The latest episode of HBO’s hit series The Last of Us has been met with review bombing from irked audiences despite its groundbreaking representation of a homosexual love story. Deviating from the original Naughty Dog PlayStation game, Episode 3, titled Long, Long Time, follows the journey of Bill, played by Nick Offerman, as he navigates the post-apocalyptic world and eventually finds love.
The Last Of Us Episode 3 gets Review Bombed
The Last Of Us series, as a whole, has received widespread acclaim and broken viewership records for HBO. However, despite this success, Episode 3 has sparked controversy for its portrayal of a gay relationship between Bill and Frank, played by Nick Offerman and Murray Bartlett.
The negative reviews have flooded platforms like IMDB, where the episode currently sits at 8.2/10 with over 15,000 one-star reviews, largely attributed to this review bombing. The reviews themselves reveal the agenda of some of the reviewers.
the last of us episode 3 pic.twitter.com/CUwkjTp7AV
— lin ✧.* (@http_yeojin) January 30, 2023
tlou spoilers
me after watching the last of us episode 3 pic.twitter.com/nBr87O7RrY
— sage⁵⁰¹ 💌 tbb era (@ahsokasgoggles) January 30, 2023
Fans Come To The Rescue of HBO Show
However, it is important to note that these negative reviews have little effect on the show’s overall reception. Rotten Tomatoes rates Episode 3 of The Last of Us at 96%, making it one of the highest-rated TV episodes in recent memory. The episode has been praised for its touching and poignant portrayal of a queer love story, and it serves as a significant representation in the world of television.
Fans lauded the creators for portraying such an intense human connection and one user even declared it to be one of the greatest episodes of television ever made.
The Last of Us episode 3 will probably go down in history as one of the greatest episodes of television ever made.
Holy Shit. #TheLastOfUsHBO pic.twitter.com/31I0e5HJca
— keyurrajput (@jalebiiifafdaaa) January 30, 2023
This is not an isolated incident, as projects have been targeted for review bombing for similar reasons in the past, such as the female-led superhero series She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. Review bombing is a common tactic used by internet trolls to spread their hatred and it is unclear if there is anything that can be done to prevent it.
Fans also stood up in support of the show, against these review bombers.
Completely expect this. People are so pathetic its astounding💀😂It was a beautiful story and peak writing. Flushed out characters in a way that we rarely see. Cry like the piece of shi you are if you hated it🫵🖕
— StayMadTooBad (@StayMadLilDude) January 31, 2023
Let them review bomb it, no one cares. Still the best show on tv right now and I will continue to tune in and support it!
— Erick (@EricksProps) January 31, 2023
It is worth mentioning that queer representation has always been a crucial aspect of The Last of Us. The original game from 2013 included gay characters, such as Bill, and popular character Ellie, played by Bella Ramsey in the series, is also queer. The success of the first season has even led to the greenlighting of a second season by HBO.
In conclusion, Episode 3 of The Last of Us serves as a beacon of hope for LGBTQ+ representation in television and will not be deterred by a small group of internet trolls. The episode is a testament to the impact and significance of representation in media and will continue to shape the discourse surrounding LGBTQ+ representation in the future.
The next episode, Episode 4, airs on Sunday, February 5 at 9 p.m. ET, on HBO Max.
Source: The Direct
