The broadcast of The Last of Us series has finally started. Rich in emotion, the first episode ended with an ominous shot of Joel’s radio playing a song. Here’s what that means for the rest of the plot.
The Last of Us began streaming on Prime Video this Monday, January 16. A first episode which lays the groundwork for the post-apocalyptic adventure adapted from the eponymous video game. If you haven’t watched it yet, we advise you to come back to consult this article once done to avoid spoilers!
At the end of Episode 1, which crashed the HBO servers, the camera lingers on Joel’s radio. This is playing the song “Never Let Me Down Again” by Depeche Mode released on August 24, 1987. A choice that is not trivial since it is a code. Earlier in the episode, Ellie had been able to decipher it by consulting a catalog of Billboard hits lying next to the radio. This one refers to Frank and Bill, the two smugglers that Joel and Tess deal with.
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The Last of Us: a Depeche Mode song that announces trouble
The catalog tells us that if a song from the 60s hits, they don’t have new stock. Conversely, if a song from the 70s is playing, it means they have new products. Next to the 80s section, there is only a red X. An ominous sign that means the two smugglers are in trouble, as the ingenious Ellie could deduce when talking with Joel about it.
It now remains to be seen what happened to Bill and Frank when Joel and Tess planned to go see them. Obviously, players who remember the game know this well. But if we trust the trailer of the series The Last of Usthere will be nuances between the game and the series on this specific part of the plot.
Both of these characters are smugglers who regularly work with Tess and Joel. They provide them with weapons, ammunition and tools for survival in exchange for everything interesting they have to offer. In the series, Frank and Bill are camped respectively by Nick Offerman and Murray Bartlett.
