Summary
- Nick Offerman mentions that a Last of Us prequel spinoff has been pitched, including the idea of a miniseries.
- "Long, Long Time" stands out due to its economic storytelling, conveying a complete life in a brief timeframe.
- Co-creator Craig Mazin has previously talked about wanting to expand the show with spinoffs, but none have been confirmed.
The Last of Us guest star Nick Offerman addresses a potential Frank and Bill-focused spinoff. Reviewed as one of the video game adaptation's best episodes, The Last of Us episode 3, "Long, Long Time," spends the bulk of its feature-length runtime on the relationship that develops between Bill (Offerman) and Frank (Murray Bartlett). The episode, written by Craig Mazin and directed by Peter Hoar, received praise for the performances, script, and direction.
After winning the Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series at the 2024 Creative Arts Emmys via Deadline, Offerman addressed the chances of returning for a Last of Us prequel and mentioned that ideas have been pitched. The Emmy winner also joked about how he wound up getting the role of Bill after being asked if he would be willing to reprise the role in any capacity. Read the full comment below:
“Oh, great question but I would have to ask somebody with a higher pay grade than myself. It certainly has been pitched. I think we pitched a whole mini-series of a prequel of their lives before they met each other. It could be a musical. We’re not short on ideas. We’ll just we’ll see what Craig [Mazin] and [creator] Neil [Druckmann] come up with.”
“Oh sure. I was lucky this time. They needed a guy who could use a shovel. Three of us in Hollywood, Harrison Ford passed and Jane Lynch was not available.”
This is the first Emmy win for Offerman, who is also known for his Parks and Recreation role as Ron Swanson.
A Frank & Bill Prequel Would Be Missing The Point
The episode is a major deviation from the video game source since Bill and Frank's story is original in the show. Because these characters are either briefly mentioned or just cameos in the game, this allowed room to expand on Bill and Frank's arc, which turned into a love story. Part of the power of "Long, Long Time" is its economic storytelling. The story of two people finding love in a post-apocalyptic landscape isn't novel. It's actually a common trope associated with the zombie subgenre. What makes the Last of Us episode unique and one of the most acclaimed 2023 episodes is what it accomplishes in a brief timeframe of 75 minutes.
Frank and Bill don't have the full episode to themselves. It starts and ends with Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey), removing a little bit from the running time. But in the brief space that Frank and Bill occupy, they convey a complete life. They successfully convey their characters' love and arc with only the highlights and no need for elaboration. The story also challenges typical apocalyptic tropes. While movies and shows emphasize the tragedy of characters' lives in such settings, episode 3 shifted this perspective with lightheartedness by showing Bill and Frank's evolving relationship and trust.
While Mazin previously hinted at possible Last of Us spinoffs, there have been no confirmed details about any spinoffs or prequels. However, a long and drawn-out Last of Us prequel would just be capitalizing on an episode that received acclaim, disregarding that the brevity of "Long, Long Time" is one of the things that makes it more of a gut punch. Furthermore, Bill and Frank's arc seems complete, so trying to extend their screen time would take away their near-perfect love story.
