Warning! This episode contains major spoilers for The Last of Us episode 3.The Last of Us episode 3 tells the emotionally beautiful story of Frank and Bill, which ends in a bittersweet way due to Frank's illness. The Last of Us episode 3 begins as one might expect, with Joel and Ellie reeling from the death of Tess and continuing on their journey to Bill and Frank's town. However, once the episode switches focus to Bill's experience with outbreak day in 2003, the bulk of The Last of Us episode 3 tells the story of his relationship with Frank through the biggest changes from the original game thus far.
This story takes elements hinted at from the original game, mainly being that Frank and Bill were a couple living in Lincoln together. In The Last of Us biggest game difference yet, episode 3 shows Frank and Bill's relationship from beginning to end. That end is brought about by Frank, whose older age towards the end of The Last of Us episode 3 sees him develop a specific illness that causes him to plan one last romantic day with Bill.
Frank Develops Parkinson’s Disease In Last Of Us Episode 3
Based on what is shown of Frank after developing his illness in The Last of Us episode 3, it is safe to say he developed Parkinson's disease. Parkinson's disease is a condition that affects the brain, in which various areas of the organ become increasingly damaged over time. The main symptoms of Parkinson's disease that are shown to affect Frank in The Last of Us episode 3 are involuntary body shakes (tremors), slow movement, stiff muscles, and insomnia. All of this is sadly highlighted in Bill and Frank's Last of Us story in the latter sections of the episode.
At one point in The Last of Us episode 3, Frank states how there was no cure for his illness before the outbreak, meaning finding a doctor now would still not aid him in any way. This also provides evidence that Frank has developed Parkinson's disease, which is unfortunately incurable in the real world. The development of Parkinson's causes Frank to plan out his last day with Bill, which the two of them experience before tragically dying together.
Frank’s Illness Shows Another Danger Of Post-Outbreak World
Frank's illness in The Last of Us episode 3 highlights another danger of the world in the universe's timeline of 2023. While naturally, a major threat is the infected and The Last of Us' fungi Cordyceps that spawned it, the fall of mankind means there will be less care for those developing other illnesses that were around before the outbreak. While Frank and Bill were lucky in a way, through having access to the medication that can aid Frank in Lincoln, it highlights something not focused on in the original game: how other illnesses pose an arguably greater threat in the bleak post-apocalyptic world of The Last of Us.
New episodes of The Last of Us release every Sunday on HBO.