The Last of Us is a critically acclaimed, Emmy-winning series based on the video game of the same name. The adaptation just returned with Season 2, which adapts Part II, but the critics and the audience are not in agreement over the new installment.
The Last of Us Season 2 debuted to exciting reviews from the critics ahead of its Apr. 13 HBO release, and subsequent premiere on Max the next day. However, the show’s continuation didn’t receive the same warm welcome from the audience. On Rotten Tomatoes, The Last of Us Season 2 further improved its critics’ score, but the audience slammed the new installment.
Season 2 debuted with 92% from the critics, and further improved to 96% out of 86 reviews. It also received the Certified Fresh badge. However, the audience gave the new season a 63% approval on the Popcornmeter, which barely maintains its positive score. On IMDb, the debut episode received a score of 7.9.
Although most of the critics gave the reviews based on the full season, which consists of seven episodes, the audience scores come after the release of Episode 1, «Future Days.» The new season features a five-year jump, bringing back Bella Ramsey as Ellie, Pedro Pascal as Joel, and Gabriel Luna as Tommy. The new season also introduces new characters from the video game, including Dina (Isabela Merced), Abby (Kaitlyn Dever), Young Mazino as Jesse, Catherine O’Hara as Gail, and Jeffrey Wright as Isaac.
Some of the audience complaints include Ramsey’s casting as Ellie (although she was a part of the first season), the idea that Joel goes to therapy, and the LGBT+ relationship between Ellie and Dina. Others criticize the season’s slow start and that it differs from the video game.
The Last of Us Season 2 also makes some creative changes from the source material. The show’s creator, Neil Druckmann, recently discussed the decision to make a major change by showing Abby’s nature as a Firefly and her hatred for Joel in the series. «The fact that Abby is a Firefly is something we withheld in the game for a very, very long time. But here we just decided to reveal it very early and to just lean into it and show who she is,» he said.
Season 2 will also adapt only a part of The Last of Us Part II. Luckily, Max officially confirmed ahead of the premiere that The Last of Us will return with Season 3, which will continue to explore Part II. The split was also one of the cons in several critics’ reviews, but the new audience score can’t reflect that yet.
The Last of Us Season 2 Had a Viewership Increase
Season 1 of The Last of Us had a similar response of 96% Certified Fresh from the critics and 88% from the audience. However, in the two years since its premiere, the show’s popularity increased, with more video game fans and non-fans giving the Emmy-winning series a try. The Last of Us Season 2’s viewership record proves that.
The new episode reached 5.3 million viewers. That marks a 13% increase from the 4.7 million viewers who tuned in to the series premiere in 2023.
The Last of Us Season 2 airs new episodes on Sundays on HBO, with a streaming release on Monday on Max.
