The year is still young. After three episodes, however, The Last of Us is crystallizing as a serious contender for one of the best series 2023 out of here. In two strong episodes we got to know the post-apocalyptic world through which Ellie (Bella Ramsey) and Joel (Pedro Pascal) move. The third chapter shifts the focus to a sideshow and delivers 75 deeply touching minutes.
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After all the suffering and pain we previously experienced in The Last of Us, Episode 3 takes us into the comfort of an unexpected love story that defies hopelessness. It’s the love story between Bill (Nick Offerman) and Frank (Murray Bartlett) set in a poignant montage to the no less poignant piece of music On the Nature of Daylight finds its climax.
This is where The Last of Us loses faith in itself.
The Last of Us Episode 3 stumbles on the home stretch
Actually, the third episode of The Last of Us is wonderfully told. Many quiet moments contrast with the shocking events of the previous episodes. Bill and Frank’s encounter is through careful observations conveyed. In a world where no one can trust each other, the two find each other and fall in love – an unlikely, more precious happiness.
You can watch the trailer for The Last of Us Episode 3 here:
The Last of Us – S01 E03 Trailer (English) HD
Craig Mazin, who is directing the creative direction of the series with The Last of Us creator Neil Druckmann, comes up with a script that manages to bridge that relationship in a short amount of time to make it seem real and approachable. Although Bill and Frank appear for the first time in episode 3, it feels like we’ve spent a lifetime with them, so complex and deep is the emotional world that Mazin opens up.
The montage near the end aims to give the love story an infinity that transcends the doom that characterizes The Last of Us. In the end, though, she just makes the story smaller and more interchangeable. The reason for this is the choice of the piece of music, which transforms the outstanding preliminary work into something formulaic. It fits into this unusual episode like a foreign body.
Max Richter in The Last of Us is an unfortunate choice
On the Nature of Daylight was not composed specifically for The Last of Us series, nor is it derived from the video game. The piece was written by Max Richter, who is mainly known for his minimalist compositions is known. In the past he has worked on films such as Waltz with Bashir and Perfect Sense. On the Nature of Daylight is part of his 2004 album The Blue Notebooks.
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Over the past 20 years, the piece has found its way into a wide variety of films and series. Mostly it underscores key emotional moments. Martin Scorsese uses it in Shutter Island to illustrate his protagonist’s pain. Denis Villeneuve answers the open questions at the end of Arrival with Richter’s music and elevates emotions over logical answers.
Since Stranger Than Fiction became the first major Hollywood film to make use of On the Nature of Daylight in 2006, the play has continued to return to cinema and television. No wonder, it’s incredibly engaging and moves you to tears within a few seconds, so immediately do they brew sad strings their way to the heart. If you need emotions, you can get them with On the Nature of Daylight at the push of a button.
The Last of Us doesn’t even need On the Nature of Daylight
Nobody in Hollywood cries without Max Richter. While the play will never lose momentum, its over-exploitation detracts from the viewing experience: On the Nature of Daylight is too closely associated with a handful of films that have already used it. Everything else acts like a copy, a convenient gimmickto get to your destination quickly. The price for this is often your own voice.
HBO
Bill and Frank near the end of their journey in The Last of Us
The absurd thing is: The Last of Us doesn’t need it at all. If Mazin and Druckmann have proven one thing with this episode, it’s that they’re absolutely capable of telling this love story, too without Max Richter Joker to tell. With The Last of Us Episode 3, they’ve created an amazing TV hour that turns an unassuming side note from the games into the series’ best chapter yet.
The use of On the Nature of Daylight curtails that achievement, as anyone in Hollywood who is trying to get the rights can use the piece. And it’s not like The Last of Us doesn’t have its own music that’s like that can carry an assembly, on the contrary. Composer Gustavo Santaolalla, who created two deeply moving scores for the games, has returned for the series.
The Last of Us features a clear musical identity. Why the series loses faith in the assembly is a mystery.
With Long, Long Time, The Last of Us shows how to do it right
As uninspired as the choice of On the Nature of Daylight is: The 3rd episode proves that not all good pieces of music apart from the original soundtrack are out of print and covered with other stories. The use of Linda Ronstadts Long, long time is in a way the antithesis to the integration of Max Richter in The Last of Us. Here the show gradually makes the piece its own, letting it grow with the love story in the episode.
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At first we only hear it on the piano. Frank, who is out of practice, wanders uncertainly over the keys before Bill gives the song more sound. Long, Long Time acts as lengthening of the figures on the auditory level. On the Nature of Daylight, the relationship is simply imposed. Basically, The Last of Us knows that too: At the very end, Long, Long Time returns and keeps Bill and Frank in memory forever.
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