Season 1 of the HBO adaptation of The Last Of Us was a success both with viewers and critics and the episode "Long, Long Time" is considered one of the best from any TV show. After the first two episodes of season 1 focus on the main narrative featuring Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey), episode 3 centers around two different characters who have a moving and emotional connection. The acting and writing are both impressive.
While there's a wait for season 2 of The Last Of Us, fans wonder what the new episodes will be like. Is it possible for the second season to match the quality of the memorable episode "Long, Long Time"?
What Was "Long, Long Time" About?
The Last Of Us episode "Long, Long Time" focuses on the love story between Frank (Murray Bartlett) and Bill (Nick Offerman). The two meet when Frank asks if he could take a shower and eat something. This acclaimed The Last Of Us season 1 episode uses Linda Ronstadt's song "Long, Long Time" perfectly as they play it on the piano and fall in love.
The episode includes a few different timelines, but the most moving one is when Frank and Bill are at the end of their lives and Frank can't move much because he is sick. Frank wants to die and he wants Bill to assist him. After they get married, Bill puts pills in two wine glasses and lets Frank know that they are both going to die. It's an incredibly emotional moment that fans are still thinking and talking about. The characters care about each other so much and have been able to find some peace and contentment even though they have been through a nightmare.
At the very end of "Long, Long Time," Ellie reads a letter that Bill wrote to Joel explaining that he was glad to have the time that he did with Frank. Ellie and Joel are motivated and inspired to keep fighting for survival as they realize the theme of the episode: loving someone else is always worth it, no matter how dire and scary the circumstances are.
There are some great Easter Eggs in this The Last Of Us episode, and the storyline also stands out because it's different in the game. As fans know, Ellie and Joel meet Bill when Frank has already passed away. Frank took his life when he realized that he had gotten infected. But, in the TV adaptation, viewers get the chance to see the characters' relationship unfold. It's a choice that fans loved and that the creators knew would work well. Craig Mazan told Variety, “It seemed like such a rich and yet unseen story. It afforded us a chance to look at how time passed, but also to ask a question about what happens if you’re safe."
Can The Last of Us Season 2 Top This Episode?
The Last Of Us "Long Long Time" has great quotes, memorable performances, and impressive writing. It also achieved the tricky feat of making a major change from the game that still worked. While there is hope that season 2 of The Last Of Us will be as impressive as season 1, it's hard to say that any of the new episodes could ever be as good as this one.
"Long, Long Time" was such a success because it was unexpected. While viewers knew that the show would focus on Ellie and Joel since their dynamic is the heart of the story, it was compelling to see the focus shift to Frank and Bill. If season 2 of The Last Of Us is going to have another stand-out episode like this one, it has to be just as surprising and emotional.
The Last of Us Season 2 Has Opportunities For Flashbacks
Fans have a lot of opinions about The Last Of Us season 2 as some details have been shared. It might be tough to cast Abby for The Last Of Us, and the PTSD that Ellie and Abby experience should be included in the adaptation. There's something else that could happen in season 2, and that's including more flashbacks.
The Last Of Us Part II has plenty of flashbacks that focus on Ellie and Abby. Some could argue that these flashbacks help develop Abby's character as more details of her life are shared. Others feel that the flashbacks create a frustrating timeline and that it would have been better to have one cohesive narrative.
While of course fans will have to wait and see if flashbacks are used in season 2 of The Last Of Us, it does seem likely that there will be a few. "Long Long Time" uses flashbacks in a moving, creative, and memorable way and The Last Of Us even gained more viewers after that episode. Flashbacks only work if they aren't overused and if they don't overpower the main narrative.
Francesca Orsi, the HBO Head of Drama, told Deadline in May 2023 that Mazin “is taking a big swing from both an entertainment standpoint, related to the clickers, but also just the more nuanced, complex character dynamic between our characters, Joel, Ellie and beyond.”