Paul Schrader Calls ‘The Last of Us’ Episode 3 “Schmaltzy Gay Bro Euthanasia Melodrama”

I’ve only seen the first episode of HBO’s “The Last of Us,” a cultural phenomenon that has had millions of Americans hooked to its every scene. I didn’t like what I saw. Felt like a very typical post-apocalyptic claptrap.

I will brave through the second episode tonight. Maybe it gets better. When episode three aired there was absolute and total consensus that it was a TV all-timer, that’s partly why I’m trying to brave through the second episode, to get to the third one.

Yes, there’s been total critical acclaim for episode three, but one person who wasn’t a fan of the gay-themed romance, starring includes Nick Offerman, was notorious Facebook troll Paul Schrader:

THE LAST OF US. "You gotta watch this," a friend said. "But," I replied, "it's a zombie show." Yeah," they answered, "but it's really good." So I watched. And sure enough 35min into episode one zombies were staggering around the street. So I shut it off. "But you got to watch episode three," my friend countered. So I did. It was a super shmaltzy gay bro euthanasia melo (at least there were no undead). What am I missing?

Someone responded: “Come on, man. You did a remake of “Cat People.” Funny.

The gist of episode three, titled “Long, Long Time” has flashbacks following f Bill over the course of twenty years as he survives the Zombie apocalypse in his town and meets his partner Frank (Murray Bartlett). The episode's title is taken from the song by Linda Ronstadt, which plays an important role in the story of Bill and Frank.

“The Last of Us” is an adaptation of a Play Station game, but you wouldn’t know it from the raves it’s been getting. The show deals with Joel and Ellie, a pair connected through the harshness of the world they live in, that are forced to endure brutal circumstances and ruthless killers on a trek across a post-outbreak America.