Following the release of the third episode of HBO's The Last of Us adaptation, a contingent of reactionary viewers have taken to IMDb to flood the episode's page with one-star reviews due to the on-screen presence of a gay couple.
The Last of Us Season 1, episode 3, "Long, Long Time" takes a step back from Joel and Ellie's story to focus on the backstory for Joel and Tess' friends Bill (Nick Offerman) and Frank (Murray Bartlett), who had been mentioned in the prior episodes. The flashback begins in 2003, and follows Bill, a doomsday prepper, as he evades capture from FEDRA and proceeds to turn his town into a trap-filled stronghold and self-sufficient homestead, where he lives alone. Bill then meets Frank after he falls into one of his traps, and the pair proceed to fall in love. The remainder of the episode is centered around their love story, as they grow old together and eventually die sometime before Joel and Ellie arrive.
The episode in question is the most the show has deviated from the source material so far, but has been widely lauded by viewers for its emotional impact, with many comparing it to the opening sequence of Pixar's Up. This, however, has apparently angered a number of gamers who played the original game, despite the fact that Bill and Frank's relationship being romantic in nature is heavily implied in the game, albeit not overtly mentioned.
So far, "Long, Long Time" has received more five-star reviews on IMDb than either of the first two episodes. However, it has an overall average of 8.0 compared to the 9.2 and 9.3 of the first two episodes, due to the flood of one-star reviews from those who are up in arms over the portrayal of a gay couple.
HBO's The Last of Us Continues Its Strong Run
Despite the hoard of homophobic internet trolls, the episode has drawn in huge viewership numbers and widespread praise for its emotional storytelling, prompting the Last of Us creator to lightheartedly tease those who were brought to tears for crying during the comparatively "happy" episode. The episode has also been commended for the way in which it consciously subverts the "bury your gays" trope by keeping Bill and Frank's storyline self-contained, allowing them to grow old together and die on their own terms, and not in service of the story's straight characters.
The Last of Us airs on Sundays on HBO and HBO Max.
Source: The Direct