The Last of Us S1:E3 “Long Long Time” Review

By Ben Wright (@iamzavagno | www.xgeeks.co.uk)

This review may contain mild spoilers.

In a world full of death and survival, this episode shows that even in the darkest of days, love remains a true beacon of hope, and something worth fighting for.

I have no idea how I can keep this a spoiler-free review, as I want to talk about so much greatness – however don’t worry, I will do my best!

In the build-up to the first episode of The Last of Us, those within the media who had already seen the series highlighted Episode 3 as a monumental episode. So going into this episode I already had high expectations, however, the show completely pulled the rug from under me. In my head, I had a rough idea of what I thought the framework would be – knowing that Nick Offerman (Bill) would be appearing. I could not have been further away from the truth if I tried. What I experienced were a story and performances that I did not expect, and not only was this a great episode of The Last of Us, but I will go further and compare it to every other television series ever – this episode will win awards, it was that good!

Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey) bookend the episode, and we once again get a great insight into their ever-evolving dynamic. I love watching these two on-screen; you can just sense that there is still so much to come from them. With that said, the real plaudits of the episode go to Nick Offerman (Bill) and Murray Bartlett (Frank) who, thanks to a phenomenal script, are part of something unbelievably special. What they deliver is in massive contrast to the source material in the first game and I think the changes they have made, both in terms of the story and the characters, were nothing short of genius. This episode and their performances especially brought me to tears.

I also really loved the editing of this episode, and they time-jumped wonderfully, ensuring the story flow was never interrupted. As for the music? Using Max Richter’s “On the Nature of Daylight” is basically a cheat code at this point. Still, this stunning and emotive piece of music, coupled with the meaningful visual elements made the final montage in the episode an incredible moment of television.

With flawless storytelling and beautifully performed characters, Episode 3 of The Last of Us might just be the best thing you see on TV all year!

What did you think of the latest episode of The Last of Us? Let us know in the comments or find us on social media.