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The Last of Us has quickly become one of the most beloved shows of recent times. Adapted from a videogame of the same name, the dystopian story follows a smuggler's attempts at escorting a young girl, who is the only hope for a dying world, across a disease-ridden post-apocalyptic America. Owing to its brilliant plot and powerful performances, it is no wonder that the series has caught the imagination of millions in the very first week of its run.
The Last of Us has also managed to follow its first episode with two great ones, with the third episode of the Pedro Pascal starrer featuring some of the most heartbreaking scenes in recent television history. It also deviated from the videogame in some ways, but to good effect. In one of the most beautiful scenes in the show yet, the creators decided to use Linda Ronstadt’s Long, Long Time, which synced perfectly with the scene.
Ronstadt’s 1970 ballad was thematically and lyrically befitting of the situation, making it a top song choice that will be well-remembered like Kate Bush’s Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God) in Stranger Things season 4.
Why was Linda Ronstadt’s Long, Long Time significant in The Last of Us episode 3?
The Last of Us is built upon themes of isolation, negativity, and pessimism, among other things. This was the case for the third episode as well, which saw Bill (Nick Offerman) finally allow another person into his home after three years of isolation, a sentiment that is all the more prevalent among people of this generation who lived through the very tough pandemic that plagued the world from 2020 to 2022.
When Bill let Frank (Murray Bartlett) into his home, he finally managed to step out of his isolation and share his loneliness with another person. He went on to play Linda Ronstadt’s Long, Long Time in this scene, thematically explaining how he felt during the time. This also marked the beginning of Bill and Frank's long relationship.
Speaking to IndieWire about the scene, showrunner Craig Mazin said:
"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,...I remember saying to [creator] Neil [Druckmann], ‘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."
The Last of Us showrunner, however, had some reservations too:
"But it can’t be on the nose. And it can’t be a song that we all know."
After texting Seth Rudetsky, his buddy who hosts Sirius XM's On Broadway, Mazin described to him what he was looking for, and surprisingly, within half a minute's time, Rudetsky sent him a text, recommending Long, Long Time by Linda Ronstadt. In that moment, Mazin recalled the song, thinking:
“I kinda remembered that song. I played it and was like, ‘Oh, my. There it is."
This perfectly explains why the song is so relevant and why it was an absolutely perfect fit in the third episode of the show.
The Last of Us is now streaming on HBO Max.
