we were not ready.. | Fans REACT to THE LAST OF US on HBO - Episode 3: Long, Long Time (SPOILERS)

I listened to the official podcast yesterday, and something Mazin said just impressed the hell out of me. He said that he was writing about two middle-aged gay men who enter a long term relationship, and while he knows what it's like to be middle-aged and in a long term relationship, he didn't know what it's like to be gay, so he knew he had to do his legwork. He wanted to make sure at least one of the principal actors was gay (Bartlett). He also assembled a team of middle-aged gay men (director, editor and production designer) to make the episode, and consulted them to make sure not only that story and the details rang true, but that it wouldn't be filmed with a "straight lens." That's how you do some goddamn representation. This episode is historic.

They had sixteen mostly happy years together in the apocalypse, that's a much better life than nearly every other human still left.

I am a straight 43 y.o. male, this episode had me in tears... I am so happy to see love, regardless of gender, portrayed in such a realistic and normalized way.

I just noticed that the end of the letter that didn't get read, after it mentioned Tess, was a recommendation about wine pairings. True to form, Bill.

I feel that Joel called Tess "mine", not in a demeaning way, but more in a way that he doesn't really know exactly how he feels about her. Joel is in the end, like Bill, but unlike Bill, Joel never had the chance to explore his relationship with Tess in a way that they had. (talking from the stand point of the TV series).

sorry if this is too personal for a youtube comment, but: the first time i watched this, i was alone. i started sobbing when they kissed, and kept sobbing the whole time, because i saw too much of myself in frank and too much of my boyfriend in bill. the second time i watched it, it was with my stepdad, and i heard him quietly sobbing beside me - he told me it was one of the most beautiful things he'd ever seen, and that if it doesn't win awards, he'll blame homophobia. the third time i watched it was with my boyfriend - we both started sobbing around "you were my purpose" and didn't stop until the episode was over. he turned to me after, held my face in his hands, and we promised that neither of us could die until we'd lived as long and as happily as them, until we'd gotten married and had a house and fallen asleep in each other's arms. this episode is my favourite so far, and maybe partially because i can identify with them, because their relationship resonated with my own - we have another partner (polyamory ftw) and i need to show them this episode too (they're less invested in tlou, but like to watch and listen to us talk about it bc sharing interests is my love language), both so they can experience its beauty themselves and so i can promise the same to them. this episode... god. i knew bill and frank would make me cry, but i wasn't even close to ready. it means the world to me to see a relationship i could identify with shown w such tenderness and real love behind it - and i'm a young adult! i'm barely old enough to drink! i can only imagine how much harder it must hit for older people to see stuff like this. it's the exact kind of relationship that i think the media was missing hope you're both doing well 🫶🏳️‍🌈

I feel like every single queer person that watched had the exact same reaction to that first kiss. My gay little heart can barely take it. Such a beautiful story.

I've rarely seen older LGBTQ+ representation and it's just so lovely to see 💛I also really love that the story doesn't necessarily revolves around them being gay! There's no queer trauma and they don't make it their entire personality. They're both complex characters that fell in love and they just happened to be men. Simple as that :)

No hyperbole here: I honestly think that this was one of the greatest television episodes of all time.

19:40 The little turn of the plate as he sets it down. The presentation has to be just so. I loved Nick Offerman's comment on the episode, "Frank is the flower. Bill is the soil."

One absolutely gut wrench that takes a time to realize... While Bill makes sure they both die, he only has the wine from the bottle. Frank has the bottle and the extra. Bill made sure Frank died first so he could take care of his last moments.

I'd like to say, I appreciate how you all, as reactors, understand that you are commenting over the show and take the time to go back and rewind what you might have missed due to talking over the dialogue. Talking over is part of the gig, the commentary is why we watch you. But the ability to realize you did it, and the desire to make sure you see and hear what you may have missed in order to get the full experience, sets you apart from just about 99% of every other reactor out there. We watch you to live vicariously through you and when you miss things due to talking (which happens), we feel like we are missing out too. Thank you!

Bill taught Frank how to survive, Frank taught Bill how to live. I love how the game and show versions have the same story impact but by different routes. Game version showed Joel what he would become if he refused to let anyone into his heart. The show version showed Joel what he could have if he does let someone in.

"You were my purpose" That line... 😭😭😭

"That's the gayest thing you could've done." - Make a fancy ass dinner "That's the gayest thing you could've done." - Singing to each other. You two are so funny. I loved your honest reaction with hands over mouth jaw dropped, and just your raw reaction.

While I love watching reactions to the show from people who haven't played the game, both of your reactions as fans of it are by far my favorite. The perfect imitation of lines from the game are the best.

This old gay man loved watching this with you two ❤

29:01 "I haven't cried like that in a while" me- "Oh boy..... get ready"

I love that they changed it so that Joel screws up the letter from Bill not that Bill screws up a letter from Frank. Keeping the same symbolism.

7:18 I love this interaction between them so much because it says a lot more than the words that were spoken. I love that they let Pedro breathe out the scene and gave him the room to express that. Joel is never a person who would've blamed others for his failures, especially a child. Especially Ellie. He does not blame her, he would never. He blames himself. But he also does not have the patience or the emotional strength to express all that and converse with Ellie. To let her know that it wasn't her fault. So instead of arguing, or expressing his world state/adult understanding that he has. He instead accepts her words. Joel was relived to hear his emotions voiced from her blunt, strong and objective POV. And he was grateful for that. Brilliant framing, scene composition and acting on part of Pedro Pascal. Thus begins their very unique and almost poignant relationship. Btw, Love what you guys are doing. I love you both so much. Just watching other queer people experience these stories, gives me joy and life. Edit:- Adding this after seeing the full video. Bill I think is in his Late forties when we first see him. Maybe like 47-49. Then when he meets Frank he is 52-53. Frank probably just turned 40 maybe he is 44. It's hinted that Frank was physically in good shape before he got sick. So at the end of their story, they were in their late sixties. At least that is what I like to think. Also, I am happy they removed the magazine scene. While Ashley's performance was good in that scene, it always bothered me somewhat as to that was how far they could've gone with that in the game. Because Bill being gay was only ever an heavily implied thing. The cassette was ode to their beautiful and tender romance.