Bill and Frank's storyline. HBO's TLoU vs. game: differences and similarities

After the airing of the third episode, the thread was widely discussed, because the creators devoted a surprisingly large amount of time to a flashback focused on these two. We can see not only the process of building the trap-ridden fortress in Lincoln, but also Bill's very close relationship with Frank, which lasts almost twenty years.

Without much fuss, we can simply say that Bill and Frank were a couple in the game, which is only briefly mentioned in a letter that Joel can give to Bill while in Lincoln. It's also certain that they actually lived in the town for many years and that Frank ended up committing suicide. Only the reasons differ. In the game, Frank actually got fed up with Bill, so he left him. Unfortunately, he was infected and therefore decided to take his own life. He did it by hanging himself in one of the abandoned houses. We can see the corpse during a walk through Lincoln.

The creators of the series created a completely new story based on the information available in the game. Bill turned the town into a fortress, and when Frank accidentally fell into one of the traps, he was invited to Lincoln. The guys quickly fell in love, and lea relatively peaceful life together for many years. The plot of the series also ends with a touching scene in which Bill and Frank decide to commit suicide, so when Joel and Ellie arrive, the fortress is already abandoned.

In the game, Bill is obviously one of the NPCs, alive and well. Perhaps Frank's departure affected him in some way, but we can't really tell, at least until the mentioned letter is handed over to him. The game simply neglects this thread, while the series fills in these gaps.

The series and the game diverge strongly in terms of the ending. Since Bill is alive in the game, he becomes a guide around the area, and also helps the heroes get a car and a battery for it. In the show, Joel and Ellie don't have all that much to do; they take a bath, stock up and drive off into the blue. It's also worth mentioning that from the point of view of the game, Joel never visited Bill in Lincoln – which is mentioned at the beginning of the chapter. In the series, Joel would often visit the lovers, accompanied by Tess.

Fungal map of US

The last small detail we present is in the opening credits of the series, when we can see a nice animation with the participation of the cordyceps. At some point, the fungus forms a map of the United States, presumably to emphasize that no corner of the country is safe.