The latest episode of sci-fi series The Last of Us is arguably the most moving so far. If you need a The Last of Us episode 3 recap, the series shifted the focus away from Joel and Ellie‘s journey in order to explore the relationship of Bill and Frank in more depth. Although Bill and Frank’s relationship is strongly implied to be romantic in the videogame, much of the characters’ backstories were glossed over.
So, the third episode expanded upon Bill and Frank’s love story, from the day Frank wandered into Bill’s booby-trapped property, to meeting Joel and Tess, and their decade of bliss before getting married and ultimately deciding to take their own lives due to Frank’s illness and Bill not wanting to live without him.
Music ended up being a huge theme in the episode, with Bill and Frank using a radio playing decade-specific songs in order to communicate with other survivors.
But there’s one particular song that draws a special significance in the episode: Linda Ronstadt’s ‘Long Long Time.’ A rendition of the song is first played by Frank on Bill’s piano when they first meet, and then the full ’70s hit plays again at the end of the episode.
Music streaming service Spotify later revealed how this episode 3 music had a stark increase in streams immediately after the third episode of the horror series aired. “On Sunday, January 29th, between [23:00] and midnight ET, there was more than 4900% increase in U.S. streams of ‘Long Long Time,’ the streamer shared in a tweet. “Oh, so all our hearts were breaking last night…”
If you’re left with lingering questions, like how did Bill and Frank die and who plays Frank in The Last of Us TV series, be sure to check out our guides explaining just that.