Warning: Mild spoilers for The Last of Us Episode 3, “Long Long Time,” is up for grabs. If you haven’t seen this episode yet, you’ve been warned.
A perfect song can fit into any moment, in the right context. Anyone with an HBO Max subscription probably found out heartbreakingly thanks to The Last of Us‘ third episode, which used Linda Ronstadt’s classic song “Long Long Time” as an important emotional touchstone. (And its title). While executive producer Craig Mazin had to do some research to find the right needle for this final chapter, his efforts were just as rewarding as the Changes to the story of Bill and Frank . It also brought Ms. Ronstadt a huge streaming hit, as almost immediately the song found new life, just like in the episode’s emotional finale.
Incredible increase in streaming of The Last Of Us by Linda Ronstadt
Second Spotify news , The Last of Us bump is now something every music artist should consider, as this particular 1970 track has increased their profile on the service by 4900%. Wildly enough, that number came in between 11pm and 12am ET Sunday evening through Monday morning.
That means this big push came at a time when the near-long romance with Nick Offerman and Murray Bartlett was coming to an end for those watching in real time. So it stands to reason that fans of the Naughty Dog and Sony co-production were itching to scream after seeing it.
The news certainly did not go unnoticed by Linda Ronstadt herself, who posted this last post on social media in honor of the song:
A twist inside The Last of Us Romantic epic, the song’s intro has Murray Bartlett’s Frank ransacking Nick Offerman’s Bill’s house. Particularly fascinated by the piano, the guest-turned-partner finds a songbook by Linda Ronstadt and selects “Long Long Time” as her choice. Through Frank’s carnage and Bill’s heartfelt singing of the same song, the lovers find themselves on the road through decades of ups and downs.
very similar Strange things put Kate Bush in the rankings With his use of “Running Up That Hill,” another TV hitmaker has brought a classic back into the spotlight. It’s a moment that wouldn’t have happened if it weren’t for The Last of Us executive producer Craig Mazin consults with a trusted friend.
Because a very, very long time was the right choice for Bill and Frank, according to Craig Mazin
Believe it or not, “Long Long Time” wasn’t the musical choice it was always meant to be. Mazin admitted this during an interview with indiewire . which started with the purpose of why it was so important to include this special musical cue and some of the criteria he had in mind when selecting:
I had this idea that it was going to happen, that there was going to be a song that was going to play and we were going to be surprised at who was good and who was bad. I remember saying to Neil, “I’m not sure what the song is, I just know it has to be an incredibly sad song about wanting love and never getting it, and making peace with the fact that you’re going to get it.” always be alone but can’t be on the nose. And it can’t be a song that we all know.
It will be hard not to think about this episode when its namesake is played randomly, or on demand, in the near future. Doubled as a memorial salute to Bill and Frank following their deaths, as well as a signal in the development of the collaboration between Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey), emotions ran high at last from the new angle. I became
If you want to thank someone in particular for giving this to Craig Mazin The Last of Us For now, it’s none other than Sirius XM host/Broadway pundit Seth Rudetsky. The explanation of how the pair of friends brought this story home through song was told by Mazin as follows:
I spent hours and hours and hours. And finally, I said, ‘I know what to do. I text my friend Seth Rudetsky, who is a Sirius XM host on Broadway and has this encyclopedic knowledge of all music. I described what I needed and within 30 seconds I was [incoming text noise] “Long, long time for Linda Ronstadt.” I remembered that song. I played it and I was like, ‘Oh my God. Here.’
If we are guided by the radio code established in The last of us’ premiere to critical acclaim, so it looks like this episode has “new stock” for fans. Which isn’t wrong, because Bill and Frank’s bittersweet romance filled everyone’s hearts and dried up their tear ducts as well. It’s a story that’s going to be hard to beat, because both a Linda Ronstadt classic and an all-time new queer romance were born out of that decision-making.
follow The Last of Us It’s not too hard whether you like horror or not, because the first three episodes are all ready to stream on HBO Max. The New Adventures with Joel and Ellie will continue to air on HBO, Sundays at 9 PM ET , until the season finale on March 12. As always, you should keep an eye on the 2023 TV schedule, as long as you don’t monitor Clickers in your area.
Source: Cinemablend
