The Last of Us Season 2: A Finale Fallout and the Fight for Redemption

HBO’s The Last of Us Season 2 has stumbled to its close, with a finale that saw its audience plummet by over 50%, sparking cries that the show is “dead” in the eyes of its once-devoted fans. The final episode, aired on May 25, 2025, drew just 3.7 million viewers—a staggering 55% drop from Season 1’s finale and a 30% decline from Season 2’s premiere. Social media platforms are flooded with disappointment, with fans lamenting a “total letdown” marked by a confusing cliffhanger and a narrative that strayed from the gritty intensity of its predecessor. Yet, amidst the wreckage, the show’s global viewership remains robust, and performances by stars like Bella Ramsey and Kaitlyn Dever continue to shine. As HBO braces for Season 3, the fallout from Season 2 raises critical questions about the perils of adapting a beloved game and the delicate balance of meeting fan expectations in a fractured media landscape.

A Season of Ambition and Risk

The Last of Us Season 2, based on the 2020 video game The Last of Us Part II, aimed to replicate the emotional and visual triumph of Season 1, which captivated 32 million viewers per episode with its heartfelt story of Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey). Set five years later, Season 2 finds Ellie, now 19, living in the safe haven of Jackson, Wyoming, until a devastating act—Joel’s murder by Abby (Kaitlyn Dever), a militia member seeking revenge—propels her into a brutal quest for retribution. The season, helmed by creators Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann, dives into darker territory, exploring grief, moral ambiguity, and the cost of vengeance in a world overrun by fungal-infected creatures.

The season’s seven-episode arc, shorter than Season 1’s nine, was a bold gamble, condensing the game’s sprawling narrative into a tighter format. New characters like Dina (Isabela Merced), Ellie’s love interest, and Lev (Young Mazino), a young ally of Abby, enriched the story, while expanded locations like Seattle’s ruins and the Seraphite island added visual grandeur. However, the decision to split the game’s story across multiple seasons, saving Abby’s full arc for Season 3, left some fans feeling shortchanged. The season’s global viewership, averaging 37 million per episode, surpassed Season 1’s 32 million, suggesting sustained interest, but the finale’s sharp decline in live viewership signaled trouble.

The Finale That Fell Flat

Titled “Feel Her Love,” the Season 2 finale follows Ellie’s relentless pursuit of Abby, believing her to be at a Seattle aquarium. After surviving a storm-tossed boat journey and clashes with the Seraphites, Ellie confronts Owen and Mel, Abby’s allies, in a moment of shocking violence. She kills the pair, only to learn Mel was pregnant, echoing the loss she sought to avenge. In a desperate act, Ellie tries to save Mel’s baby but fails, a gut-wrenching scene that marks her moral descent. The episode ends abruptly: Abby appears to shoot Ellie, and the narrative shifts to Abby’s perspective, leaving viewers with a jarring cliffhanger and no resolution.

Fans took to social media to voice their frustration, calling the ending “rushed” and “incomplete.” Many felt the cliffhanger prioritized setup for Season 3 over delivering a satisfying conclusion, with some labeling it a “cop-out” that failed to capture the game’s emotional weight. The season’s focus on Ellie’s revenge arc, while intense, was criticized for sidelining the Infected, a core element of the franchise, with only fleeting encounters compared to Season 1’s heart-pounding outbreaks. The user score on Rotten Tomatoes, a dismal 39%, reflects this discontent, a stark contrast to Season 1’s 86%. Posts on X highlighted complaints about the “tonally bleak” narrative and Ellie’s “poorly justified” decisions, with some fans arguing the show lost the balance of action and character depth that defined its predecessor.

Bella Ramsey and the Cast’s Saving Grace

Amid the criticism, Bella Ramsey’s performance as Ellie has been a consistent highlight. Tasked with carrying the season after Joel’s early exit, Ramsey, who uses they/them pronouns, delivered a portrayal that was both ferocious and fragile. Their depiction of Ellie’s grief—particularly in a harrowing hospital basement scene where she tortures Nora for information—earned widespread praise for its chilling intensity. Ramsey’s physical transformation, including combat training to embody Ellie’s hardened state, and their mastery of subtle moments, like Ellie’s guitar-playing scenes with Dina, showcased a remarkable range. Their autism diagnosis, shared publicly, added depth to their approach, with Ramsey noting that it helped them connect with Ellie’s sensory and emotional complexity.

Kaitlyn Dever, as Abby, also shone despite limited screen time, bringing a quiet menace to a character fans of the game know as polarizing. Isabela Merced’s Dina provided a warm counterpoint to Ellie’s darkness, while Young Mazino’s Lev hinted at the moral complexity to come in Season 3. The ensemble’s chemistry anchored the season, even when the script faltered. Fans on X frequently cited Ramsey’s “heartbreaking” performance as the reason they stuck with the show, with some arguing that their acting alone justified the season’s risks.

The Perils of Adaptation

The audience drop—3.7 million for the finale compared to 8.2 million for Season 1’s—mirrors the divisive reception of The Last of Us Part II, which faced backlash for killing Joel and forcing players to empathize with Abby. The game’s 10 million sales paled against the original’s 30 million, and its player rating fell from 9.2 to 5.8, trends echoed in the show’s declining metrics. Adapting Part II was always a challenge: its 25-hour story, driven by player agency, doesn’t easily translate to a passive medium. Season 1 succeeded by expanding the game’s quieter moments, like Bill and Frank’s romance, but Season 2’s fidelity to the game’s bleak revenge plot left less room for such innovation.

HBO attributed the finale’s low viewership to Memorial Day weekend, expecting a rebound in streaming numbers, as Season 2’s global average of 37 million viewers suggests strong overall engagement. However, the live viewership drop, particularly after episode two, points to a loss of momentum. Some fans felt the season’s compressed timeline—covering only part of the game—made the story feel fragmented, with key characters like Jesse and Yara underdeveloped. The reduced focus on Infected, a casualty of budget constraints and narrative choices, further alienated viewers craving the franchise’s signature horror.

A Cultural Flashpoint

The backlash against Season 2 reflects broader dynamics in fan culture and media consumption. The Last of Us has long been a lightning rod, with its inclusive casting and themes of queerness and trauma sparking both praise and vitriol. Ramsey faced pre-Season 1 trolling for not matching the game’s Ellie, yet their performance has largely silenced critics, proving their casting a masterstroke. The show’s darker tone, while faithful to the game, clashed with audience expectations shaped by Season 1’s hopeful undercurrent, highlighting the risk of alienating casual viewers in pursuit of artistic ambition.

The 50% audience drop also underscores the challenges of serialized storytelling in the streaming era, where competition from shows like House of the Dragon and The White Lotus demands immediate impact. HBO’s decision to greenlight Seasons 3 and 4 suggests confidence, but the network must address fan concerns to regain trust. The cliffhanger, while bold, may have overestimated viewers’ patience, especially with a potential two-year wait for resolution.

The Path to Season 3

Looking ahead, Season 3 promises to pivot to Abby’s perspective, with Dever taking a larger role. Ramsey has teased a reduced presence for Ellie, aligning with the game’s dual-protagonist structure, which could diversify the narrative and address criticisms of Season 2’s narrow focus. The return of Infected, hinted at in set leaks, may restore the visceral horror fans missed. Mazin and Druckmann, aware of the backlash, have emphasized their commitment to honoring the game’s ending, which offers a bittersweet resolution that could redeem the series.

For HBO, the stakes are high. The global viewership of 37 million per episode indicates a loyal base, but recapturing Season 1’s cultural dominance requires bold choices—perhaps expanding beyond the game’s story, as Season 1 did, or deepening supporting characters. Ramsey, Dever, and the cast remain the show’s greatest assets, capable of carrying even the most divisive arcs if given the right material.

A Show on the Brink

The The Last of Us Season 2 finale’s 50% audience drop is a wake-up call for HBO, signaling a disconnect with fans who expected the raw emotion and action of Season 1. The cry that the show is “dead” may be premature, but the frustration is real, rooted in a finale that left more questions than answers. Yet, with Bella Ramsey’s searing performance and a global audience still invested, the series has a chance to rise from the ashes. As the post-apocalyptic saga continues, its next chapter will test whether it can reclaim its throne or fade into the infected ruins. Dive into the numbers, unpack the drama, and see why this fallout has everyone buzzing.