The second season of the hit series The Last of Us ended on Sunday night with 3.7 million viewers in the United States watching the final episode across various platforms, Deadline reported.

Although the figure is significantly lower than the season premiere's 5.3 million viewers, the network expects a significant increase in viewership this week. According to HBO, the second season already has a higher average viewership than the first, suggesting sustained interest over time. Globally, each episode of season 2 has been watched by an average of nearly 37 million people, with a growing trend. By comparison, the first season reached nearly 32 million viewers within 90 days of its premiere, making it the most-watched debut season in HBO and Max history.

The Last of Us franchise continues to build an audience, with total viewership since the series began exceeding 90 million. However, the season two finale has yet to surpass the record set by the first season finale, which drew 8.2 million viewers.The drop in viewership is not entirely surprising, given that the second part of the video game The Last of Us Part II, on which season 2 is based, caused serious controversy among fans due to controversial plot decisions. The same is true for the television adaptation, which covers the first half of the second game and has received mixed reviews from audiences.

Based on Naughty Dog's award-winning video game hit, The Last of Us tells the story of Joel (played by Pedro Pascal), a hardened survivor in a post-apocalyptic world 20 years after civilization collapsed. He takes on the task of escorting 14-year-old Ellie (Bella Ramsey) out of a heavily guarded quarantine zone, but their mission soon turns into a brutal and harrowing journey of survival across a crumbling America. Season 2 picks up five years after the events of the first season. Joel and Ellie face new conflicts, both with each other and against an even more dangerous and unpredictable world. Pascal and Ramzi are joined once again by Gabriel Luna and Rutina Wesley. New additions include Caitlin Dever, Isabela Merced, Young Mazino, Ariela Barer, Tati Gabrielle, Spencer Lord, Danny Ramirez, and Jeffrey Wright. Catherine O'Hara also guest stars in the season. | BGNES