HBO's The Last Of Us All But Confirms Season 2's Answer To Bill & Frank

Bill and Frank’s love story will be nearly impossible for The Last of Us season 2 to top, but the latest trailer has teased an exciting replacement. The Last of Us season 1 was widely praised as a whole, but by far the most acclaimed and talked-about installment was episode 3, “Long, Long Time.” This episode deviated drastically from the game to tell a standalone romantic epic spanning two decades, showing how stoic survivalist Bill fell in love with his partner Frank and found more happiness post-apocalypse than he ever had pre-apocalypse.

“Long, Long Time” was hailed as a near-perfect hour of television that deepened characters and unseen stories from the game, proving that expanding The Last of Us to a TV show was a much better choice than the original plan for a film adaptation. Nick Offerman and Murray Bartlett shared impeccable chemistry as two soulmates chronicling the ups and downs of a 20-year relationship. It’ll be tough for season 2 to deliver an episode that lives up to Bill and Frank’s love story, but The Last of Us’ latest trailer has already teased what it could be.

The Last Of Us Season 2 Is Adapting "The Birthday Gift" Chapter From The Game

Joel Is Taking Ellie To The Museum

The new trailer for The Last of Us season 2 shows scenes from the video game chapter “The Birthday Gift.” “The Birthday Gift” is arguably the most heartwarming chapter in The Last of Us Part II. It’s a perfectly timed flashback that arrives at the end of Ellie’s first day in Seattle. After a grueling day of fighting soldiers and clickers, Ellie takes refuge in a theater, where she finds a guitar that reminds her of Joel. She remembers that on her 16th birthday, Joel took her to a science museum, where she got to climb a dinosaur.

The upper floor of the museum has an aerospace section with a space capsule. Inside the capsule, Joel gives Ellie her real present: a recording from the cockpit of a space launch. This is the closest Joel could possibly get to making Ellie’s dream of going to space come true (short of actually sending her to space). After spending the first part of the game mourning Joel and watching Ellie spiral into misery, it’s delightfully refreshing to see them back together, enjoying each other’s company.

Why "The Birthday Gift" Could Be Season 2's Answer To Bill & Frank

It's A Heartwarming Standalone Story To Break Up The Bleakness Of The Main Plot

What made “Long, Long Time” so effective in season 1 was that it broke up the bleakness of the main storyline with a touching standalone tale of hope and romance. “The Birthday Gift” will similarly provide a welcome break from the bleak main plot in The Last of Us season 2. So much of The Last of Us Part II is focused on Joel’s worst qualities — his lies, his mistakes, his violent actions — but this heartwarming flashback is a timely reminder of his best quality: he’s a great dad.