HBO’s The Last Of Us Episode 3 is now streaming on HBO and HBO GO (HBO Max in the US). Check out our breakdown of Episode 1 and Episode 2 here.

The Last Of Us, based on the critically acclaimed video game of the same name developed by Naughty Dog exclusively for the PlayStation platforms, is written and executive produced by Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann. The series is a co-production with Sony Pictures Television and is executive produced by Carolyn Strauss, Evan Wells, Asad Qizilbash, Carter Swan, and Rose Lam. Production companies include PlayStation Productions, Word Games, The Mighty Mint, and Naughty Dog.

The Last Of Us takes place 20 years after modern civilization has been destroyed. Joel, a hardened survivor, is hired to smuggle Ellie, a 14-year-old girl, out of an oppressive quarantine zone. What starts as a small job soon becomes a brutal and heart-breaking journey as they both must traverse the U.S. and depend on each other for survival.

The cast includes Pedro Pascal as Joel, Bella Ramsey as Ellie, Gabriel Luna as Tommy, Anna Torv as Tess, Nico Parker as Sarah, Murray Bartlett as Frank, Nick Offerman as Bill, Melanie Lynskey as Kathleen, Storm Reid as Riley, Merle Dandridge as Marlene, Jeffrey Pierce as Perry, Lamar Johnson as Henry, Keivonn Woodard as Sam, Graham Greene as Marlon, and Elaine Miles as Florence. Ashley Johnson and Troy Baker also star.

Courtesy of HBO Asia, we were lucky enough to be the only Malaysian media to participate in interviews with Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann, Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey, Merle Dandridge and Gabriel Luna. You can also check out our spoiler-free review of the entire season by heading over here.

Spoilers ahead:

Mortal Kombat 2 Easter Egg

Ellie finds a Mortal Kombat 2 arcade machine.

In The Last Of Us Part 1 (Left Behind DLC) for PS5 and PC, the game has a Mortal Kombat 2 reference as well; a poster can be seen.

Also, in The Last Of Us Behind Us DLC, Ellie and Riley play a make-believe arcade game that’s clearly inspired by Mortal Kombat.

Meet Bill And Frank

Bill (Nick Offerman) is one of Joel’s friends in the original The Last Of Us game. In the HBO series, we get to see his backstory, as well as that of Frank’s (Murray Bartlett). Frank is Bill’s romantic partner, but he doesn’t technically appear as a character in the game because players will find his body (he commits suicide after discovering that he’s infected).

We also get to see how Joel first met Bill.

Bill And Frank’s Death Is Different From The Game

This whole episode is so heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time. In the HBO series, Bill and Frank both choose to end their lives together on their own terms after getting married and spending one beautiful last day together.

As a fan of the games, I think that Bill and Frank’s story is arguably better in the HBO series than what happens in the game. In the original game, Bill is alive but separated from Frank when Joel and Ellie meet him. Bill later discovers that Frank not only killed himself after being infected but also that Frank hates him (Frank left a suicide letter for Bill).

This is arguably the only episode with plot and story not lifted straight from the source material. In fact, we can only find one key game scene recreated in the HBO series (see below):

Until next week, excelsior!