The Last of Us game’s most incidental gay romance becomes a standalone episode with Offerman and Murray Bartlett from The White Lotus. Here’s why it is up there with Black Mirror.
If you enjoyed Black Mirror’s “San Junipero,” you’ll want to give a thought to “Long Long Time,” the third episode of The Last of Us on HBO Max, starring Parks and Recreation’s Nick Offerman in a guest role as Bill.
No, “San Junipero” doesn’t have anything to do with zombies, and “Long Long Time” doesn’t have anything to do with uploading your personality to an endless 1980s club scene. They share a far more niche category: self-contained episodes that pivot from the overall thrust of their TV series to present a sci-fi-tinged queer love story.
Back in 2016, everyone I knew was watching “San Junipero,” talking about how they hadn’t watched “San Junipero” yet, or telling me I should watch “San Junipero,” the fourth episode of the third season of Black Mirror. It’s not that I knew a lot of Black Mirror fans, it’s just that I know a lot of queer folks who enjoy genre TV. Eventually, I watched “San Junipero.” It was lovely! I’ve never seen another episode of Black Mirror.
“San Junipero” is widely considered one of the best episodes of television to come out in 2016, and is still appreciated for being basically the only episode of Black Mirror where technology is a good thing that’s nice, instead of a Twilight Zone horror. But for many, “San Junipero” is most fondly remembered because a romance-centered genre story is rare enough to see on TV, let alone one where a gay couple gets to ride off into the sunset together.
