The Last of Us Season 2: Separating Fact from Fiction in the Rotten Tomatoes Backlash

On April 15, 2025, a YouTube video by YellowFlash titled “The Last of Us 2 has DESTROYED the franchise! Season 2 of the show is CRUSHED on Rotten Tomatoes!” claimed that The Last of Us Part II’s divisive reception had irreparably harmed the franchise, with HBO’s The Last of Us Season 2 suffering a plummeting audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. Amplified by X posts, including @YellowFlashGuy’s, the narrative suggested fan outrage over the game’s story—particularly Joel’s death and Abby’s role—had spilled over, tanking the show’s ratings. However, Rotten Tomatoes reports Season 2 with a 93% critics’ score and a 61% audience score, a dip from Season 1’s 96% and 88%, but hardly “crushed.” This article examines the game’s impact, the show’s reception, and the controversy’s roots, drawing on web sources and public sentiment to clarify the truth.

The Last of Us Part II: A Divisive Masterpiece

The Last of Us Part II (2020), developed by Naughty Dog, is set five years after the 2013 original. Ellie, now 19, embarks on a revenge-driven journey after a violent event disrupts her life in Jackson, Wyoming. The game’s narrative, praised by IGN for evolving cinematic storytelling, was polarizing due to Joel’s brutal death early on, killed by Abby, a new character tied to the Fireflies. Metacritic shows a 93/100 critic score but a 5.7/10 user score, reflecting review-bombing over Abby’s role, Ellie’s arc, and perceived “woke” elements like Ellie’s lesbian relationship with Dina. Forbes noted fans criticized the game for making Ellie and Joel “unlikable sociopaths,” with some on X, like @Qrandom17, calling it a “franchise killer.”

Despite backlash, the game won over 300 Game of the Year awards, per Wikipedia, and sold 10 million copies by 2022. Supporters, including Slashfilm, lauded its exploration of violence’s consequences and complex character arcs. The controversy set a high-stakes backdrop for HBO’s Season 2, which adapts Part II’s early chapters, raising fears that fan discontent would carry over.

Season 2’s Reception: Crushed or Misunderstood?

The Last of Us Season 2, premiering April 13, 2025, on HBO, stars Pedro Pascal as Joel and Bella Ramsey as Ellie, with newcomers Kaitlyn Dever as Abby and Isabela Merced as Dina. Co-created by Neil Druckmann and Craig Mazin, the seven-episode season covers roughly half of Part II, ending on a cliffhanger, per Variety. Rotten Tomatoes reports a 93% critics’ score (Certified Fresh) from 86 reviews, slightly below Season 1’s 96%, with praise for its bold storytelling and performances. Newsweek called it “one of 2025’s best seasons,” citing Ramsey’s “devastating” portrayal of Ellie. ComicBookMovie hailed its visuals, comparing them to Game of Thrones at its peak.

The audience score, however, is 61% on the Popcornmeter, down from Season 1’s 88%, based on over 500 reviews post-premiere, per ScreenRant. CBR noted complaints about Ramsey’s casting, Joel’s therapy sessions, and Ellie’s relationship with Dina, echoing game criticisms. Collider reported 5.5 million viewers for the premiere, a 13% increase from Season 1’s 4.7 million, suggesting strong interest despite mixed fan reactions. The “crushed” narrative, fueled by videos like YellowFlash’s, exaggerates the dip, as 61% remains positive, though it reflects vocal discontent tied to Part II’s legacy.

The Game’s Shadow: Why the Divide?

The claim that Part II “destroyed” the franchise overstates its impact. The game’s controversy stemmed from narrative choices—Joel’s death, Abby’s perspective, and Ellie’s descent into vengeance—that alienated some fans. TheDirect warned Season 2 faced a dilemma: faithfully adapt Part II and risk backlash, or diverge and upset purists. Mazin, quoted in CBR, leaned into the controversy, revealing Abby’s Firefly ties early, unlike the game’s delayed reveal, to deepen her character. X posts, like @ComicBook_Movie’s, show critics praising this adaptation, but fans on Reddit (r/television) and X, like @Qrandom17, slammed the show for a “slow start” and “angsty” Ellie, mirroring game critiques.

Season 2’s structure, covering only part of Part II, contributes to mixed reactions. Mashable noted it feels “incomplete,” with a cliffhanger that frustrates viewers expecting resolution. GamesRadar criticized underutilized characters like Abby and Joel, though Ramsey and Merced’s performances were lauded. Kotaku argued the show’s passive format struggles to replicate the game’s interactive discomfort, where players enact Ellie’s brutal actions. Fan complaints about Ramsey’s casting—some on X calling her “not cute enough” for Ellie—echo Part II’s review-bombing, with CBR noting homophobic undertones in critiques of Ellie and Dina’s romance.

Debunking the “Destroyed” Narrative

The franchise remains robust. Variety reported HBO’s confidence in Season 2, greenlighting a third season to continue Part II’s story. The game’s commercial success and Season 1’s Emmy wins—eight, including Outstanding Guest Actor for Nick Offerman—contradict claims of ruin. Newsweek highlighted Season 2’s viewership beating The White Lotus Season 3, and Slashfilm praised its improvements over the game, like enriched character context. While Time noted a “hole” in narrative depth compared to Season 1, it still called it the “best video-game adaptation on TV.”

The Rotten Tomatoes audience score dip reflects a vocal minority, not a collapse. ScreenRant noted scores may shift as more episodes air, with six remaining by April 19, 2025. The premiere’s 5.5 million viewers and social media buzz, per Tom’s Guide, suggest engagement, not rejection. The “destroyed” narrative, pushed by X posts and YouTube, mirrors 2025’s sensationalized controversies—like Star Wars Celebration or Minecraft Movie rumors—where online outrage amplifies selective discontent.

Cultural Context: Fandom and Adaptation Tensions

The backlash reflects broader tensions in adapting beloved franchises. The Last of Us Season 1, with a 96% critics’ score, set a high bar, lauded by Rotten Tomatoes as the “best video game adaptation ever.” Season 2’s fidelity to Part II’s divisive story, per Black Girl Nerds, challenges fans who loved Season 1’s focus on Joel and Ellie’s bond. Forbes noted Part II’s review-bombing wasn’t about “girls” or Ellie’s sexuality, as some claimed, citing well-received female-led games like Horizon Zero Dawn. Instead, narrative risks—like Joel’s death—drove division, a pattern repeating with Season 2.

This mirrors 2025’s fan-driven controversies, like Fantastic Four’s “modern audience” backlash or Snow White’s flop. Reddit’s r/television praised Season 2’s cinematography and Ramsey’s performance but noted its “incomplete” feel, echoing game fans’ 2020 frustration with Part II’s cliffhanger. The show’s exploration of revenge and trauma, per AV Club, aligns with 2025’s cultural appetite for complex narratives, yet some fans, per X, crave Season 1’s simpler emotional clarity.

The Bigger Picture: Adaptation and Resilience

The Last of Us franchise thrives despite Part II’s polarization. Metacritic’s game reviews highlight its lasting acclaim, and HBO’s viewership data shows Season 2’s draw. Rotten Tomatoes critics, like Nerdist, compare its visuals to Game of Thrones, while Mashable lauded a snowy Clicker battle. Audience gripes, per CBR, about casting or pacing don’t negate the show’s ambition, with TheWrap calling it a “faithful yet reflective adaptation.” The franchise’s ability to weather 2020’s backlash and still produce a 93% critics’ score in 2025 proves its resilience.

YellowFlash’s claim of “destruction” ignores this context, cherry-picking audience scores to fuel outrage. Similar to Minecraft’s theater rumor or Star Wars’s fan discontent, the narrative thrives on exaggeration. As The Last of Us heads toward a third season, per Variety, its willingness to tackle Part II’s darkness, as Kotaku noted, keeps it a cultural force, even if not universally loved.

Looking Ahead: Can Season 2 Recover?

With six episodes left, airing weekly until May 25, 2025, per Tom’s Guide, Season 2’s audience score may rise as Abby’s arc unfolds and Ellie’s journey deepens. ScreenRant praised Ramsey’s “dark” performance, suggesting later episodes could sway fans. HBO’s podcast, hosted by Troy Baker (game Joel), offers insights into creative choices, potentially easing fan concerns. If viewership holds, as Newsweek’s 5.3 million suggests, the show could match Season 1’s cultural impact, despite Part II’s shadow.

Conclusion

The claim that The Last of Us Part II “destroyed” the franchise and that Season 2 was “crushed” on Rotten Tomatoes is a sensationalized overreach. Part II’s divisive story—Joel’s death, Abby’s role—sparked lasting fan debate, reflected in Season 2’s 61% audience score, but the show’s 93% critics’ score, 5.5 million premiere viewers, and HBO’s renewal prove the franchise’s strength. Like Star Wars or Fantastic Four in 2025, The Last of Us faces vocal fan pushback, amplified by X and YouTube, yet its bold adaptation endures. The real story isn’t destruction but resilience—a franchise navigating controversy while pushing storytelling boundaries.