No, Bill and Frank from The Last of Us aren't getting their own spinoff

The Last of Us episode "Long, Long Time" was easily one of the best episodes of TV in 2023, a moving tale about a survivalist named Bill (Nick Offerman) who finds lasting love with a man named Frank (Murray Bartlett) in the midst of the zombie apocalypse. Offerman won an Emmy award for his work as Bill, and afterwards floated the idea of a spinoff to members of the press. “It certainly has been pitched,” he said. “I think we pitched a whole mini-series of a prequel of their lives before they met each other."

Offerman, who is best known as a comedic actor from shows like Parks and Recreation, was pretty clearly joking — he also suggested that the spinoff could "be a musical" — but outlets still ran with the idea that there could be a Frank and Bill spinoff in the offer. Now, The Last of Us showrunner Craig Mazin is here to pour cold water on the idea.

“I’m very proud of the episode we did with Bill and Frank,” Mazin told Deadline. “There won’t be more Bill and Frank.”

"Nick was joking about a prequel, that was kind of a joke. We are very happy with what we achieved."

Mazin has previously given his tacit approval to the idea of spinoff, but only in the vaguest of terms. “We haven’t talked about that specifically because we’re so focused on just telling this main narrative," he said last year. "I’m not against the idea of other shows that may draw from these characters or that world. I don’t know how much more The Last of Us I personally would be able to do. I mean, these shows are so big, I’m sort of burning one of the precious few remaining decades I have on telling this story. But in principle, I have no issue with it whatsoever."

I think Mazin has the right idea in focusing on telling the main story of The Last of Us rather than thinking about spinoffs. The second season, based on The Last of Us Part II video game from Naughty Dog, is due to start shooting very soon, and has enough twists and turns to occupy Mazin and company for a long while to come.

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