‘Parks And Recreation’ And ‘The White Lotus’ Stars Are Coming To ‘The Last Of Us,’ And People Are Pretty Excited

HBO’s The Last of Us has so far followed a similar path as the video game it’s based on, with some spore-based tweaks. But that’s about to change.

“I can tell you right now, you get to episode three, you’re done,” actor Troy Baker, who plays Joel in the video games that the HBO series is based on, said on the Play Watch Listen podcast. “You are standing on your desk, ‘O, Captain! My Captain!’ What it sets up in the first two episodes, it introduces you to the world if you have no idea what it is. It takes all of your expectations and just gets rid of them.”

Following last night’s episode, HBO shared a preview of next Sunday’s expectations-upending episode, which features the debuts of Parks and Recreation star Nick Offerman and The White Lotus season one standout Murray Bartlett as Bill and Frank. They’re survivalists who smuggle — and maybe more — together, although their relationship gets off to a rocky start. “If I feed you, then every bum you talk to about it is gonna show up here lookin’ for a free lunch. And this is not an Arby’s,” Bill says, to which Frank replies, “Arby’s didn’t have free lunch. It was a restaurant.” An underrated restaurant.

Maybe for season two, The Last of Us can cast a star of Parks and Recreation AND The White Lotus. But Offerman and Bartlett is a good start.

— definitely NOT jules (@imnotjuIes) January 18, 2023

nick offerman is winning that guest star appearance in a drama series ! pic.twitter.com/3Jx3qBAfTp

— jen | JOEL MILLER!!!!!!!! (@starkovzova) January 23, 2023

NICK OFFERMAN NEXT WEEEEKKK #thelastofus pic.twitter.com/wcVjn3kEGb

— kylie (@bashfulglow) January 23, 2023

I love Nick offerman so much I’m so excited for next week https://t.co/8pVWE86T1u

— Kate (@firstmatelist) January 23, 2023

#TLOU is way funnier than I expected. Can’t wait for next week’s Nick Offerman episode. It’s gonna be a BIG one.

— Theresa DeLucci (@tdelucci) January 23, 2023

murray bartlett said next week’s episode was the best screenplay he’d ever read…who else was terrified pic.twitter.com/qESPUYVmgQ

— carey (@brokebackstan) January 23, 2023

murray bartlett returning to me next week I CANNOT WAAAAITTTT pic.twitter.com/n6CwfKl7y6