The Last of Us Season 2 hypes its own Bill and Frank-inspired episode
Neil Druckmann has teased that one character could get their own heartbreaking backstory in The Last of Us Season 2.
26th Sep 2024 13:51
Images via HBO
The Last of Us Season 2 hypes its own Bill and Frank-inspired episode
Neil Druckmann has teased that one character could get their own heartbreaking backstory in The Last of Us Season 2.
26th Sep 2024 13:51
Images via HBO
Although we once hoped we'd be sitting down to enjoy The Last of Us Season 2 in 2024, it's true that absence only makes the heart grow fonder. As the hype for the upcoming second season builds, HBO is on the marketing assault to make sure we're all tuning in next year.
Sticking a middle finger to the video game adaptation curse, The Last of Us Season 1 broke records and brilliantly brought Naughty Dog's 2013 epic to life on the small screen. One of the show's big wins was its creative turn away from the source material while remaining faithful, and apparently, we can expect plenty more.
The Last of Us Season 2 could be getting its own 'Bill & Frank' episode
There were many differences between the video game and TV series, ranging from the year things are set to Tess' death, the creation of Melanie Lynskey's Kathleen as a new character, and the origin of Ellie's immunity. While gaming purists take issue with some of these changes, many agree they were part of what made The Last of Us a must-watch series.
Speaking to Variety, Naughty Dog Game Director and series co-creator Neil Druckmann explained how too many adaptations fall into the trap of fearing to tell their own story. "Staying so close to the source material that is built and designed and written for this other medium that has strengths and weaknesses," says Druckmann.
Imploring fans of the game to watch the show and fans of the show to play the games, he continued, "The game sometimes hints at stuff that we just don’t have time to get into the show that the game can, and vice versa. If you experience both, they’re both richer for it. And I love hearing that experience from people."
The show's creative license will unsurprisingly come into play again in Season 2, with Druckmann teasing a potentially major twist on a mystery character. Many think that Season 1's standout episode was the third, titled "Long Long Time", which focused on Nick Offerman's Bill and Murray Bartlett's Frank.
"Long Long Time" massively fleshed out the pair - particularly Frank who is already dead during the events of the game. Giving a tease of Season 2, Druckmann added, "One scene in particular comes to mind that I think fans of the game will eat up, because it really kind of tells you a lot of backstory of this important character that there wasn’t really a way for us to even do that in the game."
Although he doesn't reveal who this character is, fans on the show's subreddit are convinced it's Jeffrey Wright's Isaac. The high-profile casting of Wright already has us speculating that Isaac would be expanded from his role as the ruthless leader of the Washington Liberation Front in 2020's The Last of Us Part 2.
It's not that Isaac doesn't have a lot to do in Part 2, but Druckmann's wording has us thinking we'll get to explore more of his backstory. The Last of Us is great at creating tragic characters in both TV and video game form, so even if Isaac isn't who Druckmann is talking about, expect to find out more about what makes him tick when the hit series returns.
About The Author
Tom Chapman
Tom is Trending News Editor at GGRecon, with an NCTJ qualification in Broadcast Journalism and over seven years of experience writing about film, gaming, and television. With bylines at IGN, Digital Spy, Den of Geek, and more, Tom’s love of horror means he's well-versed in all things Resident Evil, with aspirations to be the next Chris Redfield.
