| “ | Paying attention to things. It's how we show love.
―Frank's life philosophy.
|
” |
Frank is a supporting character in HBO's The Last of Us. He was a survivalist who lived alone with Bill in their own isolated town.[1]
Biography[]
Background[]
Frank lived in Baltimore, Maryland. A gay man, Frank was an artist whose mediums included painting, piano, and singing. When the Cordyceps brain infection outbreak occurred in 2003, a quarantine zone was established there by FEDRA. Sometime in 2007, the quarantine zone collapsed. Frank, along with nine other people, decided to venture to the quarantine zone in Boston, Massachusetts. Along the way, Frank lost his entire group.[2]
Events of HBO's The Last of Us[]
Meeting Bill[]
In 2007, Frank came across the fencing surrounding Lincoln. However, he sprung a trap and fell into a pit, Soon after being alerted by an alarm, the man living in the town, Bill, approached the hole. Frank called out to him, prompting the man to question him. Bill was persuaded by Frank to allow him out of the pit, but kept his pistol trained on him from a distance. He pointed him in the direction of Boston but Frank pleaded with Bill for food before going, stating he had not eaten in two days. Bill relented and let him inside to shower and have fresh clothes.
Frank was overwhelmed that Bill still had so many supplies and hot water, relishing in the chance to have a proper shower. Once done, he joined Bill for lunch, who cooked rabbit for them. While eating lunch, Frank commented on Bill's knowledge of wine pairing and admired the level of pre-outbreak luxuries Bill had in his town.
Frank comforts Bill.
After lunch, Frank noticed Bill's piano. Going through the sheet music, Frank correctly guessed which were Bill's favorites and began to play "Long Long Time" by Linda Ronstadt. Bill, appalled by Frank's mangled rendition or suddenly feeling exposed and vulnerable by the song's lyrics, stopped him; Frank then stepped back from the piano and invited Bill to play it for him, promising to leave afterwards. As Bill played the song, Frank observed the emotion it stirred in Bill's voice and face. Frank asked who the girl Bill was thinking about as he sang. When Bill answered that there was none, Frank bent down and kissed him, who kissed back. Frank then suggested they go to bed together. Bill revealed to Frank that this was his first sexual encounter in a long time, and his first with a man, and Frank suggested they could start with "the simple things". Frank then asked if could stay a few days longer. Bill agreed and the pair become intimate.
Over the next three years, Frank and Bill formed a close relationship, becoming lovers and living together. Frank spent much of his time exercising and restoring the town. However, Frank felt constrained by Bill's paranoia, which was preventing them from living a life resembling the world before the apocalypse.[2]
Forming an alliance[]
In 2010, Bill and Frank got into a heated argument as Frank wanted to do up the town, paint the house and restore the boutique. Bill resisted this idea, citing it as a waste of supplies. Frank eventually got Bill to agree but then revealed he had begun speaking with a woman over the radio named Tess in the Boston QZ. Wanting him and Bill to have friends, he invited Tess and her smuggling partner, Joel Miller, for lunch against Bill's wishes.
Frank having dinner with Bill, Tess and Joel.
When they arrived, Frank treated them to a garden party meal at their house. Bill, paranoid of them, kept his gun on the table during their meal. Frank was elated at having Joel and Tess there and offered to give Tess a tour of their house, which Bill was angered by. Frank did so anyway, overjoyed at having new friendly people to spend time with. Later on, when seeing Tess out, he arranged their next meeting and suggested a radio code they could use when the two needed help or when the pair found supplies to trade.
Over the next few years, the group began a smuggling operation for the Boston QZ that benefited both couples. In 2013, Tess also providing Bill and Frank with seeds. Frank kept this a secret, planning a surprise for Bill one day in 2013 while they were jogging together. He brought an aging Bill, who now struggled to keep up, to a strawberry patch he had planted as a surprise, and tasted their first strawberries in years. Bill grew emotional and apologized to Frank because he could feel himself aging faster than his lover.
Frank treats Bill's gunshot wound.
One rainy night, they were attacked by raiders. The sound of their screaming and the light from Bill's flamethrower traps awoke Frank. He called out, seeing Bill was not in bed with him. Grabbing a pistol, he went down stairs and exited the house to find Bill in the middle of the street in a gunfight with some of the raiders. He called out again just as a raider shot Bill. Frank raced out, grabbing Bill and helping him inside. He lifted him onto to their dining table and rushed to get alcohol and medical supplies. Bill assured Frank the traps would finish the rest of the raiders. Fearing his wound was severe enough he would die, Bill revealed the rest of the town's codes for their traps were in his basement and the code was their gate fence one in reverse. He also ordered Frank call Joel to come take care of him, the man trusting Joel as Frank's protector. However, Frank insisted he would not need that because he had Bill; Frank's efforts to save Bill worked, saving his life.
Bill then repaired their defenses and the pair carried on living together and trading with Joel and Tess. However, as the years went on, Frank developed a medical condition[fn 1] that harmed his motor functions and left him wheelchair-bound. Despite this, he still kept up his painting, notably painting Bill often.[2]
Later years and death[]
Frank asks Bill to help him take his own life.
By 2023, Bill continued to care for Frank despite their advanced ages. On August 29, 2023, Frank woke up and, tired of not being able to do what he used to, decided that it was going to be his last day. Though Bill was emotionally overwhelmed by Frank's decision, he understood it and let Frank convince him to make it a good day, resulting in the two going to the boutique together, Frank picking out clothes for them to wear and getting married.
Bill then cooked a final meal for Frank as he did when they first met and gave him wine. After the meal, he put a large amount of crushed medications in both his and Frank's wine. While Frank only intended for himself to die that night, he understood the reason when Bill explained he was too old and did not want to live without him. Frank said he should be furious but found the gesture romantic and saw it fitting they die together. That night, both he and Frank died together in bed as they fell asleep.[2]
Legacy[]
Joel with Ellie made it to Lincoln sometime after Frank and Bill's death. Ellie found Bill's suicide note, explaining what had happened to him and Frank. They took Bill's truck and supplies, but, per his wishes, they left Bill's and Frank's bodies undisturbed.[2]
Appearance[]
Frank was a slim built man with a thick brown beard. As time passed, his hair started whitening. Years of living outside of luxurious pre-apocalypse comforts kept Frank fit, the man notably became more muscular and athletic compared to Bill.[2]
Personality[]
Frank was a charismatic and energetic man, winning over Bill's affection with his enthusiasm. He was sensitive, able to understand that Bill was gay like himself and connect with him emotionally. He was also understanding of Bill's paranoid pre-apocalyptic beliefs, forming a relationship with him and showing him that people could still be good in the world despite the horrors that were unleashed. Through his openness, he was keen to form partnerships with other people, engaging in communications with Tess - though he was secretive, only telling Bill about the arrangement after already inviting her and Joel to the town. Bill viewed Frank's lack of security as a risk but Frank's resolved proved it beneficial to still be kind even during the apocalypse.[2]
Frank also had a clear desire to have control over his own life. This ranged from more minor matters like keeping his clothes and sleeping bag clean,[3] convincing Bill to let him restore aspects of the town to convincing his lover to let him take his own life to the end the suffering his terminal illness brought him.[2]
Relationships[]
Bill[]
Frank and Bill were lovers in the post-apocalyptic America. When first meeting him, Bill was paranoid - cautiously approaching Frank in his trap and scanning him to ensure he was not infected. Despite usually insisting people who were friendly that fell into his traps go once he set them free, Bill took a liking to Frank and allowed him inside to shower and have a meal. However, after the meal, Bill grew attracted to Frank, who returned the sentiment, leading the pair to form a relationship.
Bill and Frank profess their love to each other.
Over the years, Bill and Frank became lovers, sharing their lives in the town. Despite their happiness, the pair did have tough times, with Bill's overprotective nature and paranoid tendencies leading to tension with Frank, who wanted to make the town more of a home for them both. Despite this, Bill learned to be more open, accepting Frank's ideas to restore parts of the town like the boutique and gardens and even form a trading partnership with smugglers Tess and Joel.
What drove Bill's relationship with Frank was his fear of losing him. Bill demonstrated this in his heightened efforts to keep Frank safe, setting up numerous traps over the years to prevent raiders reaching them and even risking his life fighting them directly to ensure they did not reach Frank. Bill also felt a sense of guilt in their relationship, notably his perceived faster aging than Frank and feared leaving him to die alone.
However, in their later years, Bill turned into Frank's caretaker, treating him in his terminal illness. Despite Frank's inevitable death paining him, Bill committed to follow Frank's final wishes to give him his perfect day - even marrying him - displaying immense loyalty to him. This loyalty climaxed in Bill's admittance that he could no longer imagine life without Frank, leading to his decision to take his own life with him on August 29, 2023.[2]
Tess[]
Frank was open towards Tess, eager to form a trading partnership with her. The pair genuinely connected, with Frank's commitment to the relationship helping to convince Bill that she was trustworthy.[2]
Behind the scenes[]
- Frank is portrayed by Australian actor Murray Bartlett.[4] Bartlett was unfamiliar with the original game but was drawn to the show after he read the script. He researched the game after receiving the role and found it cinematic, citing the characters, narrative, and themes.[5]
- Co-creator Neil Druckmann expected some fans to be upset by Frank's inclusion in the show due to the divergence from the game's narrative.[6]
Quotes[]
| “ | ” |
- Bill: "Are you armed."
- Frank: "No."
- Bill: "Why did you take so long to answer?"
- Frank: "I don't know. I thought about lying for some reason, but a reason didn't come."
- Frank: "So, whose the girl? The girl you're singing about."
- Bill: "There's no girl."
- Frank: "I know."
- Frank: "Paying attention to things. It's how we show love."
- Frank: "If you say 'resource management', so help me, I will run through one of your trip wires."
- Bill: "We don't have friends, Frank. We will never have friends, because there are no friends to be had."
- Frank: "Oh, I've actually been talking to a nice woman on the radio."
- Bill: "You what?"
- Frank: "We are working together."
- Frank: "I traded Joel and Tess a gun for a packet of seeds."
- Bill: "Which one?"
- Frank: "A little one."
- Bill: "I'm sorry."
- Frank: "For what?"
- Bill: "Getting older faster than you."
- Frank: "Oh, I like you old."
- Bill: "You can't be here alone."
- Frank: "I'm not alone. You're here."
- Frank: "I'm not gonna give you the 'every day was a wonderful gift from God' speech. I have had a lot of bad days and I've had bad days with you too, but I've had more good days with you than anyone else. So give me one more good day."
- Frank: "Do you love me?"
- Bill: "Yes."
- Frank: "Then love me the way I want you too."
- Frank: "I do not support this. I should be furious. But from an objective point of view, it's incredibly romantic. Take me to bed."
Gallery[]
Promotional images[]
![Promotional poster featuring Murray Bartlett as Frank.[4]](https://destructoidmod.netlify.app/host-https-thelastofus.fandom.com/wiki/File:Frank_HBO_promo_poster.jpeg "Frank HBO promo poster.jpeg (1.59 MB)")
Official stills[]
Behind the scenes[]
Notes[]
- ↑ According to co-creator Craig Mazin, this was a degenerative neuromuscular disorder—either multiple sclerosis (MS) or early amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)—as revealed in the third episode of HBO's The Last of Us Podcast
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Petski, Denise (July 15, 2021). "'The Last Of Us': Jeffrey Pierce, Murray Bartlett, Con O'Neill Join HBO Series Based On Video Game". Deadline. Retrieved July 15, 2021.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 2.9 HBO's The Last of Us episode 3: "Long, Long Time"
- ↑ HBO's The Last of Us episode 4: "Please Hold to My Hand"
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Poster released by The Last of Us (@TheLastofUsHBO) on Twitter. Tweet. Retrieved November 30, 2022.
- ↑ Coley, Samantha (November 7, 2022). "'The Last of Us': Murray Bartlett Says One of the Scripts Is "One of the Best Hours of Television I've Ever Read"". Collider. Retrieved January 15, 2023.
- ↑ Barasch, Alex (December 26, 2022). "Can "The Last of Us" Break the Curse of Bad Video-Game Adaptations?". The New Yorker. Retrieved January 15, 2023.
- ↑ Frank on HBO's official website.
