The showrunners of The Last of Us explains the major episode 3 story shift and according to them, they saw an opportunity to go in a different direction and they took it.
Showrunners of the Last of Us Explains Major Episode 3 Story Shift
The last of Us by HBO so far has gotten tons of positive reviews for its impressive loyalty to Naughty Dog which is the developer behind the gaming title era-defining PlayStation title, but the third episode of the series however marked the first major shift from the in-game story of Joel and Ellie.
The spotlight is put by ‘Long Long Time’ on Bill (Nick Offerman) and Frank (Murray Barlett), two lone survivors who in the aftermath of the global Cordyceps outbreak came together. Both characters for a short time featured in the original Last of Us game, but the small screen adaptation but HBO dedicates a wholesome hour to the decade-long relationship of the pair deeper.
Co-showrunners Neil Druckmann and Craig Mazin in an interview with TechRadar ahead of the release of the series explained the thinking behind their decision to go off-piste with episode 3 of the last of us which the pair prior to the time have admitted will leave some fans inevitably upset.
“It came out of an interest I had in portraying Bill slightly differently because the Bill section of the game was very much built around gameplay,” Mazin reveals to us.
“What fascinated me about Bill was that he was safe, that he had created this interesting little safe harbor in the world. Then my next question was, well, what happens to you if you’re safe in this world? What next? Do you just stay there alone? What do you need? Why do you keep going? And I knew about the Frank storyline in the game, which, to me, sort of echoed the worst possible outcome for Joel.
What the Creators Have To Say About the Last of Us Episode 3
“But I thought there was an opportunity [with episode 3] to go in a different direction and explore the passage of time between the outbreak and where we are now, and also create a relationship that worked,” he continues. “A relationship that, in its duality, helped define some themes that we’ll see over and over again [in the show] – two very different kinds of love. Somebody that loves outwards, nurtures and protects, and creates. And somebody that loves by protection through violence and preservation.
“So I remember saying to Nick [Offerman] and Murray [Bartlett] that this relationship is the basis of everything. Everything is reflected in this [relationship]. And even though there is a bit of blubbering that occurs, in their own way, they win. They get the happy ending.”
When adapting the Last of Us for the screen, Druckmann who initially penned the original story of the game felt that it was key to leave some of the heavy moments of the gameplay on the cutting room floor.
To get the remaining parts of the interview with TechRadar, check Here.
