The Last of Us upped it’s game when no one thought it could get any better, leaving everyone heartbroken by the third episode.
Fans are going as far as to call it “one of the greatest episodes of TV ever made.”
Nick Offerman’s acting was so good that no one has questioned the fact he is a straight actor playing a gay character, something which has been very controversial in the past.
The third episode dropped on Sunday, and for those who haven’t watched the show, Joel, portrayed by Pedro Pascal, is a ruthless smuggler who is responsible for transporting Ellie Williams (Bella Ramsey) to a medical facility situated on the opposite side of the country after it turns out she’s immune to the fungal infection that has ravaged the world.
The Last of Us premiered on January 15, and we have already gotten to know several other side characters in a short amount of time that have had a real impact on fans.
We have already had to say goodbye Sarah Miller in the first episode, who was a pivotal character, and one that many felt a deep connection with in such a short amount of time. But due to her death being identical to the game, most were impressed with the way the show pulled it off.
Then in the second episode, we lost Tess, whose death was slightly different. Joel and Ellie teamed up with the hardened survivor, and all three set off on a mission to transport Ellie to their next destination before heading to the quarantine zone.
Sadly, we learned that Tess had been infected, and she chose to sacrifice herself so that Joel and Ellie could escape the infected area and carry on with the mission.
Then on Sunday, episode three dropped, and fans think it’s the best one yet.
In the episode titled Long Long Time, fans got to meet 2 new characters, Bill, a paranoid survivalist played by Nick Offerman, and Frank (Murray Bartlett), who were only ever briefly mentioned in the games.
The episode is set just a little while after the outbreak and centres around the romantic partnership they both share before going on to meet Joel and Ellie, who are making their way to the Fireflies.
This differs from the games entirely, as in them the pair die way before Joel and Ellie meet, both resorting to taking their own lives.
But just like the games, their story sadly ends in heartbreak.
It seems like this alternate character arc has gone down extremely well with fans, despite the change of direction, and it has opened up the question of whether it’s ok for a straight actor to play a gay character.
It turns out it is ok, as long as that actor is Nick Offerman.
One person wrote on Twitter: “Not Nick Offerman changing my mind about straight actors playing gay roles.”
Another added: “If/when Nick Offerman wins an award for this I will not be complaining about a straight actor winning an award for playing gay. Him and Craig Mazin talked about making sure they did the work to portray this in an honest and respectful way.”
A third said: “Still not over the brilliant performances from last night’s episode. Particularly, I hope Nick Offerman’s (awards-worthy) performance finally puts to rest the ‘straight actors can’t/shouldn’t play gay’ narrative out there.”
