The Last of Us Season 2: Ratings Drop and Fan Fury

HBO’s The Last of Us Season 2 has stumbled into a storm of controversy, with its finale drawing just 3.7 million U.S. viewers—a jaw-dropping 55% drop from Season 1’s 8.2 million and a 30% decline from its own premiere’s 5.3 million. Fans are crying foul, with some declaring that the show “ruined Joel’s legacy,” as social media erupts with complaints about a rushed storyline, divisive character choices, and a cliffhanger that left many feeling cheated. Yet, the season’s global average of 37 million viewers per episode, surpassing Season 1’s 32 million, and a stellar 95% critics’ score paint a more complex picture. As Bella Ramsey’s Ellie faces relentless review bombing and HBO braces for Season 3, this saga of loss, vengeance, and adaptation reveals the high stakes of translating a polarizing game to the small screen and the challenge of keeping a fractured fandom engaged.

A Bold but Divisive Season

The Last of Us Season 2, based on Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us Part II (2020), picks up five years after Season 1, plunging viewers back into a post-apocalyptic world ravaged by fungal-infected creatures. Ellie, now 19 and played by Bella Ramsey, lives in the fortified community of Jackson, Wyoming, alongside Joel (Pedro Pascal), her surrogate father. The season’s seven-episode arc, shorter than Season 1’s nine, centers on a devastating event: Joel’s brutal murder in episode two, “Through the Valley,” at the hands of Abby (Kaitlyn Dever), a militia member seeking revenge for her father’s death. This sparks Ellie’s vengeful quest, joined by her love interest Dina (Isabela Merced), while new characters like Lev (Young Mazino) and Gail (Catherine O’Hara) add depth to the narrative.

The season, co-created by Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann, aimed to capture the game’s emotional intensity, with expanded action sequences and a focus on moral ambiguity. Critics lauded its direction, performances, and cinematography, awarding it a 95% on Rotten Tomatoes, nearly matching Season 1’s 96%. Ramsey’s portrayal of Ellie’s descent into rage and Dever’s nuanced Abby were highlights, with gripping scenes like Ellie’s torture of Nora in a spore-filled basement showcasing raw acting prowess. However, the audience response has been far less forgiving, with the Rotten Tomatoes Popcornmeter plummeting to 39% from Season 1’s 86%, driven by review bombing and vocal discontent over key plot decisions.

The Ratings Collapse

The season’s viewership trajectory tells a stark story. The premiere on April 13, 2025, drew 5.3 million U.S. viewers, a 13% increase over Season 1’s 4.7 million, fueled by anticipation and strong marketing. But episode two’s shocking death of Joel triggered a sharp decline, with only 643,000 linear viewers—a 31.5% drop from the premiere. Episode three rebounded slightly to 768,000, but the finale, “Feel Her Love,” aired on May 25, 2025, hit a low of 3.7 million, down 55% from Season 1’s finale and 30% from the Season 2 opener. HBO attributed the finale’s dip to Memorial Day weekend, predicting a streaming surge on Max, but the trend suggests a significant loss of live engagement.

Globally, the season averaged 37 million viewers per episode, a testament to its international appeal and streaming strength. Since Season 1 ended, the series has amassed over 90 million global viewers, making it one of HBO’s biggest hits. Yet, the U.S. viewership drop, coupled with a 39% audience score, reflects a disconnect with a vocal portion of the fanbase, many of whom felt blindsided by the narrative’s direction and execution.

Joel’s Death: The Catalyst for Backlash

Joel’s death, a faithful adaptation of the game’s most controversial moment, was the spark for much of the outrage. In the game, Joel’s killing by Abby early in Part II divided players, with its 5.8/10 Metacritic user score contrasting a 93/100 critic score. The show replicated this, with Abby bludgeoning Joel with a golf club as Ellie watches helplessly, a scene amplified by visceral cinematography and extended pacing. For gamers, the moment was expected, but for TV audiences—especially those unfamiliar with the game—it felt like a betrayal. Joel, the emotional anchor of Season 1, was gone by episode two, leaving viewers struggling to connect with Ellie’s revenge-driven arc.

Fans on social media expressed raw anger, with some calling the scene “exploitative” for its brutality and others arguing it severed the show’s heart. The decision to reveal Abby’s backstory—her father’s death at Joel’s hands—immediately after the murder, unlike the game’s delayed reveal, was criticized for diluting the mystery and impact. The focus on a Jackson siege during the episode also drew complaints for overshadowing Joel’s exit, with fans feeling the show prioritized spectacle over emotional weight.

Review Bombing and Cultural Flashpoints

The audience score’s collapse to 39% on Rotten Tomatoes and 4.1 on Metacritic was driven by review bombing, a phenomenon where disgruntled viewers flood platforms with low ratings, often for ideological reasons. Complaints mirrored those against Part II: Joel’s death, Ellie’s prominence as a lesbian lead, and Abby’s muscular physique drew ire from a subset of fans who labeled the show “too woke.” Bella Ramsey faced renewed scrutiny, with critics arguing they didn’t resemble the game’s older Ellie post-time jump, despite being 21 in real life. Kaitlyn Dever also endured backlash for Abby’s role in Joel’s death, with some targeting her physicality rather than her performance.

The show’s inclusive elements, particularly Ellie’s romance with Dina, were a lightning rod. Episode four, where Ellie jokes about being a “dad” after Dina’s pregnancy reveal, was heavily review-bombed, with users decrying “throw-away LGB” content as irrelevant, despite its centrality to the story. This echoed Season 1’s Bill and Frank episode, which faced similar attacks but didn’t tank ratings to this degree. The review bombing, while not coordinated pre-release, reflects a cultural divide, with some fans embracing the show’s diversity and others rejecting it as agenda-driven.

Adaptation Challenges

Adapting Part II was always a gamble. The game’s 25-hour narrative, driven by player agency, doesn’t easily translate to a seven-episode season. Season 1 succeeded by expanding quieter moments, like Bill and Frank’s love story, but Season 2’s fidelity to the game’s revenge plot—splitting the story across seasons—left it feeling incomplete. The finale’s cliffhanger, with Abby shooting Ellie and a shift to Abby’s perspective, frustrated viewers craving resolution, especially with Season 3 not filming until 2026. The reduced focus on Infected, a franchise hallmark, also drew complaints, as budget constraints limited their presence compared to Season 1’s outbreaks.

Changes to characters like Tommy, who stays in Jackson instead of seeking revenge, and the abandonment of Abby’s arc mid-season, were seen as missteps. Critics noted that the show’s dialogue, at times overly expository, lacked the game’s subtlety, while Ellie’s more upbeat demeanor clashed with her game counterpart’s stoicism. These choices, combined with a shorter season, fueled perceptions of a “rushed” narrative, even among fans who appreciated the performances.

The Cast’s Resilience

Despite the backlash, Bella Ramsey’s Ellie remains a standout, with their portrayal of grief and rage earning praise even from detractors. Scenes like Ellie’s breakdown after killing a pregnant Mel showcased Ramsey’s depth, proving their casting despite initial skepticism. Kaitlyn Dever’s Abby, though underutilized, brought quiet intensity, while Isabela Merced’s Dina and Young Mazino’s Lev added emotional layers. The cast faced real-world vitriol, with Dever requiring extra security due to threats, a grim echo of the game’s 2020 harassment of Abby’s voice actress, Laura Bailey.

HBO’s Next Steps

HBO remains optimistic, citing the season’s global success and confirming Seasons 3 and 4 to complete Part II’s story. Season 3 will focus on Abby’s perspective, potentially addressing criticisms of her limited role, while reintroducing Infected could restore the horror fans missed. Mazin and Druckmann have vowed to honor the game’s bittersweet ending, but they’ll need to balance fidelity with TV-friendly pacing to win back viewers. The challenge is clear: recapture Season 1’s magic without alienating a fandom still reeling from Joel’s loss.

A Divided Legacy

The Last of Us Season 2’s ratings collapse—losing over half its U.S. finale audience—reflects a perfect storm of bold choices, review bombing, and adaptation hurdles. The cry that HBO “ruined Joel’s legacy” captures the pain of fans who loved Season 1’s heart, but the season’s 37 million global viewers and critical acclaim prove it’s far from a failure. As Ellie’s journey continues, HBO must navigate a fractured fandom, proving that even in a post-apocalyptic world, hope can outlast despair. Dive into the numbers, feel the fan fury, and see why this drama has everyone buzzing.