Awards season is officially upon us, which means many of the top TV shows and movies of the past year are being honored for their achievements. One particular production from the former field is already making quite a splash, and that shouldn’t come as a surprise. HBO’s The Last of Us earned critical acclaim when it debuted in 2023 and, as a result, many (including myself) assumed that it would be a firm contender during this season. Well, the post-apocalyptic video game adaptation is coming in hot, as it’s already racking up Emmys. Series guest star Nick Offerman managed to win one of those golden statues and, after doing so, he joked about how the characters of Bill and Frank could return.
How Has The Last Of Us Made Out At The 2024 Emmys Thus Far?
The Naughty Dog-produced series (which is available to stream with a Max subscription) received a strong 24 Emmy nominations months ago. Impressively enough, it managed to snag a total of 8 awards during the 75th Creative Arts Emmys on Saturday, January 6. In addition to Nick Offerman winning for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series, Storm Reid earned the award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series. Among the other honors the show earned were Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup and Outstanding Special Visual Effects in a Season or a Movie. You can check out all of the awards TLoU won in the list below:
- Outstanding Guest Actor In A Drama Series
- Outstanding Guest Actress In A Drama Series
- Outstanding Picture Editing For A Drama Series
- Outstanding Sound Editing For A Comedy Or Drama Series (One Hour)
- Outstanding Sound Mixing For A Comedy Or Drama Series (One Hour)
- Outstanding Main Title Design
- Outstanding Special Visual Effects In A Season Or A Movie
- Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup
This is incredibly impressive for the first-season show, and it speaks to the talents of the many people who worked on it. Having watched the series myself, I can say without a doubt that each and every one of the honors it now has was completely well-deserved. These trophies not only add to HBO’s massive list of achievements but also further add credibility to the notion that video game adaptations can be crafted masterfully.
What particularly makes me smile is the fact that Nick Offerman managed to win for his portrayal as the initially cold and reclusive survivalist Bill. We don’t talk enough about Offerman’s more dramatic roles and his skills in that vein, to be honest. That aside, I had a feeling that he’d win in the category, which also included fellow TLoU alums like Murray Bartlett and Keivonn Woodard. And, of course, leave it to Offerman (who wasn’t even the first choice for Bill) to share some A+ comments after winning.
Nick Offerman Has A Fun Idea For A Prequel Installment Involving Bill And Frank
The third episode of The Last of Us’ first season, “Long Long Time,” told the love story of Bill and Frank and did so in tremendous fashion. Many still consider it to be the best entry in the entire season, and it’s hard to disagree with that assertion. The decades-spanning story ultimately ends with the two dying together – and on their own terms. However, there are still those who’d like to see more of them somehow.
As of this writing, it’s unclear as to whether the couple might return in some form or another in The Last of Us Season 2, which we know a bit about. Nick Offerman was asked about the possibility during a press conference attended by Deadline and more after he accepted his award. He admitted that he’s not sure what the future might hold for the characters but said that an idea has been pitched, and fans will surely be surprised by the concept:
Oh, great question but I would have to ask somebody with a higher pay grade than myself. It certainly has been pitched. I think we pitched a whole mini-series of a prequel of their lives before they met each other. It could be a musical. We’re not short on ideas. We’ll just we’ll see what Craig [Mazin] and Neil [Druckmann] come up with.
That’d be interesting to see, to say the least. The chances of an actual musical episode of this series happening seem slim, though. Nevertheless, it would be cool to see Bill and Frank return somehow. If anything, Nick Offerman said he’d be willing to reprise the role, joking that he was “lucky this time” because “they needed a guy who could use a shovel.” I’d say he certainly deserves more credit than that, though.
All in all, it’s just great that he and his collaborators are being honored for their work, and I’m eager to see who else ends up winning. Lead stars Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey are among those who are currently nominated for Primetime Emmys, and the show itself is in the running for Outstanding Drama Series. We’ll have to wait and see how everything pans out when the awards ceremony airs live on Fox on Monday, January 15 at 8 p.m. ET. In the meantime, check The Last of Us Season 1 in its entirety on Max.
