About Last Night…THE LAST OF US, AMERICAN IDOL, THE SIMPSONS, and More

Let’s talk about Sunday night’s TV!

THE LAST OF US: This was a wonderfully bittersweet episode. It was fantastic to get Joel and Ellie back together, but it also highlights what the show has been sorely missing.

As much as there has been greatness in the aftermath of Joel’s death, this episode served as a painful reminder that Joel and Ellie were the heart and soul of the show. They were not perfect. It was often really messy. But there is nothing else in this universe quite like their complexity. I got emotional over Joel’s birthday presents for Ellie. (And his serenade for her? Sigh.) It just…hits different. 

But ow to this whole episode. We knew the Eugene interaction was going to end poorly, but somehow it ended up being even more traumatizing and tragic than expected. Joel was wrong! He could have given Eugene the grace of saying goodbye to Gail, just like he could have kept his word to Ellie. But I also understand why he was worried and that he didn’t want to risk it.

The way the show played with tension in Eugene’s final moments was brilliant, though. It was obvious Joel was going to kill him, but it was a question of how and when. Would Joel reconsider and then Eugene take a turn, forcing Joel’s hand? Would we see the violent killshot? The wait was brutal and intense and painful.

And then Ellie’s feelings of betrayal and revealing the truth to Gail were just awful to witness. I get why she was hurt, but her anger also made things so much worse for Gail. In many ways, the lie might have been so much kinder, but Ellie was reeling from her own pain. 

I’m glad we got the whole porch scene, even though I know that final real exchange must be destroying Ellie. Joel was honest, but Ellie (fairly) wasn’t ready to forgive him yet. Now, she may be there, but he won’t ever know it. (Ow, ow, ow.)

AMERICAN IDOL: I am genuinely shocked America made the right decision! It was a fun, yet chaotic, show, but I’m just genuinely shocked after a season of wildly questionable voting decisions, America got it right—Jamal Roberts was absolutely the correct choice here.

THE SIMPSONS: Not a secret I’m a huge SIMPSONS nerd, but I actually just finished Mike Reiss’ book “Simpsons Confidential,” so I’ve been very much in this nostalgic headspace recently. (Okay, I’ve also been watching the Disney+ non-stop stream while doing Upfront work.)

So I was extra delighted the show revisited Itchy & Scratchy for the season finale, something they don’t do as often these days. Bart and Lisa rejecting the show (because it was for babies; side note, that merch was hilarious), causing a divide in their relationship, was surprisingly touching. We’ve seen the cartoon be a pivotal moment for them before (especially Bart getting an actual punishment and being banned from seeing the film), so it being a turning point in the road here really worked.

(Also wild that in this version of the future, Marge died first. She was correct in her video—it felt/feels very unlikely that will happen.)

FAMILY GUY: Still not a WHITE LOTUS person, so this episode was fine. I’m guessing there were a lot of references I didn’t get, but it was enjoyable enough.

BOB’S BURGERS: Okay, but peach sliders actually sound delicious? (I cannot tell you how disappointed I would be if I got to go into a SECRET ROOM…and discovered it was a gym.) And, hey, Mr. Fischoeder got a sweet win!

Which shows did you watch last night?

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