The 2023 Creative Arts Emmy Awards proved to be a wonderful affair for HBO’s The Last of Us. The Pedro Pascal-starrer clinched the greatest number of wins on Night 1 of the Emmy Awards season, with one in the ‘Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series’ category. Among the many guest appearances in the HBO show, Nick Offerman bagged the win with his remarkable portrayal of survivalist and Frank’s lover, Bill.
Showrunners Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann took the risk of spinning a plot on veteran game characters Bill and Frank’s relationship in the series. Safe to say, it was the greatest decision made as the characters have earned a special place in the fans’ hearts. After Season 1 of The Last of Us concluded with a season finale in early March 2023, fans have been keen on Bill and Frank’s future in the show. Hence, Offerman’s revelation at the Emmy lit a kindle of hope on the endearing love story’s fate.
The Last of Us’s Bill and Frank to get the limelight
A grand win of eight Emmys at the 2023 season surely sets The Last of Us apart from the crowd of other compelling TV shows. With the buzz of Season 2 taking center stage, fans seemed curious about beloved characters, Bill and Frank, returning in the sequel season. Frank and Bill die together by taking sleeping pills after the former decides it would be his last day. The heartbreaking storyline was depicted in the sole episode dedicated to their tragic love story, Episode 3 titled, “Long, Long Time.” However, fans wouldn’t mind even a flashback form of storytelling, as long as Bill and Frank are in it.
After his award reception, Nick Offerman offered a candid insight into the characters’ future in the post-apocalyptic drama. The 53-year-old actor told Deadline,
“Oh, great question but I would have to ask somebody with a higher pay grade than myself. It certainly has been pitched. I think we pitched a whole mini-series of a prequel of their lives before they met each other. It could be a musical. We’re not short on ideas. We’ll just we’ll see what Craig [Mazin] and Neil [Druckmann] come up with.”
Throwing the ball in the creators’ court, Offerman hardly let any minutes slip out on what they might be planning for Bill and Frank. Instead, he teased great possibilities, including a spin-off series based on the star-crossed lovers, or even a musical. Regardless, Offerman openly expressed his admiration for Bill and didn’t deny that he would be keen on reprising his character in The Last of Us anytime in the future.
What inspired the idea of Bill and Frank’s love story?
For a game-themed series, majorly based on violence, death, and disease, the touching yet heartbreaking love affair of Bill and Frank might seem like an outcast. Yet, fans couldn’t help but be attached to the characters in a single episode itself, with Pedro Pascal‘s Joel and Bella Ramsey‘s Ellie boiled down to supporting roles in the episode. Now, a whole prequel might be based on it. It is interesting to know what tipped off the showrunners Mazin and Druckmann to spin the love story in such a manner. In a Zoom conversation with Business Insider’s Kirsten Acuna, Mazin said,
“There’s this lovely thread that indicated this hint of a relationship between Bill and Frank in the game. I just suggested to Neil that maybe we pull that thread and we take it in a different direction in terms of the way it was depicted in the game…and how we could give these two men a win.”
The intention behind their love story was to depict how humans can find a purpose even among the deadliest and darkest times of life. A ray of hope is what Bill and Frank brought to the world of The Last of Us. It deviated from the game’s theme but evidently, the risk was worth it. Season 2 of The Last of Us is set to begin production in Spring 2024.
