What disease does Frank have in ‘The Last of Us’?

Warning: the following article contains spoilers for The Last of Us episode three ‘Long Long Time.’

It’s fairly safe to say that if you were still on the fence about HBO’s The Last of Us, the stellar third entry in the hit television drama has successfully sunk its claws into the holdouts.

The lengthy third episode, titled ‘Long Long Time,’ steers the narrative focus away from Joel and Ellie and their quest to find the Fireflies, and instead focuses on the tear-jerking love story between Bill (Nick Offerman) and Frank (Murray Bartlett.) 

Bill and Frank’s arc of finding love after the world had ended was an absolutely beautiful tale, which ended in a tragic double suicide as Frank’s health continued to deteriorate and affect his motor function. By the time the end credits rolled on ‘Long Long Time’, our hearts were collectively broken. Even though we spent almost an entire hour with these characters, it still didn’t feel like enough.

The question lingering on everyone’s mind right now is what exactly is the ailment that brought Frank down? We’re going to break down everything we know about it as best we can. 

What disease does Frank have in The Last of Us?

‘Long Long Time’ doesn’t outright tell the audience what illness Frank suffers from, but it does offer a number of clues around the nature of the ailment that ultimately led to Frank choosing to end his life. So, it’s time to play doctor and diagnose him based on what we know.

After the 10-year time skip following the night that Bill and Frank’s home was unsuccessfully raided, we see a noticeably aged Frank using a wheelchair, indicating that he has extremely limited mobility. We also see the motor function in his upper body has deteriorated substantially, along with his ability to paint as seen clearly in his portrait of Bill. The third clue would be Frank mentioning that the ailment is incurable.

On HBO’s The Last of Us Podcast, showrunner Craig Mazin confirmed that Frank suffered from a neurodegenerative condition, which was either multiple sclerosis (MS) or early Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), however he notes that he did not want to specify which exact disease it was. While Frank’s speech was not yet impaired, both conditions eventually affect facial nerves and muscles, which is perhaps why Frank chose to end his life. 

A similar narrative thread was seen in Scrubs season seven episode six, titled ‘My Number One Doctor,’ in which an ALS patient named Shannon attempts to self-euthanize while they are still able to use their upper extremities.