Category: Spoilers

The Ark opened with impressive effects but a tired story.

The Ark Season 1 Episode 1 told a familiar story of a crew in stasis being woken early unintentionally.

Sadly, the show didn’t add anything new to this overused plot device.

Going into the series, there was a sense of familiarity. Passengers waking up from their extended stasis before they’re supposed to? A mission to find a new world? A random stowaway? If these tropes feel familiar, it’s because they are.

Passengers (2016) is the *exact* plot, while many other forms of media (2014’s Interstellar, older Syfy series Dark Matter and Ascension, and even short films like Early to Rise) use similar tropes/stories. So, does The Ark add anything to this trope? Not really.

The Ark has a few things going for it concerning the solid female lead and the respectable special effects. It’s established early on that Christie Burke’s as Lt. Sharon Garnet took control.

Burke gives her all to the role and elevates a lot of the disappointing dialogue, but she can’t save it. The dialogue is choppy and underdeveloped and makes her character come off as whiny.

She decided she’d be in charge because she had the most experience. Which, in fairness, makes sense, but one of the other lieutenants (played by the dashing Richard Fleeshman) disagreed.

All the high-ranking officers died in the incident that woke everyone up, so they needed someone to take control.

Hopefully, she and the crew can step up their game because the crew already dealt with life support and oxygen issues.

The whiny dialogue doesn’t stick with one character sadly. Most of the characters on the show come off as whiny or know-it-alls. A few of the know-it-alls even made some near-deadly mistakes.

One crew member forgot to fill up some oxygen helmets, which almost caused upwards of 10 people to die. Another decided to hide oxygen tanks from the med bay for unknown reasons.

Many of these plot points are entirely forced and show no motivation other than to create drama. Speaking of no addition to the plot, there’s a random stowaway on board.

As if there weren’t enough issues for the sake of the problems, the stowaway plot got randomly thrown into the fray. He replaced an important science officer, and they eventually caught him and threw him in the brig.

They introduced this part of the story to end it quickly: Lt. Garnet and crew returned to the brig to find his throat slit. Did he kill himself? Highly unlikely; he got heavily chained up. So who killed him?

The story’s core plotline got wholly lost with all of the minor, weird aspects at once. The whole point of Ark One’s journey was to get to a new planet to colonize it, but the premiere episode revealed near-nothing to the audience about what the mission entailed.

Granted, they need to deal with the current issues (as there are many), but grounding it in the original mission would be helpful.

The story’s plot continued to get lost in the episode’s chaos, but there seems to be a bit of hope (for the characters and us viewers).

Despite the cacophony of voices involved in the new order on the ship, the three lead lieutenants (Garnet, Brice, and Lane) seem to have a good amount of knowledge that will be useful for the crew’s survival.

While that may be a convenient plot point, this crew got chosen for a reason (we hope): to find a new home for humankind. So why wouldn’t they be the smartest?

There’s a lot to improve, but it can be done. The three leads are strong, and even though they’re flawed like the rest of the crew, they seem intelligent enough to run the ship.

The show needs to organize itself. As it is now, a lot is going on. While it’s all related, we are getting too many points of view. There are too many cooks in the kitchen.

It’s also almost impossible to keep track of the characters’ names, as everyone is around the same age and going through the same motions of whiny panic.

Hopefully, some characters will branch off and get more of their personalities. Everyone experiences panic, and hopefully, once the panic settles, we get to see more of who these kids are as people.

The show also faces the possibility of falling into the “malfunction of the week” trope. By this, we mean: something going wrong and things getting solved JUST in the nick of time (as exampled in the first episode).

Dean Devlin and Jonathan Glassner are respected and accomplished science-fiction creators, so we have faith in their abilities.

Dean Devlin’s Independence Day (co-written with Rolan Emmerich) is often considered a Sci-fi classic.

Jonathan Glassner has had immense success since his executive producing and writing stint on Stargate SG-1.

These two creative minds working together should create some sci-fi magic, and the opportunity is there.

The show needs to organize itself structurally and not fall into typical, overused tropes (that it’s already started to overuse).

Despite the issues, many questions were raised in the episode for which we’d like answers.

Who offed the stowaway? What are the details of the main mission?

Will we ever get to know these characters beyond surface-level panic?

Will the crew survive the rest of their journey now that they’re awake? How will the makeshift leaders prove that they are good leaders?

Hopefully, these questions will get answered throughout the rest of The Ark Season 1.

So, Fanatics, what did you think of the series premiere of The Ark?

Will you be tuning into the rest of the season? Or will you voluntarily end your journey early?

Let us know in the comments below!

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Michael Stack is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter.

Grey’s Anatomy is gearing up to say goodbye to its leading lady, but could it be saying hello to one of its former stars?

Fans are speculating that Justin Chambers, who played Dr. Alex Karev in the first 16 seasons, could be headed back to Grey Sloan Memorial.

The speculation started when the actor shared a photo of a coffee cup that included a sleeve with pictures of his former co-stars Chandra Wilson, Ellen Pompeo, and James Pickens Jr.

“A fresh cup of Greys,” he captioned the post, which has garnered over 170,000 likes on Instagram.

The medical drama has been known to surprise fans with significant returns throughout its run, but it has also kept plenty under wraps, so there’s a chance Chambers could be staging a comeback of sorts.

The actor announced his shock exit in January 2020.

“There’s no good time to say goodbye to a show and character that’s defined so much of my life for the past 15 years,” the actor said in a statement at the time. 

“For some time now, however, I have hoped to diversify my acting roles and career choices.”

“And, as I turn 50 and am blessed with my remarkable, supportive wife and five wonderful children, now is that time.”

“As I move on from Grey’s Anatomy, I want to thank the ABC family, Shonda Rhimes, original cast members Ellen Pompeo, Chandra Wilson and James Pickens, and the rest of the amazing cast and crew, both past and present, and, of course, the fans for an extraordinary ride,” he added.

Justin disappeared from the screen, with the actor’s final episode being completed without him in the flesh.

Instead, Alex sent letters to his nearest and dearest, revealing that he had reunited with ex-wife, Izzie (Katherine Heigl).

It was a shocking episode that gave earlier fans of the series closure they didn’t think they would get.

If Chambers does return, it naturally would lead to questions about whether Heigl could return.

For her part, she has never ruled out a return.

Grey’s Anatomy is in a transitional phase at the moment.

The series has ushered in a new era of residents as many of the other characters move on.

Ellen Pompeo is set to exit as Meredith Grey later this month.

What are your thoughts on the tease?

Hit the comments.

Remember, you can watch Grey’s Anatomy online right here via TV Fanatic.

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Paul Dailly is the Associate Editor for TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter.

No matter what the future may look like at times, fate can always be changed, even if it’s difficult.

As Mary and John try to figure out the identity of the mysterious man in the photograph, John’s fate is at the hands of a vampire on The Winchesters Season 1 Episode 9.

Meanwhile, John’s ex Betty is keeping a watchful eye on him and his new friends, and it may not turn out well.

Now that John and Mary have admitted their feelings to each other, their relationship is a bit different, and they’ve been worried about getting it out in the open.

With this being an origin story about John and Mary, it was expected for them to get together at some point.

It’s been really refreshing and intriguing seeing their relationship blossom since all we knew about them before was all that was on Supernatural.

Now that they are together, they have been acting differently because not only did they already have to worry about each other while hunting, but now there’s an emotional element added.

Both John and Mary weren’t necessarily ones to be open books, so it’s been fun to see how they’ve let their guards down around each other, and this case was just the ticket.

Office romances can mess up dynamics.

Mary

Mary was as worried as ever for John, and it’s not hard to blame her.

The reason why she’s been so guarded is because she’s already lost so much, or almost lost so much.

She lost her cousin, she nearly lost her dad and finally got him back, and now that she’s dating John, yet someone else she cares about, it adds on to the never-ending worry.

Then you have John, who basically accepts his fate after finding out about the vampire because he doesn’t know what else could be done.

It was completely in character for him to literally risk his life so his mom can be safe because he cares about those around him more than he does about himself.

However, it was interesting to see him stand down after being benched even though he initially refused, all because Mary talked him down.

This shows how much she means to him and how much of an impact she’s had on him and likely vice versa in just a short time.

Them also trying to pretend that nothing was going on between them was entertaining, considering that Carlos and Lata already knew since it was quite obvious.

Knowing the risks of their relationship and their lives, we only got a glimpse into what they’re enduring and what they will go through.

Their relationship will only get stronger as they, unfortunately, meet many more creatures along the way that will put them in near-death experiences.

As for the actual case, the group finally dealt with some vampires, which led to them digging deeper into the Men of Letters.

Supernatural had some pretty good vampire cases, and this one did not disappoint.

My fate’s already sealed, but yours isn’t.

John

Any one of the characters could have touched the amulet that the vampires were looking for, but it had to be John.

He’s still figuring things out, he’s with Mary, which adds greater risk, and having his mom there as well just ups the emotions because you don’t know what will happen.

Connecting the vampires to the Men of Letters was a genius idea because as the viewers are learning about them, so are the characters.

It also would have been genius to connect the case to Supernatural since one of John’s unfinished vampire cases is what ultimately killed Dean.

It was meant to be.

John

This episode did prove that fate can be changed, and we already know that Dean has been intervening in his parents’ love story.

Who knows what else he might have changed?

Even though you already know that John is going to live, otherwise Supernatural wouldn’t have happened, the series still makes you think the worst is going to happen.

It took a while for John to come back to life after Millie killed him, and both she nor Mary knew if he was going to live.

For a split second, you don’t see The Winchesters as a prequel series, you see it as a standalone show, and you have no idea what the end result is going to be.

It’s highly possible this won’t be the last near-death experience John or Mary have, but it will still probably feel like the end of the world.

Vampires aren’t the only things that John, Mary, Carlos, and Lata had to worry about in this episode, as John and Mary’s pasts returned and connected with one another.

It wasn’t surprising to see that John’s ex, Betty, was on the scene of the truck and vampire accident or the death of a lore expert, Diana, since she is a police officer.

Like any ex trying to stay friends with their former S.O., Betty was worried about John and what he’s been getting into.

Just because you’re punching monsters now, doesn’t mean you’re not still punching.

Millie

Her questioning Millie and airing out her concerns didn’t seem like much at first, but after she confronted Mary, there was something off about her.

That was what the writers wanted, since Mary’s reporter friend, Kyle, was the cause.

I didn’t put two-and-two together, as it wasn’t initially a cause for concern that the two people John and Mary had connections with were back in the same episode.

Of course, just after Mary and John got together, they had to be brought in to create some type of friction.

Since Kyle is a reporter, it was natural for him to do research on Mary, and we still didn’t know much about him, so to say that this wasn’t really like him would be a lie.

Betty, meanwhile, is likely just concerned about John since she’s known him for a while and almost married him.

Her intentions for the questioning and confronting were reasonable but, at the same time, sketchy.

You also can’t leave out the fact that Kyle is not Kyle with the mark on the back of his neck, so who or what is he?

With just a few episodes left of the season, and this storyline literally just getting started, hopefully, it isn’t rushed, and we will get to the bottom of it.

Between the confrontation and secret meeting, this storyline had me guessing and shocked about what it was really about, and I’m curious to see how it continues.

One storyline that didn’t get much screen time was the photograph one, but John and Mary are just as stumped as ever as to who the man in the photo is.

As the season gets close to the end, they will only get closer to finding out the truth.

Now that viewers know something that the characters don’t, it should be enjoyable to see how it all plays out.

Thing is, I’ve had more than a few dances with free will and fate, but as my dad used to say, ‘Fate is what you make it.’

Dean

I’m just as anxious as ever for this storyline to go on, and hearing Dean narrate now is different since you know how he’s telling the story.

This is another storyline that is just beginning, and it’s possible that this will become a bigger part in the remaining episodes.

Fans will just have to stick around to see what happens.

Overall, this episode was an emotional and intense roller coaster that had you on the edge of your seat even though you knew that the characters weren’t in any real danger due to it being an origin story.

I’m giving this episode 4.5 stars because it was so well done, but I was waiting for them to continue the Dean plot just a little bit more.

With only so few episodes left, though, it makes sense they’d want to drag it out.

Seeing how Kyle and Betty look further into Mary, John, Lata, and Carlos will also be something to look forward to, as well as what Kyle’s endgame is.

So, Fanatics, what did you think?

Did you see that Kyle and Betty twist coming? What do you think they’re up to?

How will John and Mary’s dynamic change now that they’re dating, and everyone knows it? Will they continue to be more protective of each other? Will they let it get in the way of hunting?

Do you have any more theories on what Dean is doing in the past?

How are you hoping these last few episodes will go? Share your thoughts below and be sure to watch The Winchesters online any time via TV Fanatic!

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Megan Behnke is a staff writer for TV Fanatic, who you can follow on Twitter.

Anne Rice’s Mayfair Witches continues to cast a spell on viewers.

TV Fanatic got the chance to chat with Beth Grant about her work on the hit series.

Beth revealed that she was attracted to that universe after hearing the word “witch,” but she also had great respect for Anne Rice, the characters and stories, and her rich body of work.

“I’m from the south like she was, and she created this particular series of matriarchal society that I grew up in with very strong, powerful women,” Grant tells TV Fanatic.

Beth felt a kinship with the characters and a solid connection to Carlotta.

“I have that kind of face, you know, square jaw and angular features,” the star said with a laugh. 

“My daughter used to say, ‘mama, mama, why are you mad?’ And I would say, ‘no, no, it’s just my face.'”

“I learned to smile because I had a child. And so I just knew in my bones that I wanted to play Carlotta. I felt like I understood her.”

Additionally, Beth had just been introduced to Alexandra Daddario’s work on The White Lotus.

“I didn’t know her, but I fell in love with her. I just thought she was the most unique actress.”

Beth said Daddario was the “most beautiful woman in the world” and was great to everyone on the set.

“On our hottest day, she’s out there handing out cold water to our extras. So I really fell in love with her,” the star recalled.

Carlotta isn’t the easiest character to read, which is partly why Beth enjoys playing her. Beth understands her sibling rivalry with Cortland because she has a younger brother and how things changed when he was born.

Beth says Carlotta tried to be “a good girl, and I’ve turned Lasher down, and I’ve suppressed my sexuality.”

The actress added that Carlotta went to college and helped keep the family fortune intact but wasn’t particularly appreciated.

“I identify with all of that, and not in a self-righteous way. I mean, I’m saying that for humor, but in a real way too. I do have those scars I’ve worked through because I’ve used my art to work through them and a lot of therapy, but I’m perfectly willing and happy as an artist to reveal those things,” Beth added.

“And so I felt that I was the unique choice for that.”

Beth said that Carlotta was heartbroken during Sunday’s episode when she realized Rowan had put the necklace on and was now tethered to Lasher.

She said it was a big turning point for Carlotta’s arc because she wanted to welcome Rowan to the family, prepare a beautiful meal, and the necklace changes everything.

Beth said that she channeled her own heartbreak into her performance during those scenes, and director Axelle Carolyn complimented her for it.

“It’s so wonderful to have people that not only see what you do but want you to go further.”

At the end of Mayfair Witches Season 1 Episode 3, Carlotta banished Delphine to the basement with the necklace on.

We learned during Sunday’s episode that Delphine had died after smacking her head against the wall multiple times.

Beth said that Carlotta’s actions were pure desperation.

“I don’t think that she thought for a minute what would happen happened. I really don’t.”

“I think when she’s sitting in that chair, and Lasher is rejecting Delphine and causing her to bang her head against the wall, I think Carlotta’s devastated.”

The new episode also reveals a lot of information about the Mayfair family during Deirdre’s funeral.

Beth liked showcasing the fraught relationship between Carlotta and Cortland.

“I love that Carlotta sort of just stepped in, with her back to him, to address Rowan,” Beth grinned.

“I think that there’s a huge sibling rivalry and Rowan’s between the two. In Carlotta’s view, he’s the evil one, while Carlotta is the good one, and Rowan’s in the middle.”

The end of the episode is a significant turning point because Carlotta lashes out at Rowan, locking her in a room, setting fire to it, before trying to stab her.

Unfortunately, Ciprien is on the receiving end of the knife and falls to the ground.

Beth thinks that, by that point, Carlotta’s idea of what good means has changed.

“I don’t think she necessarily plans it. I think she loses herself in her fanaticism. It’s sad but more sad for Ciprien, who gets stabbed.”

“She doesn’t even know him, so she doesn’t expect him to come through the door at that moment.”

“It’s sad that a lot of times, murder happens like that.”

“I think it’s a crime of passion. Demented passion,” Beth adds.

Beth was unsure where Carlotta and Rowan’s relationship could go next, but she states that we will find many details about Carlotta in the next episode.

“We have kind of delicious and wonderful secrets to be revealed. 

“I can’t say if it will make you like her more or less,” Beth laughed. 

Beth doesn’t mind if fans believe Carlotta is a character they love to hate because she thinks it’s hard to have good guys if we don’t have bad guys.

However, Beth believes Mayfair Witches helps to ask people questions about who the good and bad people are.

New episodes air Sundays at 9 p.m. on AMC.

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Paul Dailly is the Associate Editor for TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter.

Who else teared up when “Buddy’s” real family came to reclaim their dog?

On The Good Doctor Season 6 Episode 11, it seemed like Shaun and Lea were adding a stray, injured dog to their new family… only for another family to claim him.

Now that Shaun has warmed to the idea of a dog, maybe they’ll get one of their own. Still, while it’s great the family got their dog back, it kind of sucked for Shaun and Lea.

I didn’t expect to like this storyline. The spoiler video seemed silly and predictable, but the story was neither.

Lea didn’t get the dog in the end, but getting Shaun to come around to the idea of a messy, slobbery pet in the house was a major victory. Plus, Shaun and Lea working together to get the dog to its pee pad on time was good practice for when they have to toilet train a child someday.

The dog story was symbolic of the journey Shaun and Lea were about to take as parents. They put time, energy, money, and love into healing this allegedly unhealable dog.

Lea: When I was in first grade, I begged my parents for a puppy. Tessa. She was a chocolate lab and so cute. She peed on my dad’s briefcase and he returned her the next day.
Shaun: That sounds like bad parenting.

This experience allowed them to slow down and fully process their fears about becoming parents.

Shaun’s focus on the sensory issues involved with having an infant in the house was typical of Shaun. No wonder Lea worried they were incompatible as parents! Her worries were emotional, and Shaun didn’t have those.

In a surprisingly mature scene, Shaun reassured Lea that they would both mess up as parents but would figure it out together. That’s the most adult Shaun has ever been.

For the first time, I found his and Lea’s relationship compelling instead of annoying. They usually seem more like teenagers in adults’ bodies than two professionals ready to have a baby. Thank goodness they seem to have finally grown up!

Lea’s mother sounded unbelievably flaky — who forgets to pick up their child from school? With a role model like that, it’s not surprising that parenting terrifies Lea.

The good news is that it’s hard to be as irresponsible as Lea’s mother was! So Lea can only do better than that, no matter what.

I loved Lea’s discussion with Glassman. They’ve both lost a child, though the circumstances were very different. After losing her first baby, Lea has to be worried about her child dying prematurely someday. Glassman has been through that, so he was the perfect person to talk to about it.

I know I can be a lot. I learned from an early age that if I didn’t push back, I’d be pushed around.

Powell

The parenthood theme popped up throughout the hour. Even Powell admitted her stubbornness had come from her upbringing.

And, of course, Morgan and Park’s story was all about parenthood — and Morgan’s lack of it.

Andrews: Dr. Reznick heard the same thing you did and saw it differently.
Park: She’s not a parent.
Andrews: That’s patronizing, but that doesn’t mean he’s wrong. You’re confident you can save his arm?
Park: Absolutely.
Andrews: Let’s do it.
[Morgan follows Park out of the room.]
Morgan: That was a dick move. I am so tired of being told that childless people can’t feel love.
Park: There is love, and there is being a parent. In nine months, you’ll understand.

Surprisingly, Morgan wasn’t obnoxious for once.

She and Park both made good points about the patient’s potential surgeries and what they might mean for Dylan’s future. Park should never have claimed that Morgan couldn’t understand this decision as a childless person. I was glad she called him out on that asshattery!

No one could predict which surgery would turn out better. This was like the situation with Lim’s surgery at the beginning of the year; the other surgery might have been less risky but could also have turned out badly.

In this case, Park’s confidence that he could save the patient’s arm paid off, but there was no way to know whether it was the right call ahead of time. The man came so close to suffering irreversible brain damage that Andrews yelled at Park to abandon this course of action.

Park was lucky it worked out; it could easily have gone the other way.

At least he apologized to Morgan, and she was willing to be vulnerable enough to share that the implantation failed. Could these two continue to act like mature human beings, please? They’re far more tolerable this way!

The Powell situation included my least favorite trope: the doctor who has to operate without the benefit of the hospital.

Most of these MacGyver-esque situations involve using household items instead of proper instruments. Thankfully, this one didn’t. But still, this story was irritating.

Powell ended up roping Asher and Lim into this mess. Considering that Lim “misplaced” the bullet so Vince wouldn’t go back to jail, the entire operation-in-the-living-room scenario was unnecessary.

If Powell had talked to Lim ahead of time, she probably could have gotten her to keep that bullet to herself. Lim understood the issue. But instead, Powell had to try to operate on Vince’s leg at home, nearly killing him.

Lim was right that it was irresponsible and stupid to approach the issue this way. Powell deserved to get fired, and I can’t say I’m sorry to see her go.

Til the end, she stubbornly insisted she did the right thing and didn’t care that she lost her residency over it. What she doesn’t get is that this isn’t the first time.

Shaun wanted to fire her long ago, but Lim thought he should give Powell more of a chance.

Powell’s insistence that she “saved” Lim by talking her out of surgery the first time didn’t make sense. What makes her think that surgery would have gone badly? The new surgery worked, so why not the one that Powell interfered with?

She’s gone now. Hopefully, Asher’ll survive his probation and not get roped into any more crazy schemes.

What did you think, Good Doctor fanatics? Hit the big, blue SHOW COMMENTS button and let us know! And don’t forget you can watch The Good Doctor online on TV Fanatic.

The Good Doctor airs on ABC on Mondays at 10 PM EST / PST.

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Jack Ori is a senior staff writer for TV Fanatic. His debut young adult novel, Reinventing Hannah, is available on Amazon. Follow him on Twitter.

Netflix’s Bridgerton is losing another original cast member.

Phoebe Dynevor is not returning for the third season of the Regency-era drama, it has been revealed.

Dynevor revealed the news to Screenrant during an interview at the Sundance Film Festival.

“Sadly [I’m] not in Season 3,” Dynevor told the outlet. 

However, she is not closing the door on a return, revealing she could “potentially” appear in future seasons.

The star said she’s “just excited to watch [Season 3] as a viewer.”

Dynevor was co-lead of the hit drama’s freshman season, where she starred opposite Regé-Jean Page.

They played star-crossed lovers Daphne Bridgerton and Duke of Hastings Simon Basset.

Page announced his departure following the first season, leading to fans demanding his return.

The actor said he only signed a one-year deal and had fulfilled it.

Bridgerton was a breakout role.

Initially, it was expected that Dynevor would also not be a part of the sophomore season.

Phoebe was present for some of the biggest shocks that season, albeit with significantly reduced screen time. 

Bridgerton Season 3 will also not include original cast member Ruby Stokes.

The role of Francesca was recast, with Hannah Dodd (Anatomy of a Scandal) taking over.

While a premiere date for Bridgerton Season 3 is still thought to be a while away, Netflix dropped some plot details last summer.

“Bridgerton is back for its third season and finds Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan) has finally given up on her long-held crush on Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton) after hearing his disparaging words about her last season,” the official synopsis teases.

“She has, however, decided it’s time to take a husband, preferably one who will provide her with enough independence to continue her double life as Lady Whistledown, far away from her mother and sisters.” “But lacking in confidence, Penelope’s attempts on the marriage mart fail spectacularly,” the logline teases.

“Meanwhile, Colin has returned from his summer travels with a new look and a serious sense of swagger.” “But he’s disheartened to realize that Penelope, the one person who always appreciated him as he was, is giving him the cold shoulder.”

“Eager to win back her friendship, Colin offers to mentor Penelope in the ways of confidence to help her find a husband this season,” Netflix teases.

“But when his lessons start working a little too well, Colin must grapple with whether his feelings for Penelope are truly just friendly.”

“Complicating matters for Penelope is her rift with Eloise (Claudia Jessie), who has found a new friend in a very unlikely place, while Penelope’s growing presence in the ton makes it all the more difficult to keep her Lady Whistledown alter ego a secret.”

What are your thoughts on the exit?

Hit the comments below.

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Paul Dailly is the Associate Editor for TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter.

Tess’s death was just the set-up for the heartache we endured on The Last of Us Season 1 Episode 3.

It’s rare for a TV series to be able to introduce multiple characters in a single episode and make you care deeply for them when they die in the same installment.

If The Last of Us Season 1 has taught us anything, the world these characters reside in has little hope because the government made terrible decisions to contain the fungus.

Bill was a fan favorite in the first video game. Frank didn’t get any time to shine in that game, so the series successfully fleshed out both characters and showcased their relationship over several years.

Nick Offerman was brilliant and managed to nail Bill’s quirks. It’s unfortunate he died because I expected a lot of back and forth between him and Ellie

However, this is a deviation from the source material I can get behind.

The writing, acting, and direction came together in a way that told a love story that wasn’t driven by drama. Far too often, TV shows introduce needless drama between couples in ways that pull the lovers apart, push them back together, rinse, repeat.

Here, we got their entire love story with a post-apocalyptic backdrop, which was beautifully told.

I know a particular part of the fan base will have qualms about deviating from the source material, but the Bill and Frank story is an improvement because it added depth to the character of Bill and showcased some of his best years, despite the world being in tatters.

Bill was a loner who thought he could navigate this world alone, and all it took was a chance encounter with Frank for him to live a life that allowed him to feel not only satisfied but also happy.

What more could you ask for? Letting Frank into his safe haven was risky because the viewers unfamiliar with the source material were probably wondering whether Frank was with another group who wanted to use the many resources to their advantage.

Thankfully, that wasn’t the case, and we witnessed the highs and lows of their relationship together. They beat the odds many times, and I appreciate that Frank helped Bill expand his horizons.

Bill was accustomed to being cut off from civilization, and while the world Frank knew and loved was long gone, he had communicated with people regularly inside the QZ he called home.

Throughout the years, Frank grew stagnant in this new way of life. He lived in this beautiful town, well away from the perils of the new world, but he didn’t have any friends beyond his lover.

It makes sense that he wanted to make the town look more picturesque and liveable because it’s probably something Frank never thought he’d have after the outbreak began all those years ago.

When you get a shred of something you thought you’d never have, you nurture that and hold it dearly, never wanting to let go.

But the constant struggle with Bill to expand his horizons was necessary to show that these were two very different people, each with their vulnerabilities.

Frank watched on his cameras as the poor people were led out of town, thinking they were being sent to a QZ, only for their remains to still be present on the roads leading out of town.

It was a chilling visual, and it hit like a ton of bricks when Joel explained the meaning behind the remains to Ellie, but the series has this way of telling stories that dig deeper than you expect.

The cut to the mother and her child after seeing the fabric they were wearing showcased the true extent of the new world order in the aftermath of the outbreak. It also resonated with Ellie because she’s been largely shielded by Fedra since birth.

We’ll return to Joel and Ellie in a little because we still have plenty to discuss about Bill and Frank.

Frank wanted that sense of community, while Bill was happy to spend the rest of his days together and probably would have been fine to spend them alone before Frank entered the picture.

Bill was a loner who thought he’d always be alone, and his decision to end his life the same day as Frank highlighted that he couldn’t return to a world being the only person in the picture.

Despite not wanting to admit as much, Frank changed Bill in many ways. Bill was adamant about not letting people like Joel and Tess in, but it led to plenty of rewards.

Joel was aware that Bill would require certain things to keep the town’s safety levels up for the years to come, but I did laugh when Bill kept pointing the gun at Joel.

They are very different men, who like to be in control of situations, so leaving them together to talk through the terms of this alliance created by their lovers was comical.

It was also great to see Tess again. Anna Torv turned in a showstopping performance on The Last of Us Season 1 Episode 2, but here, it was more about expanding the knowledge of the universe for fans.

I hope we see Anna again, but I can’t fathom where she would fit into the story unless the series drastically switches things up by giving us more flashbacks from the 20 years she survived in the apocalypse.

Bill lacing the bottle of wine was a little predictable, but that wasn’t a bad thing. It was more a testament to his love for Frank and how he didn’t think he could return to living alone.

I figured Frank would flip out when he realized, but he knew that once Bill had a decision in mind, he wouldn’t deviate from it. Truthfully, Bill is stubborn as hell, but he has a heart of gold when you get through that icy exterior.

The letter was another solid touch, mainly because it was read out by Ellie, someone who had heard about not actually met him.

Bill had all of his bases covered, even in death, and somewhere along the way, he realized just how viable friends Joel and Tess had been to them.

The part about Tess was tearjerking because you could see the sadness on Joel’s face when Bill said to take the weapons to keep her safe.

Tess’s death is a sore point for Joel because he won’t be able to help to feel somewhat responsible. They undoubtedly took many risks over the 20 years they spent in the outbreak, but it will be difficult for him not to have resentment towards Ellie.

If they hadn’t agreed to take Ellie to the Fireflies, Tess would probably still be alive.

Joel’s decision to utilize Bill’s resources and take Ellie to Tommy is like killing two birds with one stone. His drive from The Last of Us Season 1 Episode 1 has been to get back in contact with Tommy.

He also has a connection to the Fireflies, meaning he will know where Ellie should be sent next.

“Long Long Time” highlighted the trust issues between Joel and Ellie. Ellie wants to be more armed to protect herself against the infected and whatever else they encounter on their travels. Still, the thought of giving a firearm to a teenager after what happened to Sarah doesn’t compute to him.

He’d much rather take the risk to preserve Ellie’s youth for as long as possible, but with the world in this state, it’s hard to tell whether that’s a good or bad thing.

The rapport between the pair is excellent, but they need to be more trusting of one another if they hope to make it to the other side of this journey alive.

Ellie taking the gun and hiding will cause problems, but maybe Joel will understand that she is taking her fate into her own hands.

Truthfully, Ellie doesn’t know much about Joel. He’s lost multiple people he loves, so maybe she’ll use that as an angle when he inevitably realizes what she did.

Then again, Ellie isn’t his daughter, so maybe he’ll appreciate that she took the initiative, assuming she correctly uses the weapon.

Killing the infected below the store was an incredible character-building moment because it highlighted that Ellie was no longer scared. She needed to do that to be comfortable with killing the infected down the line.

Ellie’s blunt personality helps to keep the show going in the slower moments. She isn’t written like teenagers from other shows, and she stood up to Joel when she thought he was blaming her for Tess’s demise.

Overall, “Long Long Time” was perfect from start to finish, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see it being talked about during awards season. It was that good.

Nick Offerman and Murray Bartlett successfully told a very different side to Bill and Frank’s relationship than we got in the games, and it helped enhance our understanding of their time together.

What are your thoughts on Bill and Frank taking center stage?

Were you surprised by how their relationship played out?

What are your thoughts on the evacuation and subsequent genocide in the town 20 years before?

Hit the comments.

The Last of Us continues Sundays at 9 p.m. on HBO.

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Paul Dailly is the Associate Editor for TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter.