in the third episode of the post-apocalyptic series, titled “Long, Long Time,” which debuted earlier this year on January 29. Named after the lovelorn ballad sung by ’70s icon Linda Ronstadt, the equally as tender episode follows the decades-long relationship between a hardened survivalist named Bill and a kind-hearted stranger named Frank , who fall in love and live out their lives together amidst the collapsed world.
When asked if Bartlett’s partner had any particular reaction after seeing the episode, Bartlett joked that not much was outwardly expressed, but they had a sense of understanding between them about how Bartlett channeled his sensitivities in love on set. “There was this sort of understanding of like, ‘You know where I get that from, right?’ and ‘Would you do that for me? Because….’ Which was lovely.” he laughed.
During the panel discussion, Bartlett, also shared his own first impressions of the role upon receiving the script. “I was blown away, I don’t think at that point I had the full script, but I had these three scenes, I think, that were pieces from different parts of the episode. And already I could see this incredible relationship, this sort of vignette, that [showed] so much of the relationship [as it] passed through time. I was just blown away by it,” he said.
“It was a joy working with Nick, and he was very funny between takes—not like he was doing a stand-up routine—but just that twinkle in the eye and a very dry sense of humor, which was a lovely contrast to some of the scenes we were doing.”