Home TV News The Last of Us Viewership Increases 12% with Critically Acclaimed Third Episode

The popularity of The Last of Us continues to grow.

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The audiences tuning into The Last of Us continues to grow, with a staggering 6.4 million people fixating their eyes on the acclaimed third episode of the series on HBO and HBO Max. According to Nielsen, viewership increased 12% on last week with the episode “Long, Long Time.” Which is even more impressive considering that The Last of Us had already broken the record for the largest second week audience growth for an HBO Original series.

From the Emmy award-winning creator of Chernobyl, Craig Mazin, and the creator of the acclaimed video game on which the series is based, Neil Druckmann, The Last of Us follows The Mandalorian star Pedro Pascal as Joel and Game of Thrones alumni Bella Ramsey as Ellie. Taking place twenty years after modern civilization has been destroyed, The Last of Us centers on Joel, a hardened survivor, who is tasked with escorting a teenager, Ellie, across the post-apocalyptic world.
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Avoiding spoilers, the third episode has been unanimously praised by both audiences and critics alike, as it explores the relationship between survivors and allies Bill and Frank, played by Nick Offerman and Murray Bartlett respectively. The episode has already been hailed as the show’s best so far, with particular praise being paid to the central performances from Offerman and Bartlett.

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The Last of Us Has Already Been Renewed for a Second Season

Following this growth in popularity, and considering that The Last of Us has already been hugely popular so far, it should come as little surprise to learn that the series has already been renewed for a second season. The news of the show’s return first broke at the end of last week, with creator and executive producer Neil Druckmann thanking audiences and HBO for committing to the story of Joel and Ellie.

“I’m humbled, honored, and frankly overwhelmed that so many people have tuned in and connected with our retelling of Joel and Ellie’s journey. The collaboration with Craig Mazin, our incredible cast & crew, and HBO exceeded my already high expectations,” The Last of Us creator and executive producer Neil Druckmann said following the news. “Now we have the absolute pleasure of being able to do it again with season two! On behalf of everyone at Naughty Dog & PlayStation, thank you!”

The Last of Us features a large ensemble cast alongside Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey, including Gabriel Luna (Terminator: Dark Fate), Merle Dandridge, who will reprise her role from the video games as Marlene, Anna Torv (Fringe), Nick Offerman (Parks and Recreation, Devs), newcomer Keivonn Woodard, and Lamar Johnson (The Hate U Give). The rest of the supporting cast includes Murray Bartlett (The White Lotus), Storm Reid (Euphoria), and Nico Parker (The Third Day). The adaptation will also feature roles for several voice actors from the video game, such as Jeffrey Pierce, who voiced Tommy, Ashley Johnson, who voiced Ellie, and Troy Baker, who voiced Joel.

The Last of Us premiered on January 15, 2023, with the first season set to run for nine episodes and concluding on March 12, 2023.