[@DigiMyst]

Honestly I was bummed at first, but this gave me hope they might deviate some more, like with Part 2. They can deviate all of that.

[@trenchmouse2438]

@@DigiMyst I kinda hope they do. If those who like TLOU2 don’t like any changes that happen, we can just point to this episode and laugh.

[@Enigma75614]

@@DigiMyst They’ll probably follow it exactly because it fits “The Message”.

[@4203105]

Why would you want an exact retelling of the game? You've already played the game? I like them deviating from the game as long as it's good. Just like I've liked the deviations in legend of vox machina so far. I've already watched critical role campaign one. I don't need it regurgitated word for word. "It's different therefore it's bad!" is such a weak argument.

[@Amazin11000]

I didn't like it very much they could have excluded the gratutious intimacy and just hinted at it, honestly this back story should have been 10 minutes max, we are here for Elle and Joel not "Brave TV"

[@pewienkurczak4581]

I would boldly assume 90% of viewers don't enjoy watching hairy dads kissing, but the other 10% is loud, loud, loud!

[@magicplacebo2143]

It's not the fact of all the gayness it's about story and character bill had zero character compared to the game.. Crying over strawberries

[@YouJGSousa]

Hate the Ellie casting, it seems like I’m seeing her GoT performance. Really hopes she gets better

[@shorseyletterkenny]

Don't know how people missed that Craig Mazin saw and stared in one of the two Mythic Quest episodes where the show runners devote an entire episode to a single bottle/emotional back story. He saw the hits that got and hits get close to that target

[@keywitness4955]

I luv when 2 dudes get off on each other in the Apocalypse

[@vandalcreed]

Toooooo romantic. I was fine with the homosexual relationship but Bill being a fine purveyor of wine, crying over strawberries, etc was just gay (pun intended). Bill going suicidal was a let down only because I was anticipating some real banter between Joel and Bill like in the game. And imo the raider attack was just annoying. Bill to Frank post being shot paraphrased "don't worry about them they'll just throw themselves against the electric fence like lemmings and die"

[@mrkennady]

I like how the guy with CRITICAL in his name has not once thought critically about this episode. How did bill and frank manage to have electricity, running water, and even fuel for 20 years in an apocalypse? Fuel is one thing but running water? And no one questions that?

[@dallesamllhals9161]

Salty are we😁

[@masonnealgrove7595]

I normally hate shows that try and push “THE MESSAGE” but I got heavily invested in their story it was well acted and not pushy and I enjoyed it. Just hope they don’t have to rush any other episodes because of the time taken in this one.

[@ma12sh]

Ii didnt need to see a guy go down on another guy, why cant they go to bed and we assume what ever, but No no we gotta see every detail, even when the that episode had nothing to do with the story!! its EP 3 and rather than get into the story more, they then threw in a story that pushed the MESSAGE. it was to early for that and there was things we didn't need to see and can assume what ever we want. Im happy for them to take their time with the show, but people who haven't played the game really haven't got much of an idea of what's really happened or what they are afraid of especially if they never played the games. So ep3 was all about them getting the car and taking nothing else with them. and we got a gay love story in there.. Why cant it just be 2 dudes surviving! why always with the Message push and every detail people forget about, Remember the logistics of being homosexual. it aint pretty, i would have liked NH in there more and maybe just be 2 guys who are surviving? The love story wasn't needed

[@robfulco4739]

What did this episode have to do with forwarding the plot? The characters are in the game, yes. But in a different way. Plus the game didn't focus too much on the characters. They were a catalyst for Joel to get a truck and some supplies. Other than that, the episode was about 45 minutes too long. Besides, when in a zombie apocalypse, 2 men finding "love" with each other or 2 women, are not going to save the human race.

[@timbola]

Loved Chernobyl until I found out the woman nuclear physicist played by Emily Watson..a complete Mary Sue...DID NOT exist. She was a amalgamation of other people.

[@roedhunt]

I'll continue to watch these reviews but ep3 was the last for me. It's just another show pushing the MESSAGE no matter if it was done 'good' or not. And now the defenders will come in with insults and lectures of not going along with the agenda.

[@SPM0717]

Gay people exist. Who knew?

[@roedhunt]

@@SPM0717 And let's keep reminding people in every single tv show and movie. 2ndly, the chances that two people who are the 3% of the entire population survive and then suddenly find each other?

[@Sully0020]

@@roedhunt They were gay in the game too soooooo

[@Agk3los]

I think the issue with this episode, for me, is that while it was a great episode that told a great story very well... it kind of didn't matter because in the timeline of the show they're already dead. I think if they'd combined this story they wanted to tell, have Bill NOT kill himself, and then have the story of the game where Bill, Joel, and Ellie go on this adventure together before Bill eventually meets his demise would have been powerful. There's a lot of story in this game to turn into show and taking an entire episode to tell a story that really doesn't matter or advance anything seems wasteful.

[@blackdynamite_5470]

This entire episode was filler gay propaganda

[@thecensoredmuscle563]

Great episode? It was just some sodomite episode that did nothing for the story.

[@donovan4222]

Have you played last of us? Half the game is spent picking up notes and learning stories of people in the apocalypse who are already dead. That doesn’t make the stories pointless.

[@_AutoCoder]

I hear Brokeback Mountain was also shot, written, and executed well. Issue is they've only got 9 episodes and chose to burn an entire one on a gay romance that was only alluded to in the game. I'll shut up if they burn an entire episode on Joel and his brother's bond or Tess or the daughter. We all know why they chose this to focus on.

[@cdle007]

That gay relationship was not alluded to at all.

[@Sully0020]

You should watch Brokeback Mountain if you haven't seen it. Fantastic movie.

[@casualhamburger9607]

@@cdle007 um... yeah, it was.

[@jihyotwice3159]

While I don't mind the episode per se, I feel that they are glancing over some of the more important aspects of the story. I know that it's not to late and I may be over thinking it. One aspect is the scarcity of items. The original story placed a huge emphasis on battle and the growth of Ellie in her survival skills. The battle in town to get the battery and how Ellie supported Joel is one step that Joel trusts Ellie with a gun and begins to lean on her to not do it all alone. Now, they (Ellie and Joel) suddenly gets a car and supplies. They didn't even cook and get something to eat but they have time to take showers and change clothes. Even the car looks almost brand new in comparison to the surrounding houses. Frank is younger and they even said that Bill might die before Frank. During the raid, Bill was shot in the stomach while Frank was uninjured. Yet, Frank becomes invalid and dying (from an illness that they don't explain but they get pills for). Fanfiction speculate from the strawberry. They do all this backstory but leave out an important fact. It's this pacing that they introduce new backstory (origin of virus and Bill & Frank) but never fully explain, that I thought they would end season 1 at the point that Joel gets injured and Ellie gets captured. Or even the aftermath of that since there is a time skip where Joel needs to heal and Ellie learns to hunt. However, they hinted season 2 would be TLOU part 2. Maybe?????

[@connernickerson5509]

Oh my God I'm first...oh and they ruined bill and Frank's story. Less is more Hollywood, less is more

[@rikwilkinson9060]

Waiting for drinker to just be drinker and say what’s really on his mind.

[@robbierobinson4110]

Big let down he didn't just lay into this ep and call it out. Coulda made a joke about there being grooming in this than just Bill's beard but no he bent the knee. Sad.

[@markbrowning4334]

@@robbierobinson4110 It is sad. They way he was coming after these productions previously, I didn't think he'd ever let down. He just caved in hard for an episode that was begging to be destroyed by him. If there was ever a content that was forced inclusion or virtue signalling, episode 3 was it. This was nothing but a token gay episode.

[@lucascoval828]

@@robbierobinson4110 He's not as bright or critical as people think he is.

[@TangoNevada]

So he's just as bad as everyone else he criticizes for following the crowd he is with. Good to know. That makes him kind of woke.

[@markbrowning4334]

@@TangoNevada No, the difference is he's calling out a poison to our society. Don't confuse wokeness with any other culture of the world. Wokeness isn't an option as a culture to live by. Its a parasite or like I referenced earlier, a poison. It isn't just some innocent thing that diversifies us. Its destructive and tears down anything and everything that we, as a humanity, have built. Yet once we've taken it all down in the name of wokeness, there's nothing remaining or nothing to build back upon. This woke garbage starts quietly enough in our entertainment, but it becomes an infestation and we can see how it has moved into our classrooms at all levels. Its moved into businesses and even our government. People like Drinker are doing us a favor in calling out wokeness and liberal political agendas. These things are not tools of diversity as they are advertised. They are tools of fascist control, and they need to be called our and removed.

[@rageintothelight]

It would have been fine if they showed a little bit of bill and Frank's relationship, but Jesus, the entire episode of them!! It was just too much

[@jeffersonhassan4558]

Funnily enough, majority of you folks wouldn't be saying shit if it were a straight couple episode

[@SlavicGold]

way too much of a depature from the game for me. 3rd episode only, Not enough of the main characters or story development for them to focus on a side character being gay

[@HeyHerdy]

I have no idea what people were watching in episode 3, I was bored to tears, things move on very quickly. Bill plays a nice song on piano, (lets go to bed and live together)....what? Are you kidding me? That's it? Bill runs out into the middle of the street to get shot easily, wow didn't see that coming and it didn't even mean anything because he doesn't get hurt, he's fine in the next scenes. Not only that, he was using a hunting rifle that could have been used from a building where he wouldn't have gotten shot. By the time we get to the strawberries I don't believe in their relationship at all. There's no conflict, drama or character development, it was bored to tears and if I'm being honest I can see people not remembering the Last of Us, they'll watch it once and that's it, that's the end of it. I think it's worse than making a bad show, it's just passable, and therefore not memorable.

[@zoom4897]

Honestly for me it felt like a filler episode that served little to no purpose which could’ve been done in under 5-10 minutes and that’s partly why it annoyed people I guess. The whole arc didn’t really make sense and it felt out of place especially after episode 2.

[@jamiekelly6851]

That's cause you have no attention span. Wasn't the greatest thing but I'm sick of hearing people go on about being bored about projects that actually require you to pay attention and willingly engage. Just reminds me that half the population would say the godfather or lawrence of Arabia Iis bad because there isnt explosions and fights every 5 mins.

[@zoom4897]

@@jamiekelly6851 Why did the story stray from ellie and joel surviving in the world to include something that served little to no purpose and took an entire episode? The games have plenty stuff that could've been included in the show. I would have rather had an episode where we could see tommy's side of the story and how he survives, which would've build his story arc as well, but I guess we'll see that eventually. Not an entire episode of a relationship that someone had, the end, next phase. It's not just boring but lazy writing.

[@HeyHerdy]

@@jamiekelly6851 it has nothing to do with the content and everything to do with basic storytelling. There's no climax to the story, Bill and Frank aren't tested in any way, there's nothing to cheer for or against. It's basically a utopic story because nothing happens that's of any consequence.

[@CoolGobyFish]

Also, how many innocent people did Ron Swanson kill with his traps? Probably hundreds over the span 20 years. We just going to ignore it? The gay guy stayed with him simply for protection. Its either that or go off and starve somewhere.

[@gavinevans1687]

I thought this was a terrible episode. It was just ridiculous. The military leave this little town and never come back? It didn't feel like a part of this world, everything was too perfect. They barely get attacked by raiders, clickers, or anything. When that Max Richter music shows up, it was trying so pathetically hard to make you cry like an oscar bait movie. Then Bill, a hardcore survivalist drops all common sense and sleeps with the first guy he comes across, really? And of course, the only other person happens to be gay as well. Their whole relationship felt forced, not an ounce of chemistry. I get the ideas they're going for; surviving vs living, but that's literally a key aspect of Joel's character arc. So why do we need those same themes here? Their entire plot just ends in their deaths so everything felt irrelevant. On top of that, the glorification of suicide left a bad taste in my mouth. And I know people will say that the letter is why it matters but I disagree. If you like beating your audience over the head with its ideas then sure. I didn't need an explanation to why Joel saves Ellie, the nuance was already there. This is also only the third episode so to break away from the main characters and to focus on other characters that have zero effect on the plot just killed all momentum of the show. On top of all that, Bill's character was better written in the game. A lot more depth and nuance and it didn't even have to try this hard.

[@johns.1854]

The glorification of suicide was cheap and exploitative and I hate it.

[@SpiralScratches]

uh huh, when i give my dad a copy of the whole thing episode 3 will somehow strangely be missing

[@The_Cyber_Police]

The worst thing a show can do is be boring and not move the plot forward. This episode did both. enough said.

[@codyglass809]

Exactly. Pure filler 3 episodes in. Never played the game so quickly lost interest in this show

[@MEPSIPAX826]

The problem with the episode is that it was pointless filler that had nothing to do with the main story and critics only praised the episode because it involved a gay romance. If it was a straight romance, critics would have derided the episode as pointless filler.

[@NYWunWuns]

I wish Frank and Bill at least knew each other or knew of each other prior to the outbreak. Would have made it more believable for Bill letting him in.

[@emohbrisnicki7648]

Sex scene was unnecessary. Just allude and fade to black. Hate how Hollywood likes to push soft porn onto people. I warch this show with my kids and had to make them divert their eyes while I tried to ffwd it.

[@cheddulous]

So they can change the entire tone of the dynamic of a couple of side characters as long as it makes you feel good? Right.

[@robrick9361]

All will be sacrificed in service of "The Message".

[@unclepain10]

You got to ask yourself why seeing two men in their 50s getting it on with eachother constantly in the episode is making these men feel good?