The following episode contains spoilers for Episode 3 of The Last of Us.
Another episode of The Last of Us has been released, and this one will have fans talking for the entire week. The past two episodes have focused entirely on the main plot, with a look at Joel and Ellie’s journey, but Episode 3 of the HBO series slows down and deviates from the path to narrate a story of love and hope.
This week’s episode of The Last of Us can almost feel like fans are watching a different series. The scene changes to one from 2003 where fans meet Nick Offerman’s Bill, a survivalist who has managed to set up a base in an abandoned town. He is self-sufficient to the extent that he manages to get gas in his home, grow vegetables in the backyard, and monitor all infected movement from a bunker in the basement. After watching Episode 2 of The Last of Us, fans wait for the moment when Joel and Ellie show up at his doorstep, but the hour-long episode has a different story to tell.
The third episode of The Last of Us will perhaps go down as one of the best hours of storytelling in television this year. Whatever fans expected, this week’s episode sets the series apart from other post-apocalyptic shows and completely changes the narrative. The focus shifts from the infected and the end of the world to a simple love story, which confirms that this show aims to draw in all kinds of audience members and not just those obsessed with zombies. It tells a story of romance blooming in a place where humanity has lost all hope. The episode is mostly free of action, and the focal point is love and companionship.
At the end of Episode 2 of The Last of Us, Tess tells Joel to seek Bill and Frank’s help. So, it was evident that this week’s episode would introduce both those characters. But, the unexpected turn that the episode takes is worth a conversation. The entire hour of television runs on emotions and well-written dialogues. Does it add to the plot? That’s the debate fans will probably take to social media for, as the character-driven episode does not show Joel and Ellie traversing through abandoned structures and running into more infected. But, the story it narrates will definitely impact the protagonists’ story moving forward.
Murray Bartlett’s Frank ventures into one of the traps set up by Bill around his secured property, and both their lives change for the better. In the middle of this hopeless place, the two of them build a life together, and viewers experience their sadness in both states of loneliness and companionship. The episode will connect with the larger audiences, as it focuses on human emotions. Offerman does a fantastic job at portraying Bill’s emotions, sometimes through words, other times through the most vivid expressions.
While Bill might seem content in the beginning of Episode 3, with his trap-laden base, his loneliness is quite evident. When he finds Frank at the bottom of a ditch outside his property, he is more flustered than when one of the infected runs into his traps. However, they connect over their love for music, and Bill goes from being a loner to someone who is suddenly afraid. “I was never afraid before you showed up,” he tells Frank at one point. Their entire relationship is a reflection of the real world where people are more carefree until another being is involved in their lives. But, more importantly, it portrays that without love in his life, Bill was merely surviving, not living.
On its own, this is a perfect episode. Fans see different shades of Bill and Frank’s relationship, whether it is their awkward first meeting, the way they bicker over “white paint,” how they deal with the raider invasion, and how Frank surprises Bill with fresh strawberries in a world that is partially destroyed. Their story is equal parts hopeful and heart-wrenching, as they grow old and approach the end of their lives together. The jumps in the episode from 2003 all the way to 2023 keep the pace going, as fans see the two progress in their lives, while staying put in the same location. But, many may argue that it doesn’t deepen the overall story of the series, with the main focus on Joel and Ellie’s journey, and lacks action. But, they need to keep in mind that the plot isn’t just about getting from point A to B, and killing some infected along the way. The journey is incomplete without human emotions and connections.
The third episode of The Last of Us probably has the best writing so far, as viewers will get attached to these two supporting characters within an hour. Their final moments together are heartbreaking, which is a compliment to the writer, showrunners, and actors. After watching Episode 2, many fans complained that the series did not do justice to Anna Torv’s Tess and that they didn’t get enough time with the character. But, the same complaint is invalid for this week’s episode, as that one hour is enough to feel Bill and Frank’s loss. This episode confirms that love, relationships and tragedy are at the core of The Last of Us. Sarah, Tess, Bill, and Frank all add to the plot and develop Joel and Ellie’s personality.
This is evident in the letter that Bill leaves behind for Joel. His words are clear, after losing his daughter and partner, Joel needs a purpose, a reason to live for. And as the episode comes to an end, it becomes obvious that his purpose is Ellie. So while it might seem like this episode was a filler, it is in fact crucial in helping Joel, and viewers, understand his bond with Ellie and the reason why he will continue on a dangerous journey that he wasn’t in favor of to begin with. It also explains that the humanity that Joel and Ellie are fighting for is actually worth saving. The episode is likely to make viewers more hopeful of the future, and possibly have Linda Ronstadt’s haunting ballad “Long, Long Time” trending similar to Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill” after Stranger Things.
The Last of Us is streaming on HBO Max.