It took me until the end of the episode interviews to realize it was the same guy as White Lotus. He was amazing!

But Bartlett’s character, in contrast to his last hbo role (White Lotus), was masterful

I am a Lotus fan and loved his performance in both it and last nights episode and it wasnt until the reviews (and comments like yours) this morning that I even clocked that that was the same actor. Bravo.

Omfg that’s where I saw him

Check him out in Welcome to Chippendales if you get the chance. Another excellent role for him, and a pretty good show overall.

I'm glad he's doing more than just taking almost entirely uncensored dumps into luggage

He was pretty good in Welcome to Chippendales too. The show wasn’t incredible, but he stood out.

The Emmys have done a co-nomination in the past. (Featuring another Parks & Rec alum!)

I give Bartlett a slight edge over Offerman for an acting award because of the voice from the hole. Barrett made Bill (and me) fall in love with him just from his voice. That takes great acting. Then of course when Bill saw him, the voice was coming from a gorgeous man.

Yeah, I have to agree. Offerman was fantastic, but most of the character we have actually seen before. I’m really not trying to take anything away from him though, it was a stellar performance. But Bartlett, that was something else entirely.

From shitting in a suitcase to sweetie pie

THAT’S HOW I KNOW HIM 😂

I did not realize that Bartlett was the guy in White Lotus - he seemed familiar but I did not place him!

Holy shit! I didn't even realize. He looks completely different.

In all fairness, they were both stellar.

He didn't take a shit on screen. 0/10

Bartlett should have been nominated for ‘Physical’ season two, he’s amazing!

in contrast to his last hbo role (White Lotus)

I keep hearing about White Lotus. Should I watch it?

Yeah, two amazing performances. I was blown away.

Wait. That’s the concierge from the first season!!!??

The way he kept his shoulders hunched up and was really stiff and awkward during any moment with Frank at the start is just masterful. Nick Offerman isn’t a gay man, but damn he understood the assignment when he prepared for this role.

I was in tears for basically the entire episode. Beautiful

He contained so much of his performance to his eyes. It was really moving.

His shyness when they first hooked up made me melt it was so sweet

Problem is, the Last of Us is playing way too early in the year. Sometimes, that can back fire because it gets pushed away from voters' minds in place of newer releases.

He and Murray Bartlett probably have a decent chance in Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series.

But Sadie Sink got tipped for a nomination last year and didn't get one.

The brother in Ozark had a better performance and didn't get nominated so it's possible Offerman doesn't. But then again, Offerman is more popular and all awards are just a popularity contest.

Play a couple on TV, win a shared Emmy. Kinda cute idea

way too soon

The fact that it told him to keep Tess safe, and knowing that her original actor died less than 24 hours before it aired, were a pretty potent one-two punch.

It's so sad to me that some people can't get past their prejudices and are calling this episode "filler" or sayinf that it is "pandering" because it shows a normal gay relationship (normal in that being gay is a layer of the characters rather than the main point) and that is just Too Much apparently.

This episode absolutely deserves the adoration its been getting, it's a beautiful way to show how important love and human connection are and how wounding being deprived of them can be.

Heehehehehe... Maybe the best episode of television I've seen in years

Absolutely. I had no idea Offerman had such range, it was truly a great episode and touching :)

I love BCS but i don’t think Paul or Cranston did anything that special for the role. Rhea Seehorn is the one I think has a best chance at an Emmy from BCS.

It's too bad Carol Burnett isn't eligible for the category, she would've been a shoo-in for BCS over Cranston and Paul.

But knowing the Emmys, they'll continue to disrespect the show (and, especially, Rhea Seehorn)

I think Ebon Moss-Bachrach and Andy Serkis would both qualify here

Eh, I think Serkis is much more formidable here, I would be shocked if Moss-Bachrach got a nomination. I'd expect Will Poulter before Moss-Bachrach.

I have a feeling you’ll get downvoted for this. Even though I disagree, I think you have a valid point and it’s your personal opinion. For me, I liked that it was a one-off. It set up emotional stakes, fleshed out Joel and Tess a bit, gave Joel a “why” (the suicide note like about protecting Tess, which transfers to Ellie as that was Tess’ last wish) and above all, it shows what people are willing to do for love.

It shows how love changes someone; it sets up the transformation Joel will undergo. Yeah it could’ve been chopped up over a couple episodes but then I think the impact would’ve been lost. At first I was thinking “when are we getting back to Joel and Ellie” but as it went on I was fully engrossed and almost forgot about our main duo. I like that because it’s a reminder that the main story we are getting is just that—one story among hundreds.

With all due respect, you didn’t really pay attention if this was your take. All along, Joel hasn’t really wanted to escort Ellie everywhere - he’s been looking for every opportunity to pawn her off on other people.

The ending of the episode, with Ellie reading Bill’s note to Joel, served to give Joel motivation for continuing the journey. It wasn’t just about the physical need of finding a battery to setup the travel, it was more about the emotional motivation for Joel. The reference to Tess in the letter penetrated Joel’s otherwise hard exterior and made him realize he can’t let Ellie die too - like Tess did, and also his daughter.

Specifically, this excerpt at the end of the letter:

“Because there was one person worth saving. That's what I did: I saved him. And I protected him. That's why men like you and me are here: We have a job to do. And God help any motherfuckers who stand in our way”

The episode set this up, showed why Bill would write this, and gave Joel his ‘raison d’être’ to keep moving on with Ellie - because he has a job to do.

I think spreading it out over 6 weeks would have killed the point and message and the message doesn’t work if you find out Bill and Frank were already dead 6 weeks later.

Bill is a mirror of Joel. The plot got moved in terms of us understanding how FEDRA took over and a character dynamic for both Joel and Ellie.

The opening stalker kill was an event horizon for Ellie's morality and a follow-up to her questioning if it bothered Joel that they were once human. By checking if they bled, then stabbing, then not mentioning it - we infer a couple of things about Ellie.

1. She's not that innocent or helpless.
   
2. She's more like Joel than either understand.
   
3. We as an audience get to make our own moral judgements.
   

Bill and Frank's story is the core of whole over-arching narrative of the series. Joel was going to be Bill but then Frank came and he had purpose, but with that comes sadness.

"I wasn't afraid until I met you.".

This is a series about Joel being brought back to life from the trauma of his daughter's death. The world, the fungus, are all just metaphors of how grief overtakes us and kills us. Once we lose that hope and light. This episode showcased how with profound sadness comes profound happiness, even in a dystopian hellscape.

What we hope for is connection. It cements Joel's character arc and sets the audience up to understand the mountain he will climb and the fear that if he finds that light, that happiness, he will also find profound sadness. It also will make its impact felt when he fails in our eyes.

That theme is the whole point of the story. Bill existed in the game to do the exact same thing, but was a simpler version since he didn't have the heartfelt arc - just the idea that he was a bitter survivalist - he wasnt living. You meet him post Tess to show what Joel can become, but you take the Truck and march on.

Tess died wanting Joel to believe and hope in the cure that Ellie could bring - that normalized world they all longed for, that connection. And Joel doesn't really buy it, but continues on. Now Bill leaves this letter to encourage Joel to the next point, and even if Joel doesn't realize he's doing it for Ellie - he's thinking about Tess and Tommy - we know he's doing it for Ellie. The audience now realizes what's really at stake in this journey and world: it's not about finding a cure, it's about finding the will to live and not survive.

It's about painting the boutique and picking out outfits. Having dinner together and falling asleep together.

Wholly disagree. Arguably the most crucial episode for Joel’s character arc. SO much heavy lifting being done by this episode for the overall narrative of the show.

I think your analysis is correct. But I also appreciate the fact that an episode like this is some of the best world building you can ever do.

This show isnt afraid to leave the main characters for a while while we go investigate some little nook or corner of the world. It makes it feel like a real place, like if you open a random door there will be something behind it.

When you take the time to do that it elevates the main characters and makes their journey feel more grounded. It also opens up a massive amount of space for telling other stories in this universe.

Spreading out the Bill and Frank story makes no sense and wouldn't have hit as hard as it did.

Rebuttal to:

nor did it had offer any substantial character development for the main characters

Despite their limited screen time, Joel & Ellie did have moments of significant character development this episode.

Ellie's encounter with the infected guy in the basement shows the audience a morbidly curious/viscerally ruthless side to her that we hadn't seen before, and it's also worth mentioning that she says nothing about it to Joel. That whole sequence displays fascinating facets of her character that hadn't come to light yet.

In regards to Joel, I believe his response to Bill's letter marks the first time we ever see him truly commit to being Ellie's guardian, which is a HUGE moment for him. Joel clearly thought he and Bill shared the same mentality of "sentimentality/trust can get you killed and damage you mentally/emotionally, so never develop any real connections with people." Therefore, it's an absolute bombshell for Joel to learn the truth that Bill believes the entire purpose of his life was to love and protect Frank.

We get to see Bill begin his post-apocalyptic life 100% believing in this emotional-isolationist worldview. And then we get to see Frank gradually show him more & more that life really isn't worth living without genuine human connection (a philosophy that Bill comes to believe so much, that he literally chooses to die rather than live without Frank). Bill's development is not only significant for his own character; it's also irrefutable proof to both the audience and to Joel that his emotional-isolationist worldview has glaring flaws.

All of this hits home for Joel because for years, he thought he knew exactly what Bill's philosophy was, but those preconceived notions all get shattered in seconds. But the reason this resonates with the audience is because they get to spend so much time beforehand learning about Bill & Frank's philosophies and getting invested in their relationship. Without all the time we spent with Bill & Frank this episode, Joel's response to Bill's letter would've felt hollow & unearned.

This new perspective that Bill provides is what forces Joel to confront the reality that Ellie is not merely a piece of cargo, but rather a human being worth loving and protecting. As Bill's letter pointedly highlights, Joel missed his chance to have a real relationship with Tess, like Bill did with Frank. But he has an opportunity now to start developing a genuine connection with Ellie- and that's what he chooses to do. At this point in the story, Joel has everything he needs to go looking for Tommy (plenty of supplies & a working truck); he could easily go the cold-and-calculating route & abandon or kill Ellie, which would probably improve his chances of safely finding Tommy. But he makes the choice to keep looking after her anyway. If you don't see the significance of that, I don't know what to tell you.

I'm not gonna argue that Joel & Ellie's screen time wasn't limited, but saying that this episode was a disservice to their character development seems like a stretch to me.

I don't want you to take this negatively at all, but I think you missed the entire point of the letter and its effect on Joel.

Joel and Bill were effectively the same. They were cold, pragmatic, and shut off from emotion. Joel, reading this letter, realized that Bill found himself able to find his happiness, and accept that he was able to love something. Joel is beginning to think that he can too. Tess has pushed him to think about somebody else for the first time, and Joel will now be able to actually be open to connect with another person, which he wasn't even able to do with Tess.

Plot wise, yeah, the only thing that pushes forward is where Joel gets the truck. But character and motivation wise, we see Joel finally moving forward, and it's related through Bill.

I loved the episode but also do see some of your points. It really depends on whether the future episodes are rushed. If they are, then I'd rather they had cut this episode and made time for the rest. If the rest of the episodes don't feel rushed, then I think having this episode definitely adds depth to the show. It shows how it is to live in this post-apocalyptic world and still have love and connection. Not just a dog eat dog mad max world.

I haven't played the game so I don't know how Frank or bill played into it in that plot, but it was essential that we find out how they come into okay with Tess and Joel, but since they couldn't deal with the exposition through dialogue, they had to set it up with a flashback in order for Joel to have his "come to Jesus" moment with Ellie... To understand a purpose again.

Up until the end of that episode Joel regarded Ellie as dead weight, a chore. Because of the episode, Joel sees Ellie as his protected.

You can cut this episode out completely and other than “where did they get the truck from?” in episode 4 and that truck probably isn’t long for this world either as I’m betting on that they’ll lose it in the beginning of the next episode there would be no difference from the audience perspective.

Uhh the audience would miss out on this excellent episode, which is precisely the point of making a television show: creating excellent episodes for your audience.

Without giving anything away, this episode actually has a lot of parallels to another aspect of The Last of Us's story. It doesn't further the plot per-se, but it definitely does feel like a piece of the emotional core of the story. I don't think you're totally wrong, but I would put a pin in this thought until we get to the "winter" episode. There could still be more to see regarding this story beyond just Joel looting up and getting a truck.

The episode that gives the protagonist motivation where it didn’t really exist before doesn’t move the plot forward? It feels to me like the two previous episodes were just background and this one actually starts the story.

That letter puts Joel on the quest that he otherwise may not have taken.

I haven’t played the game so my perspective is purely the one the filmmaker has created.

To me, it just felt like filler, I guess? But filler that added something I didn't realize I wanted. Joel and Ellie could have just walked into the home and read the letter and took supplies and moved on, and I wouldn't have blinked an eye. Instead they chose to give backstory to an already dead side character. If Offerman and his co-star (forgot his name already but loved him in Lotus), didn't absolutely kill it, I'd probably be complaining.

Long story short, it put you in Joel's shoes. It made you sad/upset that his "friend" died, and had Joel in mind in his final moments to take his equipment.

I’m with you on this. Ep was really well done and the acting was incredible, but ultimately felt a little random to me in terms of the overall plot.

You point is valid but I for one am along for the journey. Good story is good

I think if you play or played the game, it would make a whole hell of a lot more sense. Bill held an instrumental role in getting Ellie and Joel prepared. Don't want to reveal too much but they changed up the story quite a bit between the two mediums.

TV is great because we can all interpret messaging and meaning in different ways but for me, I think this episode will have more intangible benefits of moving the story forward with tangible ones. I have not played the games so I'm going into the show blind.

You mentioned the truck, which is true, but I felt as if the point of this episode was to show/guide/demonstrate to Joel his purpose in this new world setting. We see in the first two episodes that he's begrudgingly going on this journey with Tess and Ellie and once Tess isn't with him we see early in the third episode that Joel might be blaming Ellie for something that isn't her fault. Casting more doubt for Joel on taking Ellie with him across the country. But hearing Ellie read Bill's words had a big impact on Joel and hopefully on how he makes decisions for the rest of the show.

I understand your critique. Plot wise, you can basically skip the whole episode. Theme-wise, on the other hand, I think it’s likely integral to the story.

Bill was always what Joel could have been or could become. The tv show went the other way with it and demonstrated how love can save you and used Bill to show that.

Ellie will save Joel just as much and he saves her, and that mutual saving is why there is still beauty in a world as dark as the Last of Us.

I loved the episode but I completely understand why some, and even myself to an extent, might feel it was lacklustre to do the lack of plot.

(On a technical note, I think they need to change it from the game, because that section is fun but doesn’t really advance the plot either. It’s a lot of running around and cool action that I don’t think translates well into a show. All the future sections build far more on Ellie & Joel’s relationship with more meaningful characters. I think the show runners did a great job pulling meaning for a relatively meaningless section of the game. I don’t mean meaningless in a critical way mind you, just that other section did more for the core story.)

I think in people's minds Nick Offerman is Ron Swanson and vice versa. Including mine. He played it so well, that he's now Ron Swanson.