The Last of Us episode 3 shifts the focus of the show to Bill and Frank, with their story showing how they met and bonded through a specific song. While the opening sections of The Last of Us episode 3 deal with the immediate aftermath of Tess' death through Joel and Ellie, a smart transition takes the episode back 20 years to the town of Lincoln on outbreak day. This town features the paranoid, ingenious survivalist Bill, played by Nick Offerman, who claims the town of Lincoln for himself after the other residents travel to QZ's or other disturbing fates.
Eventually, The Last of Us shows Bill meeting Frank, a survivor who was searching for the Boston QZ when he fell into one of Bill's various traps. Bill reluctantly invites Frank (Murray Bartlett) into Lincoln for a meal and a shower before sending him on his way. However, the duo bond over a specific song they play on Bill's piano, a song that kickstarts their beautiful relationship and has deeper meaning pertaining to both men's lives.
Bill & Frank Play Linda Ronstadt’s “Long Long Time” On The Piano
After Bill cooks Frank a meal, the latter cannot help but play the former's antique piano with Linda Ronstadt's "Long Long Time" as his song of choice. "Long Long Time" was a song written by Gary White that became a hit for Ronstadt in 1970. The song was released as a single from the album "Silk Purse" and spent 12 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The song actually has a much deeper meaning for Frank and Bill, whose inclusion was hinted at with The Last of Us episode 1's radio song, and brings the two together for the first time.
How Linda Ronstadt’s “Long Long Time” Brings Bill & Frank Together
Firstly, it is worth noting that Frank immediately recognized that "Long Long Time" was a song of Bill's. Bill also was visibly affected by Frank's playing of the song, as if it had a much deeper meaning to him than simply being a song he likes. Once Bill sings the song, the words represent a lot that Bill and Frank can relate to about their LGBTQ+ identities. The lyrics "love will abide... no one at my side" can represent Bill's loneliness, both in terms of living in Lincoln alone and in having never been with another man, something he admits later in The Last of Us episode 3.
The lyrics "loves wounds unseen" could also relate to Bill and Frank, played to perfection by The Last of Us' Nick Offerman and Murray Bartlett, growing up gay, and apply to their sexualities that they may have kept hidden at different points in their lives. All of this brings the two closer together, with Frank immediately noticing that Bill's connection to the song represents his deeper feelings. Frank knows that it does not relate to a girl, something he gets Bill to admit. The two then kiss and come together, which kickstarts The Last of Us episode 3's main story of the duo's beautifully tragic life together.
New episodes of The Last of Us release every Sunday on HBO.