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The Last of Us episode 3 director reveals 3 details about its production
We spoke with Peter Hoar, director of the recently released episode 3 of the HBO series, who gave us some details about Bill and Frank's debut.
The third episode of The Last of Us, Long, Long Time, has just aired on HBO. This one focuses on the story of Bill and Frank, characters we originally met in Naughty Dog's game, and without going into details for those who haven't seen the episode, it gives a major twist to the story of the series.
Prior to the airing of this episode, Meristation had the opportunity to speak with BAFTA award-winning British director Peter Hoar, who was responsible for this episode and gave us some details about its production.
Warning, the following article contains mild spoilers for Long, Long Time, so we recommend that you watch it before reading on.
Nick was always the one to play Bill
If there's one thing we've noticed throughout the episodes of The Last of Us, it's that the casting choices have paid off. After two episodes, Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey have won our hearts as Joel and Ellie, and that wasn't going to change with a character like Bill. We've known for some time that Nick Offerman, who many of us know from his role as Ron Swanson on Parks & Recreations, would bring the character to life. Although Peter mentions that he was always "at the top of our list" of candidates, it was also a risk that "really paid off.”
"It was a joint conversation. We were in a position where we were looking for a Bill, and Nick’s name was at the top of our list," Hoar said. "We had the same thoughts, Nick is Bill, as in from the outside. During the filming there were these gadgets all over, these machines… and Nick knew how to use all of them because he has them and he occasionally fixes things on the set. But how do we know he will do the rest? I think you always have to take the gamble. His wife told him to do it, and I think that was important. She is amazing. She said, ‘you’d be an idiot if you don’t take this’. he is such a lovely man. I think the best you can do for people that take a risk with a role is to be with them and encourage them. It was a really nice thing. As a gamble, it really paid off.”
Those little moments
Throughout the episode, we got to see some great moments, from scenes that were faithful to the game to showing us the little moments of this love story in the midst of the apocalypse. For Peter, this episode has "a lot of little moments along the way," but the one that stands out the most is the strawberry scene, which they wanted to make more special.
"The script is very well written and has a lot of little moments along the way. This is an example of everything falling into place," Hoar commented, "We wanted, myself and my DP, decided to shoot at 'magic hour'. That also meant that there was a feeling on set of 'we have to do this now, we don't have too much time, get it done.’”
“I just wanted it to be one of the most magical of moments, regardless of the apocalypse. If you found that your one true love and that gesture was just so perfect to have grown something in secret in a town of two people. And then present it and say ‘look, I’ve done it’ and their reactions which are wonderful, Nick’s particularly. I really believe they tasted strawberries for the first time in 20 years.”
Adding depth to Frank
For those of us who have played The Last of Us, we know Frank, albeit very briefly and not in the best way. However, the series has taken it upon itself to give us more details about his relationship with Bill. But what is it like to take a character we barely know from a note and a scene of less than 30 seconds? Peter comments that this is largely due to Craig Maizin, as he was “the one that started that journey.”
"What Craig was done is he’s plunged his flag where he knew he would do most work," Hoar commented. [In the game] there are other moments along the way when the story is full but not as quite as narratively driven because it is a game, you have to achieve some things, or win some things or do some things."
“I think what I love about [Frank's story] is the way [Craig] picked those moments. It's a 20-year story, but he chose those little moments for a good reason. It’s a 20-year story, but he chose those little moments for good reason. We went from the first time they are in bed together to a huge brawl, which is so wonderful, that makes you think, ‘yeah, they are in a relationship.’”