Controversial The Last of Us episode honoured in Best TV Episodes of All Time list
HBO's The Last of Us has made Rolling Stone's 100 Best TV Episodes of All Time, but not everyone will like the choice.
04th Sep 2024 17:05
Images via HBO
Controversial The Last of Us episode honoured in Best TV Episodes of All Time list
HBO's The Last of Us has made Rolling Stone's 100 Best TV Episodes of All Time, but not everyone will like the choice.
04th Sep 2024 17:05
Images via HBO
It feels like a "Long, Long Time" since The Last of Us Season 1 came into our lives, but with Season 2 coming out in 'early' 2025, there isn't too long to wait until things will hopefully 'click' back into place with HBO's acclaimed video game adaptation.
While some were sceptical that The Last of Us could live up to the lofty heights of Naughty Dog's award-winning game, the fact that we had Game Director Neil Druckmann and Chernobyl's Craig Mazin running the show means we should've always known it was going to be a hit.
The Last of Us Season 1 quickly earned itself a reputation as possibly the greatest video game adaptation of all time, and although there's some pretty abysmal competition, most agree there wasn't a dud among its nine-episode run.
Lists of the 'best' episodes of all time are notoriously controversial, but as Rolling Stone unveils its own selection of "The 100 Best TV Episodes of All Time", we're glad to see The Last of Us has earned a place on the list.
The Last of Us makes it onto the 100 Best TV Episodes of All Time
“Long Long Time” is ranked #50 on Rolling Stone’s 100 Best TV Episodes of All Time list
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From the harrowing David arc of "When We Are In Need" to the standalone events of "Left Behind", any number of the first nine episodes could've made the list. However, it's "Long, Long Time" that lands itself on Rolling Stone's 100 Best TV Episodes of All Time - coming in at a respectable No. 50.
The Last of Us' third episode focused on the story of Bill and Frank, turning out an Emmy-winning performance for Nick Offerman and an equally worthy Murray Bartlett. Despite Rolling Stone's Chris Cruz calling it "a rare glimpse of an apocalypse that's more than just misery porn", "Long, Long Time" was review-bombed by some over its LGBTQ+ themes.
When the news was shared on The Last of Us subreddit, most agreed that the only problem with the list was that "Long, Long Time" wasn't placed higher. One fan cheered, "Not surprised it made the list, that was a phenomenal episode of television."
Another added, "I love this episode but it’s a damn good list. Even 50 is impressive, especially considering its recency," and a third said, "Somewhere YouTube CHUDs are screaming." Despite a clear love for the episode, there's plenty of negativity online.
We previously covered how "Long, Long Time" was review-bombed to be the lowest-rated episode of the series, and even though its IMDb rating currently sits at a reasonable 8.1/10, the comments make for some grim reading. With 57K one-star IMDb ratings, Metacritic also has it at only 4.8/10.
While we would've loved to have seen any The Last of Us episodes place higher on the list, when you're up against the likes of The Simpsons' "Last Exit to Springfield" and Breaking Bad's "Ozymandias", we were lucky to get the series acknowledged at all.
About The Author
Tom Chapman
Tom is Trending News Editor at GGRecon, with an NCTJ qualification in Broadcast Journalism and over seven years of experience writing about film, gaming, and television. With bylines at IGN, Digital Spy, Den of Geek, and more, Tom’s love of horror means he's well-versed in all things Resident Evil, with aspirations to be the next Chris Redfield.
