We do not need a The Last of Us spin-off about Bill and Frank

Nick Offering just won a very well-deserved Emmy for his guest role in The Last of Us's episode 3, "Long, Long Time," and then dropped a huge bomb on us while speaking to Deadline after the event: there's apparently a desire to make a spin-off series about Bill and Frank. It has actually been pitched.

But...... why? Don't get me wrong, Nick Offerman was stellar as Bill, and again, the Emmy was well-deserved, but do we really need a whole series about him and Frank? I mean, in the game, their relationship was but a footnote - a brief but impactful glimpse into the lives of survivors in a post-apocalyptic world. It was subtle, nuanced, and frankly, it was enough.

Bill's gruff, survivalist personality and Frank's softer, more idealistic demeanor made for a compelling contrast, but it was the brevity of their story that hit hard. It wasn't about grand adventures or prolonged drama, it was about the quiet, desperate reality of living in a world gone mad. A mini-series, a musical? Are we going to have them singing about fungal zombies and scavenging now? What's next, a dance number in a spore-infested basement?

Let's not forget, The Last of Us is about Joel and Ellie's journey. Bill and Frank, while memorable, were just a part of that larger narrative. Their story was a momentary diversion, a brief window into other lives being lived in this desolate world. Expanding it into a full-blown series feels like a stretch. I mean, sure, explore the untold stories of the apocalypse, but let's not milk every character for all they're worth. Sometimes, less really is more.

My point is, not every side character needs a deep dive, no matter how spectacularly played they are, or how much their presence is felt. And a Joel spin-off too? Come on, let's not lose focus on what made the original story so compelling: it's about the emotional journey, not just filling in every single backstory.

I get it, the temptation to expand on every aspect of a successful series is strong (and lucrative, let's not forget the real reason we get spinoffs of everything lately), but let's remember that part of what made The Last of Us so special was its focus, its pacing, and its ability to leave some things unsaid, leaving some things to the imagination.

Sometimes, the magic of a story lies in what's not explicitly shown. Let's not spoil that by turning every subplot into its own spectacle.