For LGBTQ+ gamers, Bill and Frank’s relationship in The Last of Us is extra special. (HBO)
Despite much fan hype and a sort-of endorsement from actor Nick Offerman, there will definitely not be a The Last of Us spin-off about gay couple Bill and Frank.
When HBO’s first season of The Last of Us aired in January 2023, it received widespread critical acclaim, but it was episode three which had fans and critics particularly enamoured – and heartbroken.
The episode starred Parks and Recreation’s Nick Offerman and The White Lotus’s Murray Bartlett as gay couple Bill and Frank, who met during the early days of the cordyceps outbreak.
Their love story played out through flashbacks spanning two decades, culminating in a devastating death sequence that left fans weeping for days.
Earlier this month, Offerman, who won an Outstanding Guest Actor Emmy award for his portrayal of Bill, teased that the two beloved characters could get their own show.
“It certainly has been pitched,” he said at the time.
“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 see what [showrunners] Craig [Mazin] and Neil [Druckmann] come up with.”
However, earlier this week at HBO’s Emmy awards afterparty, Mazin said that Bill and Frank’s story would not be getting a spin-off of any sort.
“I’m very proud of the episode we did with Bill and Frank,” he told Deadline, but added that “there won’t be more Bill and Frank.”
“Nick [Offerman] was joking about a prequel, that was kind of a joke,” Mazin explained, but insisted that The Last of Us team were “very happy with what we achieved”.
So, Bill and Frank stans, it appears that one of TV’s best gay couples in recent memory will be staying dead.
That’s not to say that the series will be lacking any LGBTQ+ representation though: it’s quite the opposite in fact.
Bella Ramsey, who stars as Ellie Williams in the show, will be introduced to new character Dana (played by Dora and The Last City of Gold actress Isabela Merced) in season two.
Dana and Ellie will embark on a lesbian relationship together, a storyline that Ramsey recently told PinkNews they were “really excited” to get started on.