The HBO series adaptation of the highly-acclaimed videogame Last of Us will include an episode unfolding a queer storyline that fans did not get to see in the original game franchise and everyone is already crazy about it.

The Last of Us takes place in a post-apocalyptic world where we follow the story of Joel, “a hardened survivor”, who is “hired to smuggle Ellie, a 14-year-old girl, out of an oppressive quarantine zone to the Fireflies”, in order to find a cure for a deadly virus that is killing off humans all over the planet.  

It is throughout their journey together that they encounter Bill, a “lone survivor in a town where he’s set up all sorts of deadly traps for the infected.”

In the game, we know Bill had a relationship with a man called Frank, who died because of the virus, but we do not get to meet his lover. However, in the series adaptation created by Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann, the gay couple got an entire episode dedicated to exploring their relationship.

According to critics, the third episode of Last of Us explores a 20-year period where Bill and Frank exchange letters with each other while they grow to build a romantic relationship. The storyline is so heartfelt that Vulture called it “the best of the season”, highlighting how the growing love between the two men is given the same importance as their chances of survival.

Speaking to Collide, Murray Bartlett, who plays Frank in the series, said: “The scripts that I had to work with, one particular script is one of the best hours of television I’ve ever read. It’s beautiful. It’s beautifully written.”

reading reviews for the new last of us series is getting me so hyped. you're telling me they're going all in on frank and bill? you're telling me they're refusing to shove queerness into the background and are instead putting a spotlight on it? fuck YES

— space guy (@PossiblyAwesom) January 10, 2023

“There are these zombie creatures in it, but it’s tender and it’s human. I think it’s gonna be really special. I haven’t seen any of it yet, but I’m really proud of the work we did and I think it could be really, really wonderful. It will be really wonderful.” Bartlett added.

Meanwhile, fans of the game franchise are going crazy due to the fact that HBO’s Last of Us promises to keep the queer representation that was always strong in the game. The series is set to premiere on 15 January on HBO(US).

Everyone crying about episode 3 of the last of us and I just found out it’s the bill and Frank episode pic.twitter.com/Ov42G2NY15

— cate (@seaofbelIs) January 10, 2023