Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for “Long, Long Time,” the third episode of “The Last of Us” (2023).
“I was never afraid before you showed up.”
So… About that third “The Last of Us” episode. I’m not the first nor will I be the last to say this, but it made me bawl like a baby. As a mild enjoyer of the game and a slightly greater enjoyer of the show thanks to Pedro Pascal, I wasn’t expecting an episode focused on two secondary characters to capture my heart as powerfully as Bill and Frank did. “Long, Long Time” answers a crucial question: what’s the point of trying to survive something as grim as an apocalypse? The answer is as simple as it is predictable: Love.
Depicting what Stardew Valley would be like if it took place during an apocalypse, we get to experience something incredibly foreign, perhaps even antithetical, to the horror sub-genre: romance, domesticity, and tenderness. A heartwarming exploration of romance in all its day-to-day glory against the backdrop of an apocalypse, Bill and Frank’s determination to prioritize normalcy and happiness is a breath of fresh air in an otherwise scary landscape. Over the years, we see Bill and Frank experience the common squabbles that accompany living with the same person for a long time, with the added context of an apocalypse. From growing fresh strawberries in their garden to literally getting shot by raiders (ouch), Bill and Frank experience it all together. It’s safe to say they’ve been through the good, the bad, and the ugly, and we get to go through it with them. It’s safe to say this episode’s power lies in its simplicity— seeing a happy queer couple in a healthy relationship grow old together almost feels revolutionary.
“Long, Long Time” is a truly grounded, powerful depiction of queer love. Even in the context of a murderous fungal apocalypse, it manages to subvert the “bury your gays” trope, the tendency for media to kill off queer characters because they are considered expendable compared to their straight counterparts. In late age, we see a sickly Frank tell Bill he has decided to end his life on account of his illness. After a perfect day spent together coupled with the dinner they ate the first time they met, Bill decides to choose the same fate as Frank. They pass in possibly the best way possible: in each other’s arms. Although this episode ends in death, it is one rooted in autonomy and a life well-lived. Bill says it best himself— “This isn’t the tragic suicide at the end of the play. I’m old. I’m satisfied. And you were my purpose.”