The Last of Us season two concluded this past Sunday, amassing an audience of 3.7 million in the United States alone, per HBO’s viewer statistics. According to Deadline, while this is seemingly lower than the premiere of season two, which reached about 5.3 million viewers, the network believes that the ratings will continue to soar through the Memorial Day weekend.
However according to Deadline, since season two’s release, major influx of viewers has graced the platform, citing a nearly 90 million since the end of season one, leaving an even higher growth potential for what the finale of season two has already gained. Via HBO, season two has already reached 37 million total global viewers per episode, and numbers which continue to grow. Post season one premiere, the series gained 32 million viewers within the first 90 days of the debut, making The Last of Us HBO and Max’s most watched show, gaining the largest audience for a single series on the platform.”
With plenty of room for the continued growth the series has seen, it can also be noted that, despite the overall success of the series, the decline in viewership cannot go entirely unnoticed. According to Deadline, Part II of The Last of Us saw more controversial content than did season one, citing some bold narrative choices that continue to elicit strong opinions, even five years later. With fans having overall mixed reactions, season two adapts to only the first half of the game, which picks up five years after the events of the first season.
The Last of Us begins 20 years after the destruction of civilization, where all modern society has been completely annihilated. In the series, Joel, who is played by Pedro Pascal (The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, Triple Frontier), is sent on mission to rescue 14-year-old Ellie, played by Bella Ramsey (Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget, Holmes & Watson), from an oppressive quarantine zone that wants to take her life. The journey draws them close, bringing brutality and heartbreak along the way as they travel the devastated United States and fight for survival. According to Deadline, season two begins five years after season one, where Joel and Ellie find themselves at a crossroads with each other, as the world becomes even more difficult to survive in than it had been previously.
For season two, the cast includes Gabriel Luna (Temple Grandin, Harley and the Davidsons) and Rutina Wesley (Outsiders, Last Looks) returning with Catherine O’Hara (The Studio, For Your Consideration) as a guest star, Spencer Lord (A Honeymoon to Remember, Mixed Baggage), Tati Gabrielle (The Supremes at Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat, Uncharted), Kaitlyn Dever (Dopesick, All Summers End), Young Mazino (Fish Bones, Opus), Ariela Barer (The Ultimate Playlist of Noise, Yo Gabba Gabba!), Danny Ramirez (Avengers: Doomsday, Silo), Isabela Merced (Superman, Rosaline), and Jeffrey Wright (The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, The French Dispatch).
If you have not yet caught the finale of The Last of Us season two, both the first and second seasons are available to stream on HBO Max (formerly Max) now.