In 2023, the premiere of The Last of Us on HBO shattered records, becoming one of their biggest hits in terms of ratings since 2010. This adaptation of the post-apocalyptic PlayStation game was second only to a few series debuts from the past decade, and its viewership steadily increased during its initial weeks.
The second season told a slightly different story, and in more ways than one.
The second season of The Last of Us, although highly praised, has seen a dip in overall ratings based on Nielsen’s data. Despite starting with slightly higher numbers, the seventh season, as per the latest third-party ratings, has had smaller audiences compared to any episodes from season one. In terms of weekly viewership, Nielsen’s tracking shows a decline from 805 million minutes streamed during the premiere week to 937, then 827, 738, and 745. On average, season two has attracted 18% fewer viewers than the first five episodes of season one.
While it’s common for second seasons to underperform compared to the debut, The Last of Us show appeared to have great potential for growth, even likely so. This Emmy-winning sensation is a heavily serialized show that had two years to garner new fans. The trailers for season two looked impressive, and while reviews were slightly softer than the first season (92% Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes compared to 96% for the premiere), they were still very strong. There was a significant amount of marketing and publicity, and many HBO dramas like Game of Thrones, Succession, and The White Lotus have seen their audiences grow after their initial seasons.
So what gives?
In a shocking twist, the second episode of the new season mercilessly ended the life of beloved co-lead Joel (Pedro Pascal), leaving Ellie (Bella Ramsey) to seek vengeance against his murderer, Abby (Kaitlyn Dever). While some fans have expressed dissatisfaction with Ramsey’s portrayal of Ellie in season two, there are compelling reasons suggesting that her performance might not be the problem, as we will discuss further.
Another interesting observation about ‘Thrones’ is that fans believe the series began to falter, though its ratings remained strong, towards the end of its run. This seems to coincide with the point where showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss had finished adapting the books written by George R.R. Martin. It’s intriguing that both Martin and these writers encountered significant challenges at this stage, despite Benioff and Weiss having successfully deviated from the original storyline in previous seasons. Essentially, it appears that ‘A Song of Ice and Fire’ may pose unique challenges for any writer or medium after Jon Snow is killed and Daenerys becomes trapped in her Meereen pyramid.
Similar to “The Last of Us”, crafting the subsequent story or season may present unique challenges. When the narrative shifts from following a “wolf and cub” navigating an apocalypse to a “dead wolf” pursuing a villain who resembles her mirror self, it can be disconcerting for some viewers. The second season’s innovative narrative, which explores themes about storytelling, heroism, and our investment in perspective, is undeniably clever and thought-provoking. While you may appreciate the creative decisions made, not everyone may share the same enthusiasm for such a storyline. Regrettably, this can be somewhat disappointing.
To gather more proof, let’s examine the sales figures of The Last of Us video games. The initial game, that sparked the first season, was sold over 20 million times. Its successor, a topic of much debate in the gaming community, moved over 10 million units. However, it should be noted that these numbers are no longer current and do not take into account the longer sales period of the first game. Nonetheless, by all accounts, the second game’s sales fell short of the first one. Considering Ashley Johnson provided the voice for Ellie in both games, and she was well-received by gamers, attributing any decline to Ramsey seems questionable, especially since the show has managed to retain its audience better than the sequel game did.
It could be pointed out that HBO’s adaptation of “The Last of Us” didn’t necessarily need to adhere strictly to the games, but instead should have aimed for telling the most compelling story using the games as a source of inspiration. Regardless, making any changes – which there are numerous in the series – is bound to be scrutinized and criticized. Even significant alterations would probably face even harsher criticism. In some sense, maintaining a connection to the game is the most secure option, despite the story itself being more daring. If viewers dislike the changes, one can always claim that they are staying true to the game.
It’s my belief that the decline in ratings for the show might not primarily stem from season two, but rather the conclusion of season one. The finale of Thrones, I must say, left many viewers yearning for answers regarding the fate of numerous intriguing characters. However, the ending of The Last of Us‘s first season was quite satisfying. After Joel successfully rescued Ellie from the Fireflies and they found a secure survivor camp, it felt like the end of their journey. If you’ve been following these two appealing characters as they faced countless gruesome hardships, this outcome was almost ideal for both Joel and Ellie. Unfortunately, a second season of The Last of Us can only continue with more hardship and even worse events, making it difficult to maintain the sense of resolution that the story previously had.
To begin with, the initial PlayStation game was crafted as a full-fledged narrative. The inspiration behind “The Last of Us Part II” can be traced back to similar commercial pressures that often lead to sequels, primarily because the original game was successful. However, consider if Martin had concluded his first “Song of Ice and Fire” book with all the Stark children safely at Winterfell, leaving him to devise a sequel. It’s likely that the viewership for “Thrones” season two would have experienced a dip under such circumstances.
Regarding HBO’s perspective, a television show that has been highly praised by critics and is worthy of Emmy awards remains popular. People continue to eagerly wait for season three, and the viewership for the latest season is expected to increase on Max over time (when all viewing methods are taken into account, both seasons will easily exceed 30 million views per episode). However, there’s a valid question about what all this means. Nevertheless, the audience response suggests something intriguing about the complexities of adaptation and how some exceptional stories contain knots that cannot be untied.
— Rick Porter contributed to this report
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2025-06-13 18:25