I think your reaction was authentic and real. Your explanation afterwards made so much sense as well, I too at first replayed the game and what I assumed would have been the basis of episode 3. When I began to watch it I also had my headspace wrapped around how closely they were going to keep it to the game, but once I let go at the scene of the piano I felt the story telling and incredible acting really consume into their story. I think the flow of how each episode up until this one really gave us so many of those key moments from the game shown on screen that made gamers think "wow they really can make an amazing adaptation of a video game without straying away so far from the source material". All the renditions and adding to the back story really has been incredible. I think the switch in the episode to show us a love story between Bill and Frank was the unexpected event for all gamers. But if letting each episode come to us without any expectations of keeping it close to source or far. We can see that we will be blown away regardless. Each episode has given us so many close if not spot on references to the game that its like we are replaying it somehow. But Something I love most that they have done with the story telling. Is how they show us this rugged end of the world, where everything's gone to shit. Yet they can show us how beautiful life is, how precious each moment can be. We got a movie rendition of a game that had two characters that we encountered with for less than like an hour in the game. Yet in this hour we get the incredible display of what unconditional love looks like, what heartaches we will inevitably face on day, that being alone doesn't have to be like that, that trust in real love can be possible when you communicate slowly day by day. To be able to show us that life has unexpected turns, has ups as much as downs, that the realization is to have a meaningful and fulfilling life by cherishing everything that you do have in front of you. To see that there is beauty in what's around you. The way they ate a strawberry for the first time in 10 years, Made me realize how incredible organic fruits can really be so overlooked, and so many more little things. Enough of my ranting haha, I just really enjoyed your last segment about the whole why you got into reaction videos, how you talked about finding this space for how we all are. All different and special in so many unique ways. Yet the enjoyment of what feels like going from an alone experience can now feel like a virtual safe friendly experience. Love your reactions and can't wait to watch more of them.
Your reaction was authentic, and that's what we sign up for. Don't beat yourself up over not getting as emotional in the moment because you're trying to connect it to the game.
Have to appreciate the irony of Frank representing the gamer community’s point of view. “I do not support this… I should be furious….. But you have to admit it is romantic…. heheheheheheh…”
Don't be too hard on yourself man. Better a genuine reaction than someone that, for example, would just tear up for show. The fact that you pondered on this later during editing demontrates how genuine your reaction was. As a fan of the game, confusion and expectation got the best of you right in the moment but that's fine, everyone reacts as they feel to depending on a lot of factors. Your honesty was appreciated and everything felt 100% genuine and real. That's what matters. That being said, some considerations about your worries: I get them, and I think they're totally understandable since we miss the whole picture. We also have to consider that it's easy to love so much Bill and Frank over Joel and Ellie excatly because their story was yes well written but also very compact, they had to give their all in this one shot and never appear again, playing mostly a thematic role applying precisely to the Joel/Ellie relationship. The letter was meant for Joel but implicitly for Ellie as well (since Tess is gone) and effectively served as a powerful foreshadowing. And I also think that despite the Bill/Frank heavy focus, Joel and Ellie got progression as well in those 27 minutes they were in, albeit a very contained one where we only start to see their relationship softening up.
Your genuine reaction and intelligent analysis both of the show and your own response as someone who played the game are appreciated. Also your accent is great. I smile whenever you say a word with an oh sound.
I love how it uses Bill and Frank as a good example for Joel, rather than a cautionary tale. Missing the opportunity to protect and love Tess the way Bill protected and loved Frank is all you need of the cautionary tale.
Exactly. Game-Bill shows Joel the road not to take at the crossroads, and Show-Bill points him toward the better one. Same message, just delivered differently. And beautifully.
This is my first time hearing or seeing anything of this channel but I'm sold. What I dig most is your self awareness and honesty. Like the fact that you were pretty upfront about the confusion but like why you were confused on the timeline. I can't tell you how many times I see creators do the same thing but don't own up to it and it's just a subtle annoyance. But also you closing with your insecurity about uploading cause it didn't look like what other people upload. That was incredibly honest man and I think that speaks to me more than someone trying to muster up a fake emotion just for the views and shit. Totally dig the vibe. Can't wait to see ep. 4!
If you look at that garden party scene when Tess is talking you can just see Joel's face and the look of adoration that no one else notices. That makes his reaction to her death all the more real to me.
It took me seeing some reactions to realize the purpose of the radio message being "Danger". that was Bill essentially leaving a message for Joel and Tess to come "help", but when they got there they'd find all the weapons and things they ever needed to protect themselves. It's Bill leaving behind for his "friends" what he could. And when Joel comes in, the door slams shut. Bill can finally go.
Subbed!! Your reaction and analysis and insights were refreshing and unique and authentic. I love how you said you were "distracted by your own expectations and preoccupations". Dude. This is really great commentary and insight. I love how you said you didn't expect this "serious pit stop" and realized how you understood where your reaction came from what you know about the game. And that you didn't want to love them more than the main characters -- such fantastic insight!! I've watched (too) many of these reaction vids since Sunday and no one else has expressed this so clearly -- not even close. You nailed it. Wow.
We didn't get Tess & Joel's romance because there isn't much to be shown. From Ep 2, Tess did say "I never asked you to feel the way I feel" which means to Joel, while he was protective of Tess, he held back his feelings and emotions. In this episode, Joel couldn't define/put any label on his relationship with Tess, that's why he said "my, mine" because he wasn't even sure of it. Joel is much more depressed in the show compared to the game, so romance is really off the table...at least until Part II, if there will be any. 🙂 Another note: Tess's last words "Save who you can save" is basically the theme of this episode about Bill & Frank and in the end is basically what Bill encouraged Joel to do in his letter which motivates Joel and his relationship with Ellie. This episode also encourages use to step out of our comfort zone, because there may be good things out it, just like Bill did...he chose to step out of his comfort zone and he found happiness (if he chose otherwise, we'd have the game's Bill). Us gamers quite often are so stuck up of what we know from the source materials that we're not willing to step out of our comfort zone and give some changes a chance. I mean, look at all the comments saying "I hate it because it's not exactly like the game"...
Joel, like Bill kept himself isolated and seperated he didn't want to get attached to anyone after his daughter so he wouldn't get hurt again, so he kept his distance from Tess though she wanted to. He regretted it after she was dead of course I think he realized that he was like Bill but Bill in this episode changed which made Joel regret what he and Tess never had.
The fact that Show Joel didn't feel for Tess is the biggest reason TO change Show Bill. Given that change in Joel it wouldn't make narrative sense to keep Game Bill as he was. In the game, Joel DID care. Tess said, there is enough here that you have to FEEL some sort of obligation. She KNEW he cared and enough to be obligated to her. Game Joel said in the end: you KEEP finding something to fight for. For him that was Tess, then Ellie. So the game needed a sort of Old Cranky Cynical Curmudgeon with Walls to serve as a warning of what Joel COULD become, because Game Joel wasn't there yet. (Everyone was afraid of Tess, not Joel). He was only on the possible path to "love isn't worth it." He had NOT given up on love however. The Show made Joel ALREADY the Old Cranky Curmudgeon who had ALREADY lost all hope and given up on love. (This is emphasized in epi 9 with "If you just *keep going,* you'll find something new to fight for"; AND that was Ellie, Tess was never something to fight for Joel) So the show NEEDED, not a warning, but the possibility that it is never too late. Hence Bill HAD TO change
@@ChibiHoshiDragon actually, Joel feels for Tess, he just held it back and doesn't show it. It is shown in Episode 4 (in car conversation) and 6 (conversation with Tommy). Also, it is shown in the episode 3 original script...btw the script, which is the extended version of the episode has been released for public to read.
@@UltimaTheSeraph He said she was like family, sure. You can HATE your family, or be indifferent to them, and still feel an obligation of sorts to memorialize them out of that connection that has nothing to do with *caring* for them or seeing them as something to fight for. All you need is respect, NOT actual feelings. Joel later says you keep GOING, NOT you keep finding. The end flat out is about how Ellie is that something to fight for that he had NOT found in anything or anyONE else. He couldn't define the relationship with Tess, he started with my... and CHANGED it to MINE. What do you see that implies he had feelings/cared for her and saw her as something to fight for? For me: _He's probably supposed to cry or something, but that's not happening. All he feels is anger at himself._ is NOT about her and what she meant to him or his feelings at all but about HIM. HIS failure, NOT his loss or grief. This emphasizes that he didn't feel deeply for her. He didn't see her as "someone to fight for". He is NOT holding anything back; those feelings are NOT being battled with and held back from surfacing or being suppressed. They don't exist at all. If they did, the script would have described, he felt the desire to cry but he suppressed it, or He felt like crying but wouldn't allow it/stopped himself, he was in control.
Bill and Frank are both old men by 2023. Frank has MS or ALS or something. Bill told Frank, "I'm old. I'm satisfied. You were my purpose." Why should be live on without Frank? In the bleak world of TLOU, Bill's choice makes perfect sense. Why go on without Frank?
Nice reaction, appreciate the honesty. Nothing to apologize for...when you love the source material like a book or in this case a game, it can often take a 2nd viewing to truly appreciate the changes.
great reaction man! remember authenticity is key to reactions, I and im sure others recognized how into this you were. this reaction was a reaction of shock, i had a similar one the first time i watched the episode and like you the second time around it was much more impactful (idk why) great reaction man! i look forward to coming back
Dude I relate to your reasoning to watching reaction channels for the same reason lol. I’m also from the Midwest and have contemplated starting my own reaction channel. Wishing your channel nothing but success, love the honest takes
There's nothing wrong with your authentic reaction. I understand your reaction--but I guess I had seen/heard enough ahead of time (e.g., comments by Troy Baker on Play, Watch, Listen) to expect that this episode might well be a major deviation from the game before it started. I love your comparison of the two final messages from Bill--from the game to the show. And I think you're right. And I think the line that follows in the letter ("We have a job to do. And God help any motherfuckers who stand in our way.") will make some of Joel's decisions toward the end of the game/season resonate in new and even more profound ways. Thank you for being brave enough to post after your initial trepidation.
Negativity in the game. Positivity in the show, Both got Joel to the same place. Let go of your gamer expectations and enjoy the show for what it is - the best damned game adaptation we've seen so far..
You know what’s cool? Signing on early and watching your numbers steadily rise ;) I enjoy your reactions and insights, and your taste in what to watch. I don’t usually enjoy reactions but you’re my exception. And I still want my “Life finds a way, or so Jeff Goldblum says” shirt with your avatar logo 😂
There's a lot of stuff here that's easy to overlook, especially as an audience. Like, in episode 1 Sarah went to the neighbours seeing the open door because they were like family. How many times did she stay over while Joel was busy working? Of course she would go and make sure everyone was all right. Here Bill lets Frank in after 4 years of complete absolute solitude. No internet, no communication with his mom or neighbours, nothing at all. People would go crazy. Like, I thrive when I'm alone, but I'm not sure I could handle it. It's easy to think "Just 4 years", but sometimes 10 minutes are too long. And then he meets this handsome man, who's really bad at lying and doesn't seem to be any kind of threat or danger, and all he asks is some food which Bill has plenty of. I'm sure he's paranoid but he's also attracted and excited to talk to someone. And Frank's reaction to shower and food is absolutely amazing xD
Two things about this episode that most people seem to miss: 1. Bill and Frank were supposed to take Ellie out of Joel's hands (That's what Tess told Joel in Episode 2), and Joel's and Ellie's journey together should've ended there. That's why Ellie asks Joel "What now?" when they realize Bill and Frank are dead. 2. When Joel tells the 3 ground rules for Ellie, she immediately breaks the third rule: "You do what I say when I say it" and then she proceeds to not repeat the rules when Joel tells her to, which I find hilarious :D
In their playthrough of TLoU with Nolan North, Troy Baker pointed out this very episode while they were playing, indicating how Ellie is willing to listent to Joel and respect his rules, but she is fierce and independent and she'll follow him but not by being a simple puppet or a yes girl. That response condense everything in a single sentece "I hear you, I'll follow you, I'll listen to you, but in my own way".
Wow. I forgot that. But they were days or weeks dead the night Joel and Tess left with Ellie. I feel like Frank may have been re-energized by the opportunity to help Ellie, at least for a little while.
@@BrittnyShrub I dont really understand how Bill and Frank were supposed to take Ellie off Joel considering Bill was old and Frank was on a wheelchair. What would have done with her? Driven her west with Frank in those conditions? This part to me doesn't make sense in this show version.
ur reaction was as real as those who cried. dont worry about about others, keep being u. I also watched ur whole one piece reactions, i liked how honest u were about what u knew and what u googled :D cheers.
I think part of the point of not getting these moments with Joel and Tess is to show that Bill and Joel started at the same point. Surviving instead of living. Bill in the show compromised, let someone in, Joel didn't. So at the end with the letter Joel sees what he could've had with Tess, but it's too late. He found someone who could've loved him and didn't even say goodbye. So he looks at Ellie and starts to think he won't make the same mistake again. Bill in the game didn't compromise, didn't let Frank have even one friend or go renovate some buildings, they ended up hating each other. And in the game Bill represents to Joel the danger of what he could become if he doesn't open up. Even at the and Bill sees what his action caused Frank to do but he swallows his tears and shuts himself off to everything. Both Bills give Joel the same lesson, the difference between surviving and living. The show has Bill's "happy ending". The game shows Bill's "bad ending".
Honestly, I loved/hated this change in ep 3 with Bill and Frank, in the best way. Hate it because it made me so emotional, loved it because it made Bill so much more of a relatable and sympathetic character instead of just a mega survivalist asshole that constantly bad mouths Ellie and Joel. He was still an asshole, but a lovable one in this episode. It was beautiful to see him and Frank’s relationship flourish instead of falling apart and ultimately ending up with them hating each other and never getting to make up before they died. So beautifully done
Through this episode we now also know that Joel and Tess have known each other for at least 13 years. Almost as long as he knew his daughter. Nevertheless, no one can conclude from one scene that both were romantic with each other. She went to bed with him (there was only one bed) and put her arm around him. That's it. Before she died, Tess said that she felt more for Joel than he felt for her.
that is Joel was "Bill" when Bill was alone, he kept himself isolated and seperated he didn't want to get attached like he did to his daughter so he wouldn't get hurt again, those Tess liked him a lot and wanted it. I think after Joel hated that he didn't let something happen.
Yeah I get it, you were expecting something else so it left you confused haha. I was waiting for other shoe to drop and was pleasantly surprised. Glad they changed it we needed to see something beautiful before all the shit that is coming.
you deserve a lot more subscribers, I love your reactions a lot more than most especially since it shows your passionate about the show and the attention to details.
I was like you at the beginning like "hey, this is so far off from what's in the game" but eventually the love story of these two people got to me regardless. It's incredibly well done. It's real. It's powerful. But don't be ashamed of your reaction, it is what it is, and you aknowledging that at the end and sort of trying to make up to it is worth way more that fake tears. As for the story being different from the game, someone on the internet pointed something out that i found intersting: in the game Bill is a funny character that you spend some time with, but from a narrative perspective is little more than a plot device. He serves the purpose of showing Joel what it means to keep everyone at bay, not allowing anyone to get close and shutting off the world: eventually you end up an half crazy annoying abravise old man living alone a life of regrets. In the show, they did a complete 180° turning Bill not into a negative example of what Joel could become, but a positive one, someone he can aspire to be. In the end, Bill and his story serve the same purpose from a narrative perspective: getting Joel closer to Ellie. The game uses the stick showing you "how not to", the show uses the carrot showing you "how to". In the end result is the same. And in the process we got an incredibly well written, acted and shot story. One, in all honesty and from a gamer perspective, much better than the original Bill segment.
All you said is what gives me hope that Joel's ending wont be as heart wrenching and disrespect to Joel himself in the game. That he will have a beautiful ending just like Bill did after choosing love, but in the game they made viewers feel like Joel shouldn't have given into his feelings for Ellie which still to this day makes me heartbroken because his love for Ellie is freaken one of the most beautiful forms of love I had ever seen and experienced ❤ I really hope the show handles this way better than the game ever did
@@raven_in_disguise1649 I don't know why you think the game made viewers think Joel shouldn't have given into his feelings. It certainly did not for me. I very much understand why he did what he did and I can't say I wouldn't have done the same were I in his shoes. That's why it's a brilliant ending and I wouldn't want them to change it one tiny bit. The whole point of that ending imo is showing that the moral dilemma Joel faces has no clear cut answer. You can't say he should or shouldn't have, you can't say it's wrong or right. Whatever choice he made would have been the wrong one and the right one at the same time. It's gut wrenching and perfect.
@@nokta7373 (STOP IF YOU DONT WANT SPOILERS!!) Oh no to clarify, I was talking about Joels death in the second game, the ending you are talking abt the one where Joel saves Ellie and kills all the firefies is phenomenal! And I agree they should never change that ending I was talking abt viewers who after playing last of us 2 seeing the way Joel's life ended made them see as Joel's choice in saving Ellie regretful which in my opinion he even said himself that he would do it all over again which made me so freaken proud of Joel! What I was talking abt was maybe in the future seasons when they get to Joel's death they should make it more beautiful and meaningful than having stupid Abby character kill him off randonmly and not even giving him to say goodbye to Ellie and Tom. Is for the writers to treat Joel's death the same way they treated Bill and Frank's death meaning they died happily and with content. I am so sorry if I wasn't clarifying enough in my first comment
@@raven_in_disguise1649 No worries, i get you now. But you might want to tag spoilers for those who haven't play the games and might happen to read the comments :)
gaydar. LMAAAO the way u said it so casually i love it! for whatever its worth, i actually really like your reaction. you picked up even the smallest things.
I like how in this series, u can see how pedro and bella became closer as the episodes go on. In interviews, they clearly are close now and its adorable. Bella has said that they spent alot of time together when not filming and talked about deep stuff, even sexuality and gender identity (bella identifies as they/them). That’s really amazing-they built this real life bond as joel and ellie do in the show.
Sometimes I get like that as well, that feeling of having something in the back of your mind (i.e. "no way this is really how things are going") that's why you don't get to fully live in the moment of the scene. I also got into making reaction videos because no one in my life watches the stuff I watch, and right now it's a great outlet for me to communicate to my 2 loyal viewers my thoughts. aha I used to go to the IMDb message boards back when that was still a thing to have discussions/arguments with people...but they've since discontinued the boards in 2017.
As a man who knows what wine goes with what meat this episode was a really beautiful surprise. I didn't finish the game as I live alone and I'm scared of zombies, my mum wanted to watch this show so we did. This episode made me feel things, unlike the machine reacting here! 😅 It might be the nicest gay romance I've seen on TV, made us cry and I've been thinking about this a lot. I'm 49 and eternally single so maybe there's hope for me yet, I just need that apocalypse.
I'm actually looking forward to season 2 because if done right it should be one of the biggest gut punches in television. I loved the second game. I get the TLOU 2 hate because fans wanted something different, but artists and writers shouldn't be constrained by fan expectations. I think the story went very naturally for this type of world.
I’m actually really glad you uploaded this. During my first watch, I was kind of down because I spent most of the episode waiting for things from the game to happen and when they didn’t happen I was left confused. Upon my second watch (and watching a few youtube reactions), I found the beauty in the episode and embraced the changes. I teared up a lot too. The changes actually made sense to me because they still accomplished the same goal that Bill’s section accomplished in the game. Both versions of Bill’s character are a lesson to Joel about the possibilities of love and happiness if he opens himself up to them again. Bill’s character in the game was about the consequences of pushing other’s away and closing off your emotions. While the episode does unfortunately get rid of some comedic dialogue that exists in the game because of Bill and Ellie’s interactions, it is a small price to pay for a much deeper story than what we received in the game. I also want to admit that Bill’s section was much better from a gameplay perspective than it could have ever been in an adaptation. However, I do actually have to agree with you on Joel and Ellie’s characters suffering as a consequence due to these changes. Bill’s section did kind of give players a further glimpse into Ellie’s personality and her chemistry with Joel, which still feels a bit lackluster in the show. Regardless, I think it can be easily fixed by giving Joel and Ellie more interactions in the next few episodes. Sam and Henry are coming up and that’s ultimately when Joel and Ellie’s chemistry truly starts to shine, so I trust the show to make sure they have the time they need to grow.
Not just pancake mix - there were foods they turned down or forgot to get - biscuits, cookies and birthday cake - that could have put the on the infected list. Just think of the neighbor feeding the biscuits to his mother/mother-in-law.
I totally get what you're saying in your review. I was so preoccupied by the differences and wondering/expecting where it was going to go that I didn't appreciate the story the way I wanted to. I'm a crybaby so I still bawled my eyes out, but I never got fully invested. It's so difficult to ignore that part of your mind that's constantly comparing things.
I think you're human, and I like your reaction mostly bc you didn't do like the others! When, in the First episode, you say that don't compare with The game, I was like "He will compare with the game" (I know bc I'm maried with a gamer). And I decide to watch the others vídeos: bc you are autenthic. Plz, continue! I really enjoyed your point of view!!! (Sorry my bad english!) From a new sub from Brazil.
I haven't played the game, so this episode was just what it is and nothing less. I had no expectations and it blew me away. It's interesting to see the reaction of people who have played the game. Your reaction is so different than mine 🍻
I enjoyed your reaction. While I did tear up while watching the episode, and I've watched other reactors dot eh same, I didn't feel like your reaction was missing something because you didn't.
I don't know which version of events I like better, the interactions with Bill and Ellie in the game are so good, but Bill and Frank's story is also great in the show. Overall makes me more excited for future episodes since they've shown they can make changes and still make it be great.
Great reaction, my friend. I am just in awe of the way this show is handling characters. It's different, but it's beautiful and good. I also didn't cry when I watched this, I was moved, especially as a queer person, but I didn't cry. I am kind of humbled by all the crying though, it feels good to see people treat a gay relationship in a way that is worthy of grief. I am excited for whatever is next, I am on the road letting them take me on this journey.
Yeah, echoing the others. You're fine. Good art shakes our shit up. For most of us, it was the heartrending themes. For you, it was (purposeful) violation of canon. Both are upsetting. Neil Druckmann said the bigger the change, the bigger the effect would need to be to justify it. In this case, I think he nailed it. Do you? This ep reminds us *exactly* what the stakes are--not only in the show, but in our own lives. It heightens the fundamental horror underlying the genre: zombies are just an entertaining proxy for "everything we can't stop with our best efforts." Things like relentless, patient, murderous time. It's coming for all of us, and none of us will make it out alive. But those of us lucky enough to *really* enjoy that fucking strawberry, we had something better than a winning lottery ticket. This was, I read somewhere, the "the happy episode." We're fucked. Can't wait. I'mma sub just to see your handsome face.
re: your comments on reaction channel. To me reaction channels didn't make sense until it dawned on me fewer of us are going to movie theaters for the small amount of communal/shared catharsis we once had. You're right - reaction channels are a way of creating a shared experience.
I like to think of it as an alternate reality, when Frank storms angry saying he wants to fix up the town, Bill in the game would have refused him and that made Frank hate his guts then leaves him, gets infected, pens his letter, then hangs himself. But here, we have the alternate reality, where Bill opened up to Frank and let him bring hope into his life and a happy ending. The great thing about this, is the back and forth between Ellie and Bill can pretty much happen with any future character. I also think we will get more of Tess... There are two foreshadowing moments, first is when Tess tells Joel they need to make things "everything we've done" and the other is Ellie mentioning the scar on his nose, in the game he gets that from the Soldier when Sarah is shot, but in the show he never gets that cut on his nose... So I think there might be another flashback with joel and Tess, what was the big even that made them bad people and maybe even some more Bill and Frank. But it's making me think we may even get Last of Us Part III with a Joel and Tess Flashback, why Tommy turned away from him and that whole time between when Sarah dies and when we meet Joel in the game and obviously how him and Tess are so well acquainted with Marlene and this might even be explained to Ellie once she eventually finds the Fireflies at the end of Part 2? We have to assume Part III with come out around the same time season 2 comes out.
Your afterwards review and explanation and insights were so freaken beautiful and heartwarming that it made up for you not having an emotional reaction so thank you for all that ❤😭❤
The fact you realized the better story says a lot. And the fact you decided to post it shows courage. A lot of people, mostly guys, might not be totally comfortable with the gay relationship, but they have to recognize the love there. I think that's why this is a really important piece of culture.
Appreciate your honesty and sharing your reflections on why you thought you had trouble losing yourself in the story. People who have never played the game (like me) are blissfully free of the temptation to make comparisons to the game. I experienced everything as new and each character had the potential to be important. You made an interesting observation contrasting Bill's final words in the game and in the show; I wonder if Craig Maizin, who wrote the episode, began here. Cheers to the excellent work of Peter Hoar, the director, and the amazing Nick Offerman and Murray Bartlett. Little things: - Pre-pandemic, Bill lived in his mother's house where he built his bunker. He lived alone and, as his letter to Joel stated, 'hated the world' probably because his experience was that it hated him first. He's gay in a small town in which being gay wasn't a thing. We don't know if his mother accepted him. He tried to be straight and failed. Frank was his chance at a full life. I'm glad Maizin altered the story to give that to Bill, and by extension, give Joel that push to help Ellie. - Frank's last day includes them getting married. The cordyceps pandemic occurs in September 2003. Gay marriage was legalized in Massachusetts-the first state to do this-in May 2004. - The story tricks us into thinking Bill will probably go first. Frank seems to be in better shape, and it was Bill who was shot the night the raiders came (probably happened more than once). But it wouldn't be the Infected or raiders that would end them. It would be a very ordinary thing: old age and diseases that even the modern world pre-pandemic couldn't cure. - Beautiful recurring motifs and thoughtful details throughout this episode, including the final shot of Joel & Ellie leaving town from the open bedroom window at Bill & Frank's.
About the reaction, there's different layers to it. It was easier to get emotional for those that didn't play the game. You'll also see most of them were like, "Who's Bill and Frank again?". You clearly remember the game vividly, and were expecting it to go more like the game, so you kept waiting for it to turn bad. And then you sort of realized too late that this is just a whole different end. Don't feel bad. Everyone reacts differently!
This show is not a video game so different emotions and stories beyond shoot em ups could come into it. This is a beautiful story that can be done in this format.
I agree this is a beautiful story. My only concern with this series was/is that the time they spend telling new, beautiful stories will detract from the beautiful and very emotional story this adaptation set out to tell (shoot em ups aside - i dont care about action) across 9 episodes, with season 1 being confirmed to cover to the entirety of game 1.
@@BingeBuffoon maybe you should trust the video game's creator Neil Druckman with filming his version of the story. It's still his story. He's not going to let anyone mess it up.
people who are hermits or live alone like that for a long time only bother with the things they use every day. Dust doesn't matter in much of the living area because that area isn't used, many rooms are never used and don't get cleaned or even entered for decades. Unless your a germ/clean freak your not going to have company or friends over, so no need to clean, dust, etc its only you. i've lived alone for 30 years, there are closets i haven't opened in 30 years because there isn't anything in them that i use. I have a guest room but that is just where i throw the laundry on the bed when its clean, don't think i've opened a drawer, closet etc in there for 30 years. There are cabinets in my kitchen i haven't opened in 30 years, don't use anything in them.
U could have rewinded to see what u missed at the plane lol. Ellie says its cool how ppl got to go into sky, joel says its not that cool bc u got squished into a middle seat and had to pay $12 for a sandwich, ellie says its still cool u got to go into the sky, and joel says ‘well so did they’. Dark.
Bill's portion of the game was literally a shooting mission, that gets you a battery and a truck. He was a cool character but simply a stop in the road. Get over it, man. Enjoy the show as it is. This is better (this part of the story). You don't have to have the same reaction as everyone else, just don't be so hung up on the game that you rob yourself from enjoying it. I WORSHIP the game. But I'm loving the show because I know it will be different while giving us fans those things that do connect. Joel and Tess's relationship wasn't really the same because they didn't acknowledge it as a relationship. Joel couldn't even call her his girlfriend and she admitted he didn't feel the same. So, while we might see glimpses of their relationship like we did here. It probably won't be the same thing.
Interesting parallel between the game and the show: in the game, Frank takes his own life after being infected, and not wanting to be trapped within his own body. In the show, Frank has ALS, or a similar neuromuscular degenerative disease, which will leave him trapped, his brain still functional, within a body out of his control. In both cases, the point is that he went out on his own terms.
too hard on yourself, the game version was depressing A.F. now outside of Tommy, all he has is ellie. wait to see if this story makes joel colder or moves to Joel letting Ellie in to his heart, knowing that he could lose her too
I get that it can be hard to separate the game from the show... the first episode was definitely my period of acclimating to the new versions of these beloved characters, and getting used to them not being exactly as the versions I knew from the game. This episode wasn't as hard for me, because I was never a fan of Bill, and wasn't expecting to care about him or like him much in this version either, but damn... now he is a VERY unexpected favorite and I loved getting to meet Frank and see their journey. As for Ellie and Joel, I have DEFINITELY fallen in love with them both and their chemistry. It is great to see Ellie just being an excitable, curious, chatty and happy teen, and Joel trying hard not to get too attached but still being unable to be charmed and thawing up against his will. Daddy is a state of mind, to quote Pedro, and Joel is definitely getting there a little at a time. In the game it was also gradual, with a few actual steps back at times when Joel started feeling too attached and vulnerable, and I think we will see the same during this first season. I don't think there is much great to show between Tess and Joel as it is clear that Joel never stopped holding back emotionally, and never returned her love or affections. I think it would be a very depressing and heartbreaking story just watching Tess never being able to break through, and we already saw the end result of that so I don't feel it is needed to hammer that home any further. I hope they might do a flashback to the day they met or something, and show how they came to trust and rely on each other so strongly, but I think that can be done with minor flashbacks rather than a whole episode length story like here. Not that I will ever complain about more Tess if that was what they did 😂🤣😂 In the end I trust the show to get it right after this one, and I am sure whatever route they go down it will break me in the best way possible just as the game did 😍
I could see them doing backstory with Tess but equally I imagine that emotionally Joel has been dead inside since his daughter died in his arms. At the time I played the game my son was maybe 10 and I put myself (well the game did as well) right into that emotional position. I had forgotten some of the details since it's been so long but I will never forget how the game in its entirety made me feel. As for this episode, I'm really glad they went down this track even if just to flesh out this story of these two characters. I think the story and the letter up the stakes even if Joel doesn't know it yet. That's what the rest of the journey will do, to the point where in the game there was that big moment at the end of the game that still stays with me and always will.
Really most people don't remember much about Bill in the game after he helps Joel to get the battery and you never see him again. He was the throw away filler in the game. I don't miss Bill from the game. But I do miss Bill and Frank from the show and wish they were still around.
After watching a bunch of reactions to this ep, it made me think of the contrast between Joel and Tess’ relationship and Bill and Frank’s. It makes Tess’ ending so much more tragic 😢. i know it’s because Joel and Tess were constantly in survival mode and Bill and Frank were living the life in their gated community, but it shows how repressing & suppressing our emotions can really affect ourselves and our loved ones while they’re still alive. Tess deserved at least a handshake 🤝and thank you for her services, if we’re going there.
In any adaptation, fans of the original will bring expectations, hopes and fears to the new version of their beloved story. So being a bit floored by your expectations not coming to fruition is to be expected, and I don't blame any fan of the game for that reaction. However, I think it's important to recognize that an adaptation can be true to the *thematic thrust* of the property it is based upon, without being 100% faithful in a narrative sense. It can accomplish the same goals in different ways...possibly even in superior ways. I think Bill as an aspirational role model works far better than Bill as a cautionary tale, because Joel already relates to who Bill was in the game (and who he was at the beginning of episode 3, way back in 2003)...he is pretty close to being Bill already (i.e. is he likely to see this as problematic when considering who Bill is?). So having this object lesson in recognizing the emptiness of being an emotionally shut-off loner, and rediscovering a reason to live beyond mere survival by meeting and growing to love an extroverted, optimistic individual is a way for Joel to give himself permission to look past his grief to the person he used to be before his world imploded, and become that guy again...by meeting and growing to love an extroverted, optimistic individual. This episode more than lives up to the thematic burden placed upon it by the game. I actually think it does a better job than the game at creating this opening for love to grow between Joel and Ellie. _And note that this is not a criticism of the game at all_ - experiencing Joel's journey AS JOEL allows you to bring your own perspective into Joel's situation and his reasons for behaving the way he does, making it a bit easier to sell you on his character arc after meeting Ellie. It's also the case that you (the player) learn to trust her at the same time that Joel learns to trust her because she starts to become a useful ally...and things gradually progress from mutual trust and respect to love. But every medium has advantages and disadvantages with respect to storytelling: HBO could tell Bill and Frank's story in a television flashback episode in a way that would've been pretty difficult for the game to do, so they (understandably) took full advantage of the medium to get the viewer to the same point that the player is after Bill's Town in the game.
(Spoilers if you haven't played the first game! Turn back if the show is your first experience of the story please!) I think we will get more of Tess and Joel, primarily through flashbacks and things as more of Joel's backstory is revealed. There is a lot that got skipped over in the initial flash-forward. Personally I am hoping that they make the ending much more explicit, because gamers just so completely and totally misunderstood the ending of the game. Basically, as soon as the credits roll in the game, Ellie would kill herself. It's essentially guaranteed by that final conversation where she BEGS Joel to tell her he's lying about literally the only reason she hasn't killed herself already being bullshit. But nope, he tells her that her only reason for living is gone. Somehow, gamers thought this meant 'happy ever after' which blew my mind. No, the second she gets ahold of a gun, she's gone.
Think about what happens in that part of the game. It is largely running an errand to run an errand and get the battery. This wouldn't work in a tv show, in the game it works perfectly.
Great reaction. Agreed on how well they aged the characters up! I also wish that Bill had lived so he could've interacted with Joel and especially Ellie. But good ep overall.
this Ellie seems more harsh, little empathy, but the thing in the basement? non-gamers, would they see her as cold or just pent up anger from the bite? show seems to throw in outside ideas and interests, maybe - you're probably supposed to be thrown, but they sprinkle enough of game nostalgia to keep you, imo Joel and Tess were together, imo - she lay with him when he was unconscious from the pills and drinking, he was going to be Clint Eastwood when Robert's guys hurt her, he makes the cairn for her memory - if Tess knows about Sarah in this show then he was more than just sex - Joel has the reaction to 'keep Tess safe' so deep then he was with Tess to make it more believable, the show probably should've had Frank in the hole for three or four days, with Bill only giving crackers and water and they have short conversations or something over that period, imo agree, great stand alone, though
i'm one of the few outspoken people that didn't like this episode. it was ok for the first half then i felt it derailed completely from the main story. then again, i have been complaining about this show since the first 10 mins of the first episode. some things are done well and some things are done really bad. i think it's a pretty big issue that people love two minor characters that die in the same breath they're introduced than the actual two main characters: joel and ellie. their relationship is really not going great or anywhere right now. i replayed the game after watching the first episode and their relationship is a lot warmer than the show even this early into the story. i think the episode would have been better if they balanced it out with more joel and ellie or tess. i didn't think this episode was amazing or soooooo beautiful. there were some nice scenes then there were some dumb scenes. there are movies that are way more beautiful and written so much more better objectively. like the rest of the show, it's just ok not great and a lot of praise is kinda overexaggerated.
So long as your feelings are sincere then they're yours and they're perfectly legitimate. I feel like I may be in the minority among people who enjoyed playing TLOU in that so long as the overall presentation is consistent with the game, I really couldn't care less what details they change because I don't want to see everything I've seen before. For example, Bill is a much loved character and his interactions with Ellie are great but neither Bill nor those moments are terribly consequential in the overall story of TLOU. Bill's chapter in the game is instead part of a bigger story and once we get to Pittsburgh I don't think he's ever mentioned again. Whereas I think here the story of Bill's relationship with Frank carries more resonance with Joel's loss than it did in the game and will be far more memorable to viewers, especially newbies to TLOU. Overall, what interests me about TLOU series is what they might do differently in this world and with these characters, and how they might explore things that we got a glimpse of in the game. I think many would benefit from trying to approach the show as though they've never heard of any of these people before and are meeting them for the first time. I've enjoyed viewing it like that and having no expectations whatsoever but just taking it an episode at a time.
I think your reaction was authentic and real. Your explanation afterwards made so much sense as well, I too at first replayed the game and what I assumed would have been the basis of episode 3. When I began to watch it I also had my headspace wrapped around how closely they were going to keep it to the game, but once I let go at the scene of the piano I felt the story telling and incredible acting really consume into their story. I think the flow of how each episode up until this one really gave us so many of those key moments from the game shown on screen that made gamers think "wow they really can make an amazing adaptation of a video game without straying away so far from the source material". All the renditions and adding to the back story really has been incredible. I think the switch in the episode to show us a love story between Bill and Frank was the unexpected event for all gamers. But if letting each episode come to us without any expectations of keeping it close to source or far. We can see that we will be blown away regardless. Each episode has given us so many close if not spot on references to the game that its like we are replaying it somehow. But Something I love most that they have done with the story telling. Is how they show us this rugged end of the world, where everything's gone to shit. Yet they can show us how beautiful life is, how precious each moment can be. We got a movie rendition of a game that had two characters that we encountered with for less than like an hour in the game. Yet in this hour we get the incredible display of what unconditional love looks like, what heartaches we will inevitably face on day, that being alone doesn't have to be like that, that trust in real love can be possible when you communicate slowly day by day. To be able to show us that life has unexpected turns, has ups as much as downs, that the realization is to have a meaningful and fulfilling life by cherishing everything that you do have in front of you. To see that there is beauty in what's around you. The way they ate a strawberry for the first time in 10 years, Made me realize how incredible organic fruits can really be so overlooked, and so many more little things.
Enough of my ranting haha, I just really enjoyed your last segment about the whole why you got into reaction videos, how you talked about finding this space for how we all are. All different and special in so many unique ways. Yet the enjoyment of what feels like going from an alone experience can now feel like a virtual safe friendly experience. Love your reactions and can't wait to watch more of them.
Wow, this comment is beautiful. 💛
Your reaction was authentic, and that's what we sign up for. Don't beat yourself up over not getting as emotional in the moment because you're trying to connect it to the game.
Have to appreciate the irony of Frank representing the gamer community’s point of view. “I do not support this… I should be furious….. But you have to admit it is romantic…. heheheheheheh…”
Don't be too hard on yourself man. Better a genuine reaction than someone that, for example, would just tear up for show. The fact that you pondered on this later during editing demontrates how genuine your reaction was. As a fan of the game, confusion and expectation got the best of you right in the moment but that's fine, everyone reacts as they feel to depending on a lot of factors. Your honesty was appreciated and everything felt 100% genuine and real. That's what matters.
That being said, some considerations about your worries: I get them, and I think they're totally understandable since we miss the whole picture. We also have to consider that it's easy to love so much Bill and Frank over Joel and Ellie excatly because their story was yes well written but also very compact, they had to give their all in this one shot and never appear again, playing mostly a thematic role applying precisely to the Joel/Ellie relationship. The letter was meant for Joel but implicitly for Ellie as well (since Tess is gone) and effectively served as a powerful foreshadowing. And I also think that despite the Bill/Frank heavy focus, Joel and Ellie got progression as well in those 27 minutes they were in, albeit a very contained one where we only start to see their relationship softening up.
Your genuine reaction and intelligent analysis both of the show and your own response as someone who played the game are appreciated. Also your accent is great. I smile whenever you say a word with an oh sound.
I love how it uses Bill and Frank as a good example for Joel, rather than a cautionary tale. Missing the opportunity to protect and love Tess the way Bill protected and loved Frank is all you need of the cautionary tale.
Exactly. Game-Bill shows Joel the road not to take at the crossroads, and Show-Bill points him toward the better one. Same message, just delivered differently. And beautifully.
This is my first time hearing or seeing anything of this channel but I'm sold. What I dig most is your self awareness and honesty. Like the fact that you were pretty upfront about the confusion but like why you were confused on the timeline. I can't tell you how many times I see creators do the same thing but don't own up to it and it's just a subtle annoyance. But also you closing with your insecurity about uploading cause it didn't look like what other people upload. That was incredibly honest man and I think that speaks to me more than someone trying to muster up a fake emotion just for the views and shit. Totally dig the vibe. Can't wait to see ep. 4!
If you look at that garden party scene when Tess is talking you can just see Joel's face and the look of adoration that no one else notices. That makes his reaction to her death all the more real to me.
I am so glad that Iam not the only one who noticed that too❤
It took me seeing some reactions to realize the purpose of the radio message being "Danger". that was Bill essentially leaving a message for Joel and Tess to come "help", but when they got there they'd find all the weapons and things they ever needed to protect themselves.
It's Bill leaving behind for his "friends" what he could.
And when Joel comes in, the door slams shut. Bill can finally go.
Subbed!! Your reaction and analysis and insights were refreshing and unique and authentic. I love how you said you were "distracted by your own expectations and preoccupations". Dude. This is really great commentary and insight. I love how you said you didn't expect this "serious pit stop" and realized how you understood where your reaction came from what you know about the game. And that you didn't want to love them more than the main characters -- such fantastic insight!! I've watched (too) many of these reaction vids since Sunday and no one else has expressed this so clearly -- not even close. You nailed it. Wow.
We didn't get Tess & Joel's romance because there isn't much to be shown. From Ep 2, Tess did say "I never asked you to feel the way I feel" which means to Joel, while he was protective of Tess, he held back his feelings and emotions. In this episode, Joel couldn't define/put any label on his relationship with Tess, that's why he said "my, mine" because he wasn't even sure of it. Joel is much more depressed in the show compared to the game, so romance is really off the table...at least until Part II, if there will be any. 🙂
Another note:
Tess's last words "Save who you can save" is basically the theme of this episode about Bill & Frank and in the end is basically what Bill encouraged Joel to do in his letter which motivates Joel and his relationship with Ellie. This episode also encourages use to step out of our comfort zone, because there may be good things out it, just like Bill did...he chose to step out of his comfort zone and he found happiness (if he chose otherwise, we'd have the game's Bill). Us gamers quite often are so stuck up of what we know from the source materials that we're not willing to step out of our comfort zone and give some changes a chance. I mean, look at all the comments saying "I hate it because it's not exactly like the game"...
When Joel was talking to Bill, he couldn't even say what Tess was to him.
Joel, like Bill kept himself isolated and seperated he didn't want to get attached to anyone after his daughter so he wouldn't get hurt again, so he kept his distance from Tess though she wanted to. He regretted it after she was dead of course I think he realized that he was like Bill but Bill in this episode changed which made Joel regret what he and Tess never had.
The fact that Show Joel didn't feel for Tess is the biggest reason TO change Show Bill. Given that change in Joel it wouldn't make narrative sense to keep Game Bill as he was.
In the game, Joel DID care. Tess said, there is enough here that you have to FEEL some sort of obligation. She KNEW he cared and enough to be obligated to her. Game Joel said in the end: you KEEP finding something to fight for. For him that was Tess, then Ellie.
So the game needed a sort of Old Cranky Cynical Curmudgeon with Walls to serve as a warning of what Joel COULD become, because Game Joel wasn't there yet. (Everyone was afraid of Tess, not Joel). He was only on the possible path to "love isn't worth it." He had NOT given up on love however.
The Show made Joel ALREADY the Old Cranky Curmudgeon who had ALREADY lost all hope and given up on love. (This is emphasized in epi 9 with "If you just *keep going,* you'll find something new to fight for"; AND that was Ellie, Tess was never something to fight for Joel)
So the show NEEDED, not a warning, but the possibility that it is never too late.
Hence Bill HAD TO change
@@ChibiHoshiDragon actually, Joel feels for Tess, he just held it back and doesn't show it. It is shown in Episode 4 (in car conversation) and 6 (conversation with Tommy). Also, it is shown in the episode 3 original script...btw the script, which is the extended version of the episode has been released for public to read.
@@UltimaTheSeraph
He said she was like family, sure.
You can HATE your family, or be indifferent to them, and still feel an obligation of sorts to memorialize them out of that connection that has nothing to do with *caring* for them or seeing them as something to fight for. All you need is respect, NOT actual feelings.
Joel later says you keep GOING, NOT you keep finding. The end flat out is about how Ellie is that something to fight for that he had NOT found in anything or anyONE else.
He couldn't define the relationship with Tess, he started with my... and CHANGED it to MINE.
What do you see that implies he had feelings/cared for her and saw her as something to fight for?
For me:
_He's probably supposed to cry or something, but that's not
happening. All he feels is anger at himself._ is NOT about her and what she meant to him or his feelings at all but about HIM. HIS failure, NOT his loss or grief.
This emphasizes that he didn't feel deeply for her. He didn't see her as "someone to fight for". He is NOT holding anything back; those feelings are NOT being battled with and held back from surfacing or being suppressed. They don't exist at all. If they did, the script would have described, he felt the desire to cry but he suppressed it, or He felt like crying but wouldn't allow it/stopped himself, he was in control.
I'm glad you uploaded. It doesnt matter if you cried its more important that you appreciate.
LOVE is simply delayed PAIN. Truer words have never been spoken.
Bill and Frank are both old men by 2023. Frank has MS or ALS or something. Bill told Frank, "I'm old. I'm satisfied. You were my purpose." Why should be live on without Frank? In the bleak world of TLOU, Bill's choice makes perfect sense. Why go on without Frank?
Nice reaction, appreciate the honesty. Nothing to apologize for...when you love the source material like a book or in this case a game, it can often take a 2nd viewing to truly appreciate the changes.
great reaction man! remember authenticity is key to reactions, I and im sure others recognized how into this you were. this reaction was a reaction of shock, i had a similar one the first time i watched the episode and like you the second time around it was much more impactful (idk why) great reaction man! i look forward to coming back
Dude I relate to your reasoning to watching reaction channels for the same reason lol. I’m also from the Midwest and have contemplated starting my own reaction channel. Wishing your channel nothing but success, love the honest takes
There's nothing wrong with your authentic reaction. I understand your reaction--but I guess I had seen/heard enough ahead of time (e.g., comments by Troy Baker on Play, Watch, Listen) to expect that this episode might well be a major deviation from the game before it started. I love your comparison of the two final messages from Bill--from the game to the show. And I think you're right. And I think the line that follows in the letter ("We have a job to do. And God help any motherfuckers who stand in our way.") will make some of Joel's decisions toward the end of the game/season resonate in new and even more profound ways.
Thank you for being brave enough to post after your initial trepidation.
Your after-reaction thoughts are well-conceived and very thoughtful. It's obvious you put a lot of thought into your uploads. Excellent work, bud 👍🏻
Negativity in the game. Positivity in the show, Both got Joel to the same place. Let go of your gamer expectations and enjoy the show for what it is - the best damned game adaptation we've seen so far..
You know what’s cool? Signing on early and watching your numbers steadily rise ;)
I enjoy your reactions and insights, and your taste in what to watch. I don’t usually enjoy reactions but you’re my exception.
And I still want my “Life finds a way, or so Jeff Goldblum says” shirt with your avatar logo 😂
There's a lot of stuff here that's easy to overlook, especially as an audience.
Like, in episode 1 Sarah went to the neighbours seeing the open door because they were like family. How many times did she stay over while Joel was busy working? Of course she would go and make sure everyone was all right.
Here Bill lets Frank in after 4 years of complete absolute solitude. No internet, no communication with his mom or neighbours, nothing at all. People would go crazy. Like, I thrive when I'm alone, but I'm not sure I could handle it. It's easy to think "Just 4 years", but sometimes 10 minutes are too long.
And then he meets this handsome man, who's really bad at lying and doesn't seem to be any kind of threat or danger, and all he asks is some food which Bill has plenty of. I'm sure he's paranoid but he's also attracted and excited to talk to someone. And Frank's reaction to shower and food is absolutely amazing xD
Two things about this episode that most people seem to miss:
1. Bill and Frank were supposed to take Ellie out of Joel's hands (That's what Tess told Joel in Episode 2), and Joel's and Ellie's journey together should've ended there. That's why Ellie asks Joel "What now?" when they realize Bill and Frank are dead.
2. When Joel tells the 3 ground rules for Ellie, she immediately breaks the third rule: "You do what I say when I say it" and then she proceeds to not repeat the rules when Joel tells her to, which I find hilarious :D
In their playthrough of TLoU with Nolan North, Troy Baker pointed out this very episode while they were playing, indicating how Ellie is willing to listent to Joel and respect his rules, but she is fierce and independent and she'll follow him but not by being a simple puppet or a yes girl. That response condense everything in a single sentece "I hear you, I'll follow you, I'll listen to you, but in my own way".
Wow. I forgot that. But they were days or weeks dead the night Joel and Tess left with Ellie. I feel like Frank may have been re-energized by the opportunity to help Ellie, at least for a little while.
@@BrittnyShrub I dont really understand how Bill and Frank were supposed to take Ellie off Joel considering Bill was old and Frank was on a wheelchair. What would have done with her? Driven her west with Frank in those conditions? This part to me doesn't make sense in this show version.
ur reaction was as real as those who cried. dont worry about about others, keep being u. I also watched ur whole one piece reactions, i liked how honest u were about what u knew and what u googled :D cheers.
I think part of the point of not getting these moments with Joel and Tess is to show that Bill and Joel started at the same point. Surviving instead of living. Bill in the show compromised, let someone in, Joel didn't. So at the end with the letter Joel sees what he could've had with Tess, but it's too late. He found someone who could've loved him and didn't even say goodbye. So he looks at Ellie and starts to think he won't make the same mistake again.
Bill in the game didn't compromise, didn't let Frank have even one friend or go renovate some buildings, they ended up hating each other. And in the game Bill represents to Joel the danger of what he could become if he doesn't open up. Even at the and Bill sees what his action caused Frank to do but he swallows his tears and shuts himself off to everything.
Both Bills give Joel the same lesson, the difference between surviving and living. The show has Bill's "happy ending". The game shows Bill's "bad ending".
Honestly, I loved/hated this change in ep 3 with Bill and Frank, in the best way. Hate it because it made me so emotional, loved it because it made Bill so much more of a relatable and sympathetic character instead of just a mega survivalist asshole that constantly bad mouths Ellie and Joel. He was still an asshole, but a lovable one in this episode. It was beautiful to see him and Frank’s relationship flourish instead of falling apart and ultimately ending up with them hating each other and never getting to make up before they died. So beautifully done
Through this episode we now also know that Joel and Tess have known each other for at least 13 years. Almost as long as he knew his daughter.
Nevertheless, no one can conclude from one scene that both were romantic with each other. She went to bed with him (there was only one bed) and put her arm around him. That's it. Before she died, Tess said that she felt more for Joel than he felt for her.
that is Joel was "Bill" when Bill was alone, he kept himself isolated and seperated he didn't want to get attached like he did to his daughter so he wouldn't get hurt again, those Tess liked him a lot and wanted it. I think after Joel hated that he didn't let something happen.
Yeah I get it, you were expecting something else so it left you confused haha. I was waiting for other shoe to drop and was pleasantly surprised. Glad they changed it we needed to see something beautiful before all the shit that is coming.
At least he being honest and open minded to changes.
you deserve a lot more subscribers, I love your reactions a lot more than most especially since it shows your passionate about the show and the attention to details.
Tuned in to see fungus zombies and got this beautifully done story, really well done
I loved your play by play and your reaction. Genuine Thank you ❤
I was like you at the beginning like "hey, this is so far off from what's in the game" but eventually the love story of these two people got to me regardless. It's incredibly well done. It's real. It's powerful. But don't be ashamed of your reaction, it is what it is, and you aknowledging that at the end and sort of trying to make up to it is worth way more that fake tears.
As for the story being different from the game, someone on the internet pointed something out that i found intersting: in the game Bill is a funny character that you spend some time with, but from a narrative perspective is little more than a plot device. He serves the purpose of showing Joel what it means to keep everyone at bay, not allowing anyone to get close and shutting off the world: eventually you end up an half crazy annoying abravise old man living alone a life of regrets. In the show, they did a complete 180° turning Bill not into a negative example of what Joel could become, but a positive one, someone he can aspire to be.
In the end, Bill and his story serve the same purpose from a narrative perspective: getting Joel closer to Ellie. The game uses the stick showing you "how not to", the show uses the carrot showing you "how to". In the end result is the same. And in the process we got an incredibly well written, acted and shot story. One, in all honesty and from a gamer perspective, much better than the original Bill segment.
All you said is what gives me hope that Joel's ending wont be as heart wrenching and disrespect to Joel himself in the game. That he will have a beautiful ending just like Bill did after choosing love, but in the game they made viewers feel like Joel shouldn't have given into his feelings for Ellie which still to this day makes me heartbroken because his love for Ellie is freaken one of the most beautiful forms of love I had ever seen and experienced ❤ I really hope the show handles this way better than the game ever did
@@raven_in_disguise1649 I don't know why you think the game made viewers think Joel shouldn't have given into his feelings. It certainly did not for me. I very much understand why he did what he did and I can't say I wouldn't have done the same were I in his shoes. That's why it's a brilliant ending and I wouldn't want them to change it one tiny bit.
The whole point of that ending imo is showing that the moral dilemma Joel faces has no clear cut answer. You can't say he should or shouldn't have, you can't say it's wrong or right. Whatever choice he made would have been the wrong one and the right one at the same time. It's gut wrenching and perfect.
@@nokta7373
(STOP IF YOU DONT WANT SPOILERS!!)
Oh no to clarify, I was talking about Joels death in the second game, the ending you are talking abt the one where Joel saves Ellie and kills all the firefies is phenomenal! And I agree they should never change that ending I was talking abt viewers who after playing last of us 2 seeing the way Joel's life ended made them see as Joel's choice in saving Ellie regretful which in my opinion he even said himself that he would do it all over again which made me so freaken proud of Joel! What I was talking abt was maybe in the future seasons when they get to Joel's death they should make it more beautiful and meaningful than having stupid Abby character kill him off randonmly and not even giving him to say goodbye to Ellie and Tom. Is for the writers to treat Joel's death the same way they treated Bill and Frank's death meaning they died happily and with content. I am so sorry if I wasn't clarifying enough in my first comment
@@raven_in_disguise1649 No worries, i get you now. But you might want to tag spoilers for those who haven't play the games and might happen to read the comments :)
@@nokta7373 yeah thanks, I'll go back and add the spoilers warning 👌
gaydar. LMAAAO the way u said it so casually i love it! for whatever its worth, i actually really like your reaction. you picked up even the smallest things.
I like how in this series, u can see how pedro and bella became closer as the episodes go on. In interviews, they clearly are close now and its adorable. Bella has said that they spent alot of time together when not filming and talked about deep stuff, even sexuality and gender identity (bella identifies as they/them). That’s really amazing-they built this real life bond as joel and ellie do in the show.
Sometimes I get like that as well, that feeling of having something in the back of your mind (i.e. "no way this is really how things are going") that's why you don't get to fully live in the moment of the scene. I also got into making reaction videos because no one in my life watches the stuff I watch, and right now it's a great outlet for me to communicate to my 2 loyal viewers my thoughts. aha I used to go to the IMDb message boards back when that was still a thing to have discussions/arguments with people...but they've since discontinued the boards in 2017.
Thank you for the reaction!
This was Bill's first interaction with another human in four years. He was lonely.
You don’t have to be breaking down into tears to have an honest reaction. It’s yours and real - and I enjoyed your commentary.
As a man who knows what wine goes with what meat this episode was a really beautiful surprise.
I didn't finish the game as I live alone and I'm scared of zombies, my mum wanted to watch this show so we did.
This episode made me feel things, unlike the machine reacting here! 😅
It might be the nicest gay romance I've seen on TV, made us cry and I've been thinking about this a lot. I'm 49 and eternally single so maybe there's hope for me yet, I just need that apocalypse.
I'm actually looking forward to season 2 because if done right it should be one of the biggest gut punches in television. I loved the second game. I get the TLOU 2 hate because fans wanted something different, but artists and writers shouldn't be constrained by fan expectations. I think the story went very naturally for this type of world.
I’m actually really glad you uploaded this. During my first watch, I was kind of down because I spent most of the episode waiting for things from the game to happen and when they didn’t happen I was left confused. Upon my second watch (and watching a few youtube reactions), I found the beauty in the episode and embraced the changes. I teared up a lot too.
The changes actually made sense to me because they still accomplished the same goal that Bill’s section accomplished in the game. Both versions of Bill’s character are a lesson to Joel about the possibilities of love and happiness if he opens himself up to them again. Bill’s character in the game was about the consequences of pushing other’s away and closing off your emotions. While the episode does unfortunately get rid of some comedic dialogue that exists in the game because of Bill and Ellie’s interactions, it is a small price to pay for a much deeper story than what we received in the game. I also want to admit that Bill’s section was much better from a gameplay perspective than it could have ever been in an adaptation.
However, I do actually have to agree with you on Joel and Ellie’s characters suffering as a consequence due to these changes. Bill’s section did kind of give players a further glimpse into Ellie’s personality and her chemistry with Joel, which still feels a bit lackluster in the show. Regardless, I think it can be easily fixed by giving Joel and Ellie more interactions in the next few episodes. Sam and Henry are coming up and that’s ultimately when Joel and Ellie’s chemistry truly starts to shine, so I trust the show to make sure they have the time they need to grow.
Not just pancake mix - there were foods they turned down or forgot to get - biscuits, cookies and birthday cake - that could have put the on the infected list. Just think of the neighbor feeding the biscuits to his mother/mother-in-law.
I dug your reaction. It was a real one. I myself have never played the game.
"I'm old. I'm satisfied. And you, were my purpose."
More romantic words were never spoken.
I totally get what you're saying in your review. I was so preoccupied by the differences and wondering/expecting where it was going to go that I didn't appreciate the story the way I wanted to. I'm a crybaby so I still bawled my eyes out, but I never got fully invested. It's so difficult to ignore that part of your mind that's constantly comparing things.
y’all gotta stop expecting the show to be the game
I think you're human, and I like your reaction mostly bc you didn't do like the others! When, in the First episode, you say that don't compare with The game, I was like "He will compare with the game" (I know bc I'm maried with a gamer). And I decide to watch the others vídeos: bc you are autenthic. Plz, continue! I really enjoyed your point of view!!! (Sorry my bad english!) From a new sub from Brazil.
i like that you don't have stuffed toys and mountains of kung fu dvd's in the background of your room. must be really easy to keep clean.
lol. That's sort of entirely my thought process.
I haven't played the game, so this episode was just what it is and nothing less. I had no expectations and it blew me away. It's interesting to see the reaction of people who have played the game. Your reaction is so different than mine 🍻
I enjoyed your reaction. While I did tear up while watching the episode, and I've watched other reactors dot eh same, I didn't feel like your reaction was missing something because you didn't.
I don't know which version of events I like better, the interactions with Bill and Ellie in the game are so good, but Bill and Frank's story is also great in the show. Overall makes me more excited for future episodes since they've shown they can make changes and still make it be great.
Great reaction, my friend. I am just in awe of the way this show is handling characters. It's different, but it's beautiful and good. I also didn't cry when I watched this, I was moved, especially as a queer person, but I didn't cry. I am kind of humbled by all the crying though, it feels good to see people treat a gay relationship in a way that is worthy of grief. I am excited for whatever is next, I am on the road letting them take me on this journey.
Yeah, echoing the others. You're fine. Good art shakes our shit up. For most of us, it was the heartrending themes. For you, it was (purposeful) violation of canon. Both are upsetting. Neil Druckmann said the bigger the change, the bigger the effect would need to be to justify it. In this case, I think he nailed it. Do you?
This ep reminds us *exactly* what the stakes are--not only in the show, but in our own lives. It heightens the fundamental horror underlying the genre: zombies are just an entertaining proxy for "everything we can't stop with our best efforts." Things like relentless, patient, murderous time. It's coming for all of us, and none of us will make it out alive. But those of us lucky enough to *really* enjoy that fucking strawberry, we had something better than a winning lottery ticket.
This was, I read somewhere, the "the happy episode." We're fucked. Can't wait. I'mma sub just to see your handsome face.
"He's the mayor of whoville and there's no Who's" 🤣🤣
re: your comments on reaction channel. To me reaction channels didn't make sense until it dawned on me fewer of us are going to movie theaters for the small amount of communal/shared catharsis we once had. You're right - reaction channels are a way of creating a shared experience.
I like to think of it as an alternate reality, when Frank storms angry saying he wants to fix up the town, Bill in the game would have refused him and that made Frank hate his guts then leaves him, gets infected, pens his letter, then hangs himself.
But here, we have the alternate reality, where Bill opened up to Frank and let him bring hope into his life and a happy ending.
The great thing about this, is the back and forth between Ellie and Bill can pretty much happen with any future character.
I also think we will get more of Tess... There are two foreshadowing moments, first is when Tess tells Joel they need to make things "everything we've done" and the other is Ellie mentioning the scar on his nose, in the game he gets that from the Soldier when Sarah is shot, but in the show he never gets that cut on his nose... So I think there might be another flashback with joel and Tess, what was the big even that made them bad people and maybe even some more Bill and Frank.
But it's making me think we may even get Last of Us Part III with a Joel and Tess Flashback, why Tommy turned away from him and that whole time between when Sarah dies and when we meet Joel in the game and obviously how him and Tess are so well acquainted with Marlene and this might even be explained to Ellie once she eventually finds the Fireflies at the end of Part 2?
We have to assume Part III with come out around the same time season 2 comes out.
Your afterwards review and explanation and insights were so freaken beautiful and heartwarming that it made up for you not having an emotional reaction so thank you for all that ❤😭❤
The fact you realized the better story says a lot. And the fact you decided to post it shows courage. A lot of people, mostly guys, might not be totally comfortable with the gay relationship, but they have to recognize the love there. I think that's why this is a really important piece of culture.
Also just trust the show runner, and judge them after eps 9 aired.
Appreciate your honesty and sharing your reflections on why you thought you had trouble losing yourself in the story. People who have never played the game (like me) are blissfully free of the temptation to make comparisons to the game. I experienced everything as new and each character had the potential to be important. You made an interesting observation contrasting Bill's final words in the game and in the show; I wonder if Craig Maizin, who wrote the episode, began here. Cheers to the excellent work of Peter Hoar, the director, and the amazing Nick Offerman and Murray Bartlett.
Little things:
- Pre-pandemic, Bill lived in his mother's house where he built his bunker. He lived alone and, as his letter to Joel stated, 'hated the world' probably because his experience was that it hated him first. He's gay in a small town in which being gay wasn't a thing. We don't know if his mother accepted him. He tried to be straight and failed. Frank was his chance at a full life. I'm glad Maizin altered the story to give that to Bill, and by extension, give Joel that push to help Ellie.
- Frank's last day includes them getting married. The cordyceps pandemic occurs in September 2003. Gay marriage was legalized in Massachusetts-the first state to do this-in May 2004.
- The story tricks us into thinking Bill will probably go first. Frank seems to be in better shape, and it was Bill who was shot the night the raiders came (probably happened more than once). But it wouldn't be the Infected or raiders that would end them. It would be a very ordinary thing: old age and diseases that even the modern world pre-pandemic couldn't cure.
- Beautiful recurring motifs and thoughtful details throughout this episode, including the final shot of Joel & Ellie leaving town from the open bedroom window at Bill & Frank's.
If it makes you feel better. I didn't cry when I first watched it, but did the next time around... I like ugly cried the second time.
This episode shattered me !
About the reaction, there's different layers to it. It was easier to get emotional for those that didn't play the game. You'll also see most of them were like, "Who's Bill and Frank again?". You clearly remember the game vividly, and were expecting it to go more like the game, so you kept waiting for it to turn bad. And then you sort of realized too late that this is just a whole different end. Don't feel bad. Everyone reacts differently!
This show is not a video game so different emotions and stories beyond shoot em ups could come into it. This is a beautiful story that can be done in this format.
I agree this is a beautiful story. My only concern with this series was/is that the time they spend telling new, beautiful stories will detract from the beautiful and very emotional story this adaptation set out to tell (shoot em ups aside - i dont care about action) across 9 episodes, with season 1 being confirmed to cover to the entirety of game 1.
@@BingeBuffoon maybe you should trust the video game's creator Neil Druckman with filming his version of the story. It's still his story. He's not going to let anyone mess it up.
people who are hermits or live alone like that for a long time only bother with the things they use every day. Dust doesn't matter in much of the living area because that area isn't used, many rooms are never used and don't get cleaned or even entered for decades. Unless your a germ/clean freak your not going to have company or friends over, so no need to clean, dust, etc its only you. i've lived alone for 30 years, there are closets i haven't opened in 30 years because there isn't anything in them that i use. I have a guest room but that is just where i throw the laundry on the bed when its clean, don't think i've opened a drawer, closet etc in there for 30 years. There are cabinets in my kitchen i haven't opened in 30 years, don't use anything in them.
Don't feel bad. I didn't tear up watching it - I teared up watching reactors (who I didn't think were go to) weep over it.
U could have rewinded to see what u missed at the plane lol. Ellie says its cool how ppl got to go into sky, joel says its not that cool bc u got squished into a middle seat and had to pay $12 for a sandwich, ellie says its still cool u got to go into the sky, and joel says ‘well so did they’. Dark.
Bill's portion of the game was literally a shooting mission, that gets you a battery and a truck. He was a cool character but simply a stop in the road. Get over it, man. Enjoy the show as it is. This is better (this part of the story).
You don't have to have the same reaction as everyone else, just don't be so hung up on the game that you rob yourself from enjoying it.
I WORSHIP the game. But I'm loving the show because I know it will be different while giving us fans those things that do connect.
Joel and Tess's relationship wasn't really the same because they didn't acknowledge it as a relationship. Joel couldn't even call her his girlfriend and she admitted he didn't feel the same. So, while we might see glimpses of their relationship like we did here. It probably won't be the same thing.
I hear you. And, I am indeed getting over it.
It's fine, geuninity much better.
Interesting parallel between the game and the show: in the game, Frank takes his own life after being infected, and not wanting to be trapped within his own body. In the show, Frank has ALS, or a similar neuromuscular degenerative disease, which will leave him trapped, his brain still functional, within a body out of his control. In both cases, the point is that he went out on his own terms.
too hard on yourself, the game version was depressing A.F. now outside of Tommy, all he has is ellie. wait to see if this story makes joel colder or moves to Joel letting Ellie in to his heart, knowing that he could lose her too
I get that it can be hard to separate the game from the show... the first episode was definitely my period of acclimating to the new versions of these beloved characters, and getting used to them not being exactly as the versions I knew from the game. This episode wasn't as hard for me, because I was never a fan of Bill, and wasn't expecting to care about him or like him much in this version either, but damn... now he is a VERY unexpected favorite and I loved getting to meet Frank and see their journey.
As for Ellie and Joel, I have DEFINITELY fallen in love with them both and their chemistry. It is great to see Ellie just being an excitable, curious, chatty and happy teen, and Joel trying hard not to get too attached but still being unable to be charmed and thawing up against his will. Daddy is a state of mind, to quote Pedro, and Joel is definitely getting there a little at a time. In the game it was also gradual, with a few actual steps back at times when Joel started feeling too attached and vulnerable, and I think we will see the same during this first season.
I don't think there is much great to show between Tess and Joel as it is clear that Joel never stopped holding back emotionally, and never returned her love or affections. I think it would be a very depressing and heartbreaking story just watching Tess never being able to break through, and we already saw the end result of that so I don't feel it is needed to hammer that home any further. I hope they might do a flashback to the day they met or something, and show how they came to trust and rely on each other so strongly, but I think that can be done with minor flashbacks rather than a whole episode length story like here. Not that I will ever complain about more Tess if that was what they did 😂🤣😂
In the end I trust the show to get it right after this one, and I am sure whatever route they go down it will break me in the best way possible just as the game did 😍
I could see them doing backstory with Tess but equally I imagine that emotionally Joel has been dead inside since his daughter died in his arms. At the time I played the game my son was maybe 10 and I put myself (well the game did as well) right into that emotional position. I had forgotten some of the details since it's been so long but I will never forget how the game in its entirety made me feel. As for this episode, I'm really glad they went down this track even if just to flesh out this story of these two characters. I think the story and the letter up the stakes even if Joel doesn't know it yet. That's what the rest of the journey will do, to the point where in the game there was that big moment at the end of the game that still stays with me and always will.
I've cried more watching reactions than I did in the episode, but I was feelin' it big, surely teared up some, but I love this episode!
Really most people don't remember much about Bill in the game after he helps Joel to get the battery and you never see him again. He was the throw away filler in the game. I don't miss Bill from the game. But I do miss Bill and Frank from the show and wish they were still around.
Earned my sub with that self-reflection and narrative analysis at the end. It would be boring if every reaction was the same!
After watching a bunch of reactions to this ep, it made me think of the contrast between Joel and Tess’ relationship and Bill and Frank’s. It makes Tess’ ending so much more tragic 😢.
i know it’s because Joel and Tess were constantly in survival mode and Bill and Frank were living the life in their gated community, but it shows how repressing & suppressing our emotions can really affect ourselves and our loved ones while they’re still alive. Tess deserved at least a handshake 🤝and thank you for her services, if we’re going there.
In any adaptation, fans of the original will bring expectations, hopes and fears to the new version of their beloved story. So being a bit floored by your expectations not coming to fruition is to be expected, and I don't blame any fan of the game for that reaction. However, I think it's important to recognize that an adaptation can be true to the *thematic thrust* of the property it is based upon, without being 100% faithful in a narrative sense. It can accomplish the same goals in different ways...possibly even in superior ways. I think Bill as an aspirational role model works far better than Bill as a cautionary tale, because Joel already relates to who Bill was in the game (and who he was at the beginning of episode 3, way back in 2003)...he is pretty close to being Bill already (i.e. is he likely to see this as problematic when considering who Bill is?). So having this object lesson in recognizing the emptiness of being an emotionally shut-off loner, and rediscovering a reason to live beyond mere survival by meeting and growing to love an extroverted, optimistic individual is a way for Joel to give himself permission to look past his grief to the person he used to be before his world imploded, and become that guy again...by meeting and growing to love an extroverted, optimistic individual.
This episode more than lives up to the thematic burden placed upon it by the game. I actually think it does a better job than the game at creating this opening for love to grow between Joel and Ellie. _And note that this is not a criticism of the game at all_ - experiencing Joel's journey AS JOEL allows you to bring your own perspective into Joel's situation and his reasons for behaving the way he does, making it a bit easier to sell you on his character arc after meeting Ellie. It's also the case that you (the player) learn to trust her at the same time that Joel learns to trust her because she starts to become a useful ally...and things gradually progress from mutual trust and respect to love. But every medium has advantages and disadvantages with respect to storytelling: HBO could tell Bill and Frank's story in a television flashback episode in a way that would've been pretty difficult for the game to do, so they (understandably) took full advantage of the medium to get the viewer to the same point that the player is after Bill's Town in the game.
I wonder why being able to pair a wine with a meat is a hint of him being gay? Like, it means he has style? Lol
I bet bill and frank wanted joel to join them 😜
I loved this episode, although I really wanted the porno magazine scene to happen. Can't wait for the rest of the season!
(Spoilers if you haven't played the first game! Turn back if the show is your first experience of the story please!) I think we will get more of Tess and Joel, primarily through flashbacks and things as more of Joel's backstory is revealed. There is a lot that got skipped over in the initial flash-forward. Personally I am hoping that they make the ending much more explicit, because gamers just so completely and totally misunderstood the ending of the game. Basically, as soon as the credits roll in the game, Ellie would kill herself. It's essentially guaranteed by that final conversation where she BEGS Joel to tell her he's lying about literally the only reason she hasn't killed herself already being bullshit. But nope, he tells her that her only reason for living is gone. Somehow, gamers thought this meant 'happy ever after' which blew my mind. No, the second she gets ahold of a gun, she's gone.
Think about what happens in that part of the game. It is largely running an errand to run an errand and get the battery. This wouldn't work in a tv show, in the game it works perfectly.
I wish we could see joel and tess being more affectionate….more for my own selfish reason of loving it when pedro does a sex scene 😆 (see narcos).
You don't have to force yourself to be like everybody else...
Last of us should not be a Disney movie, or have a happy Hollywood ending...
If you had just watched the show, and reacted to it, instead of pondering and guessing, I am guessing you would have had an emotional reaction.
Great reaction. Agreed on how well they aged the characters up! I also wish that Bill had lived so he could've interacted with Joel and especially Ellie. But good ep overall.
Frank had a degenerative nerve disease - like MS or ALS - painful and fatal.
💔
this Ellie seems more harsh, little empathy, but the thing in the basement? non-gamers, would they see her as cold or just pent up anger from the bite?
show seems to throw in outside ideas and interests, maybe - you're probably supposed to be thrown, but they sprinkle enough of game nostalgia to keep you, imo
Joel and Tess were together, imo - she lay with him when he was unconscious from the pills and drinking, he was going to be Clint Eastwood when Robert's guys hurt her, he makes the cairn for her memory - if Tess knows about Sarah in this show then he was more than just sex - Joel has the reaction to 'keep Tess safe' so deep then he was with Tess
to make it more believable, the show probably should've had Frank in the hole for three or four days, with Bill only giving crackers and water and they have short conversations or something over that period, imo
agree, great stand alone, though
i'm one of the few outspoken people that didn't like this episode. it was ok for the first half then i felt it derailed completely from the main story. then again, i have been complaining about this show since the first 10 mins of the first episode. some things are done well and some things are done really bad.
i think it's a pretty big issue that people love two minor characters that die in the same breath they're introduced than the actual two main characters: joel and ellie. their relationship is really not going great or anywhere right now. i replayed the game after watching the first episode and their relationship is a lot warmer than the show even this early into the story. i think the episode would have been better if they balanced it out with more joel and ellie or tess.
i didn't think this episode was amazing or soooooo beautiful. there were some nice scenes then there were some dumb scenes. there are movies that are way more beautiful and written so much more better objectively. like the rest of the show, it's just ok not great and a lot of praise is kinda overexaggerated.
Ur reaction was fine….the only reaction that would suck is if u were homophobic and trashing it for that.
So long as your feelings are sincere then they're yours and they're perfectly legitimate.
I feel like I may be in the minority among people who enjoyed playing TLOU in that so long as the overall presentation is consistent with the game, I really couldn't care less what details they change because I don't want to see everything I've seen before.
For example, Bill is a much loved character and his interactions with Ellie are great but neither Bill nor those moments are terribly consequential in the overall story of TLOU. Bill's chapter in the game is instead part of a bigger story and once we get to Pittsburgh I don't think he's ever mentioned again. Whereas I think here the story of Bill's relationship with Frank carries more resonance with Joel's loss than it did in the game and will be far more memorable to viewers, especially newbies to TLOU.
Overall, what interests me about TLOU series is what they might do differently in this world and with these characters, and how they might explore things that we got a glimpse of in the game.
I think many would benefit from trying to approach the show as though they've never heard of any of these people before and are meeting them for the first time. I've enjoyed viewing it like that and having no expectations whatsoever but just taking it an episode at a time.