The Last of Us Episode 3 Long Long Time – Review – Geekybar

This article contains comprehensive spoilers for the third episode of The Last of Us, which can be viewed right now on Disney Hotstar.

Episode 3 of “The Last of Us” takes the series in a new direction, marking the first significant departure from the narrative presented in the game. In doing so, it beautifully tells a story of romance found in an apparently hopeless place in a relatively action-free chapter that instead focuses on the love and sadness that both companionship and loneliness can bring about. The chapter is about the love and sadness that can be brought about by companionship and loneliness. It’s an hour of television that’s a work of art, showcasing everything the adaptation does its very best to achieve with a 5 hour walk through the risky terrain forest to find the next safe place.

While Joel and Ellie play a central role in the overall plot of the series, Bill and Frank are the focus of this particular chapter. The first time we see the former is in a scene that has a lighter tone than most, and it involves Nick Offerman’s character, Bill, channelling his inner Kevin McAllister while setting up a compound full of traps. He leads a solitary life that appears to satisfy him, if not fulfil him entirely, but he has no idea that he is about to find love in the unlikeliest of places: at the bottom of a ditch.

The Last of  Us Character Guide for the HBO Series

Offerman does an outstanding job portraying Bill, revealing to us a much more vulnerable side of the character than was ever seen in the game. Throughout the course of the episode, he goes from being a resolute survivalist to a devoted partner, so it is necessary for him to be able to convey a wide range of feelings. The subtle work that his co-star, Murray Bartlett, does only serves to accentuate what is already a phenomenally impressive performance on both of their parts. Bartlett, who lives a long way from the plush accommodations of the White Lotus hotel, is every bit as brilliant as Frank, who has a good heart. The fact that he was able to calm Bill down with his presence and charm was a significant factor in The Last of Us’s ability to break free of its normally oppressive vibe.

At first, Bill is more alarmed by the fact that Frank has walked into one of his traps than he is by the fact that any infected person has done so. They both have a deep appreciation for piano music, and the moment that they realise this serves not only to reawaken their love for one another but also for the music. A beautiful and touching moment of vulnerability and tenderness occurs when one can see Offerman’s fear in his eyes as he and Frank share their first kiss. He now has something to protect, and the thought that this newly discovered love could one day be lost again is scarier than anything else – “I was never afraid before you showed up,” he says in a memorable line from the movie. It’s a great illustration of how some people’s deepest-seated fears can remain the same even when everything else around them comes true.
A depiction that is extremely powerful of the idea that life is nothing more than a struggle for survival if love is absent from it.

Now that he has established his defences and taken refuge from the outside world, he moves at a more leisurely pace, and we are able to observe him rediscovering his appreciation for the simple pleasures that life has to offer. Gone are the quick cuts from earlier in the scene. It is an extremely accurate depiction of the idea that life is nothing more than a struggle for survival if love is absent from it. That love only continues to grow stronger all the way through, complete with all of the complex and sometimes irritating moments that come with any relationship. Whether they are picking strawberries or fending off invaders, their relationship is unbreakable, lending a level of warmth and believability that propels the episode forward.

The last day of Frank and Bill’s lives is filled with incredibly moving moments from beginning to end. It is heartbreaking, but there is also a tinge of melancholy to it because it is so uncommon for people to be able to say their goodbyes in an appropriate manner in this world. As the gorgeous, swelling strings provide the score for their final moments, echoes of Max Richter’s On the Nature of Daylight can be heard in the background. This piece of music was used in emotionally wrenching scenes in Arrival and Shutter Island. Within the span of slightly more than a quarter of an hour, we witnessed the metamorphosis of a man who took pleasure in his life of solitude into someone who dreaded going back to it.

From the moment Frank entered his life, it was a self-written prophecy that it would end in heartbreak; this was true from the moment Frank entered his life. When we are in the midst of a pandemic, it may seem as though nothing is more fragile than it already is, despite the fact that nothing in our world is permanent to begin with. A beautiful reminder that love can be found by anyone, regardless of who or where they choose to discover it with, and love can be found anywhere. It’s tragic, touching, and painfully romantic all at the same time.

The events that take place in their story are bookended by the time they spent with Ellie and Joel. We are already starting to see small developments in their relationship, which is becoming a little more fun for them to experience together as a dynamic. Bella Ramsey and Pedro Pascal contribute to the creation of this by effortlessly delivering snappy dialogue that helps them to maintain an inquisitive and dismissive tone, respectively. There is even time dedicated to exploring the environment and looking for supplies, in the style of the original The Last of Us. For players who are already familiar with the game, there are also some fun easter eggs hidden within it, such as Joel and Ellie changing into recognisable clothing or Bill’s blue truck. Even when it goes in new and unexpected directions, like it does in this episode, the story is able to maintain its connection to its beginnings thanks to amusing little details like this one.

A beautiful reminder that love can be found by anyone, regardless of who or where they choose to discover it with, and love can be found anywhere.

The method by which the cordyceps fungus completely spread throughout the world was something that was only hinted at but never fully explained in the game; however, Joel explains it to Ellie in this chapter, so the omission is remedied. The fact that the showrunners have been able to keep exposition scenes like this one interesting despite the fact that they have the potential to become tedious is a credit to them. There are hints that Joel’s paternal instincts are beginning to kick in when we see him being protective of Ellie by not wanting her to see a mass grave. This is a shrewd, albeit harrowing, visual transition that serves as a gateway to the majority of the episode’s content. A substantial portion that is, in the end, a flashback that was reimagined from a one-page note in the game; a version of which is read by Ellie to devastating effect while Joel reluctantly listens to it. Just this one scene is sufficient evidence to demonstrate how effective a tool Pascal’s eyes are for the show as a whole.

However, despite this fact, this is still Bill and Frank’s episode, and it is one that they control, not only physically, but also emotionally. It is a shrewd decision to alter their story in a way that makes it more positive, giving the couple their own stage to shine on and providing a rare opportunity for a smile in contrast to the generally gloomy events that follow. This is the first significant deviation from the narrative of the original game, and it transforms what was supposed to be a bittersweet conclusion of this chapter into something much sweeter and, in the end, a conclusion that is wholly more successful.

Verdict

The third episode of The Last of Us on HBO is a breathtaking hour of television because it is a love story that is expertly told and set in a world that is designed to leave them unwritten. It sheds light on a chapter that was previously shrouded in resentment, instead providing two characters with a more positive and joyful time together. Nick Offerman and Murray Bartlett take on the leading role responsibilities with grace, leaving an unmistakably beautiful mark on the show. Through their performances, we are shown a side of humanity that makes it worthwhile for Joel and Ellie to fight for what they believe in. It’s an experience that, much like falling in love, stays with you for a very long time after you’ve had it.