Warning: spoilers follow for the third episode of The Last of Us.
Episode 3 of HBO’s adaptation of survival horror video game The Last of Us took a left turn this week, drawing viewers away from the central quest of Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey) in order to focus on two new characters—Bill and Frank—in what ended up being a largely self-contained, deeply moving story.
“Long, Long Time” introduced us to Bill, a loner survivalist played somewhat appropriately by Parks & Rec star Nick Offerman, who lives alone in a bunker following the outbreak of the cordyceps infection that decimated the population. Several years after the initial disaster, Bill encounters Frank (The White Lotus and Welcome to Chippendales star Murray Bartlett), who has been caught in one of his many traps.
Initially distrustful of this newcomer, Bill reluctantly offers Frank shelter and a meal. The pair tentatively grow closer, and what follows is a tender love story that unfolds over the span of decades, as viewers watch the two men fall in love and live out their lives together, finding happiness despite the destruction all around them.
“One of the beautiful things for me about this experience was being paired with Nick and finding that both of us wanted to just go there. Go to the places that the script asked us to go to, to be vulnerable, and to fill out what the script was asking us to do,” Bartlett told Complex after the episode aired. “We were lucky that we enjoyed working together and were willing to walk that road together.”
The episode ends with Frank, who has been getting increasingly more sick from an unnamed terminal disease, asking Bill to assist him in euthanasia so he can die with dignity. Unwilling to live without Frank, Bill ends his own life as well, in a scene which is both devastating but also bittersweet, closing out their story on a note of hope as Joel and Ellie reenter the narrative.
Response to the episode online has been overwhelmingly positive, with fans praising the writing of the romance between the two characters, and Bartlett and Offerman’s understated performances. Some even described the episode as a highlight of the show so far… while others could barely articulate their feelings on “Long, Long Last” outside of the usual “shaking/crying/throwing up” hyperbole. See the best viewer reactions below.
Philip Ellis is a freelance writer and journalist from the United Kingdom covering pop culture, relationships and LGBTQ+ issues. His work has appeared in GQ, Teen Vogue, Man Repeller and MTV.
Comments are closed.