Take Three: The Last of Us

The Last of Us: Season 1, Episode 3 “Long, Long Time” (B+)

I like the way that this show handles its storytelling, offering a substantial flashback to fill in information about other characters while largely staying centered on Joel and Ellie’s quest in the present. I’m impressed that their conversations still manage to be fantastic, and that this show could subsist just based on their interactions alone. Ellie wasn’t about to apologize for something she didn’t feel was her fault, and I enjoyed her excitement both at such things as coming across a Cumberland Farms, him getting to fly on a plane (shoved into a middle seat, apparently), and the absolute joy of getting to ride in a car for the first time, comparing it to a spaceship. The meat of this episode, however, was the unexpectedly warm and loving relationship between conspiracy theorist and survivalist Bill and friendly traveler Frank. I was particularly pleased about the casting of Nick Offerman from “Parks and Recreation” as Bill, a perfect role for him, and Murray Bartlett from “The White Lotus” as Frank. There was something very sweet about their relationship and the way it manifested itself, as well as the things they fought about, like the government being Nazis in the present but not back when Bill was convinced that was the case. I liked the use of a song that never fails to add power to any scene, “On the Nature of Daylight” by Max Richter, to showcase their final shared moments. The letter Bill left to “whomever but probably Joel” was a nice touch that allowed their arc to come to a moving and memorable end. Let’s get these men some Emmy nominations come awards season!