the comeback

You haven’t seen “the last of us”: 5 more queer character spin-offs we’d love to see

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Image Credits, left to right: ‘Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt’ (Netflix), ‘How To Get Away With Murder’ (ABC), ‘The White Lotus’ (HBO

Apocalyptic drama The Last Of Us premiered a year ago this week, and yet we’re still reeling from one episode in particular—you know the one.

Three episodes in, the HBO series diverted from Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie’s (Bella Ramsey) cross-country journey with “Long, Long Time,” following the romance of survivalist Bill (Nick Offerman) and his unexpected guest-turned-partner of many years, Frank (Murray Bartlett). It was like a show-within-a-show, and if we have one complaint, it’s that there wasn’t more of Bill and Frank in the rest of the series (albeit for obvious reasons).

The stunning story about love persevering (queer love, in particular!) is a big part of why The Last Of Us was so critically acclaimed, and it’s already racked up tons of Emmy nominations at the Creative Arts Emmys this year.

Image Credit: ‘The Last Of Us,’ HBO

Among the winners is Offerman, whose beautiful turn as Bill earned him an Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series trophy.

While speaking to press about the honor, Offerman teased that a spin-off for Bill and Frank has actually been discussed: “It certainly has been pitched,” the actor told Deadline. “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.”

Related:

‘The Last of Us’ co-creator talks “gay stuff” and hints at what we might expect in season 2

“I don’t think we have to invent new themes. I think there’s a lot to be explored there,” co-creator and co-showrunner Craig Mazin says.

Whatever it could end up being, you know we’ll be tuning in. In fact, the prospects of more Bill and Frank adventures in The Last Of Us universe had us so excited, that we started day-dreaming about other queer characters who deserve their own series.

With that in mind, here are five more LGBTQ+ TV spin-offs that need to be made ASAP.

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Armond, The White Lotus

Image Credit: ‘The White Lotus,’ HBO

Once Murray Bartlett’s done filming this (hypothetical) Last Of Us spin-off, can he do The White Lotus next? We know the put-upon hotel manager *spoiler* meets a cruel fate by the end of the first season, but what about a prequel where we watch him go through concierge training at a different White Lotus while battling his personal demons. Or—better yet—maybe we follow along as he takes a vacation of his own at a gay (clothing optional) resort, where he somehow finds himself cleaning up after messy guests’ drama once again.

Related:

Murray Bartlett heads to a resort for his next role (no, not The White Lotus)—& the cast is a gag!

Currently a double Emmy nominee, the hard-working actor deserves a little vacation, no?

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Titus Andromedon, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt

Image Credit: ‘Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt,’ Netflix

We all fell for Tituss Burgess’ would-be starlet from the very beginning, and even when Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt wavered, Titus (the character) and his flair for the dramatics always kept us entertained. So, what if a sequel series saw him find real success on The Great White Way and have to navigate being “theater famous” in this day and age. Bonus: Bring back Jane Krakowski, too, but have her play her 30 Rock scene-stealer Jenna Maroney instead, barely keeping it together as Titus’ second-billed co-star. And let them duet, damnit!

Related:

Tituss Burgess is NOT here for Andy Cohen’s “messy queen” questions

Yeah, Eddie Murphy used to use homophobic slurs in his stand-up comedy specials, but why you gotta ask Tituss Burgess about it, Andy Cohen?

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Oliver Hampton & Connor Walsh, How To Get Away With Murder

Image Credit: ‘How To Get Away With Murder,’ ABC

One of television’s most swoon-worthy gay couples, Conrad Ricamora and Jack Falahee had us rooting for Oliver and Connor (respectively) through every twist and turn of this murder-filled melodrama. They had a rough go at it in the finale—including a prison sentence and a looming divorce—but a flash-forward showed them happily together and out of the clink, so we’re dying to see a show where they apply all the learned from Annalise Keating (the good and the bad) as husbands co-running a private investigation operation.

Related:

Bromance is budding between “How To get Away With Murder” stars Jack Falahee and Conrad Ricamora

Jack Falahee is straight and Conrad Ricamora is gay. And the bromance between them is real.

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Lafayette Reynolds, True Blood

Image Credit: ‘True Blood,’ HBO

It’s hard to overstate just how groundbreaking Lafayette was when this fantastical horror series debuted on HBO in 2008, giving audiences an all-too-rare complex portrait of a Black queer man in the South—who became an immediate fan favorite. Though star Nelsan Ellis tragically passed in 2017 (RIP), it feels like Lafayette has so much more story to tell, and we’re sure a new actor could respectfully step in and do Ellis justice in a spin-off that follows the medium as he communicates with the ghost of his lover to solve supernatural crimes.

Related:

Remembering Nelsan Ellis as a champion of gay rights, on ‘True Blood’ set and off it

Ellis was 39 when he passed away.

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The “Quad,” Riverdale

Image Credit: ‘Riverdale,’ The CW

Look, we’re starting to think we took Riverdale for granted while it was on the air. The bonkers teen drama got more and more nuts with each passing season, ending on the shocking finale reveal that its main four characters—Archie, Betty, Veronice, Jughead—were in a four-way relationship. And, honestly, we need to know how that all went down, so we’re demanding a one-off “minseries” that revisits that wild lost year of their lives—that way we can finally get the confirmation we need: That Archie and Jughead hooked up, too!

Related:

‘Riverdale’s’ queer relationship twist was nearly “too hot for TV”—but it left some viewers cold

This advocacy group thinks ‘Riverdale’s’ quad should’ve gone deeper.

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