The Last of Us episode three spoilers follow.
Those of us who have watched the latest episode of The Last Of Us were taken on an emotional rollercoaster.
In the third instalment of the apocalyptic drama, starring Pedro Pascal as Joel and Bella Ramsey as Ellie, viewers were introduced to Bill (Nick Offerman) and Frank (Murray Bartlett).
Self-proclaimed survivalist Bill meets Frank when he stumbles upon his fortified homestead, with the pair eventually becoming a couple and not just surviving in this new, dangerous world, but thriving.
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One of the highlights of the tear-jerking episode sees the pair bond over playing Linda Ronstadt's song, 'Long, Long Time', on Bill's piano, with the ditty also acting as the episode's title.
The show's co-creator Craig Mazin has explained the choice to weave the song into Bill and Frank's story.
Speaking to IndieWire, Mazin explained that the contrast between how the two play the song – with Bill masterfully executing the ballad, and Frank fumbling through – encapsulated the tone of the episode as a whole.
"I had the thought that this would happen, that there was a song that would be played, and that we would be surprised by who was good at it and who was bad at it," he said.
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"I remember saying to Neil [Druckmann, co-creator]: 'I'm not sure what the song is, I just know that it has to be this incredibly sad song about yearning for love, and never getting love, and just making your peace with the fact that you will always be alone. But it can't be on the nose. And it can't be a song that we all know.'"
Mazin said that, after hours of research, he finally contacted his friend Seth Rudetsky, who is a host on Sirius XM On Broadway, who suggested the Ronstadt song.
He revealed that the intention of using the song was to "show the arc of commitment" in the episode between Bill and Frank.
"The whole idea was to hit the highlights of moments in your life where love means something different," he said.
The Last of Us airs on HBO in the US, and on Sky Atlantic and streaming service NOW in the UK.
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