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The Last of Us season 2 has brought viewers back to the post-apocalyptic world with high hopes for another thrilling season. Released on April 13, 2025, it picks up the story of Joel and Ellie five years after the events of the first season.
Drawing in both gamers and non-gamers alike, HBO has made the show available for streaming on Max. Despite a strong start with millions of viewers, season 2 has taken some surprising turns in the story and viewer response.
The second season is based on The Last of Us Part II, a game that stirred strong emotions with its controversial plot choices. Joel and Ellie navigate life in Jackson, Wyoming, confronting fresh dangers and obstacles. As the season progresses, the narrative grows darker, and character conflict intensifies. Joel's fate upends the basis of the show's success and changes the direction of the series.
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The Last of Us season 2 faces a major ratings drop following the death of Joel, a character beloved by fans. His death, which happens early in the season, has sparked a strong emotional response from viewers and critics alike.
While the show has stayed true to the source material, the decision to follow the same tragic path as the game has led to a decline in ratings, drawing mixed reactions from audiences.
Ratings have been dropped for The Last of Us season 2: Reasons explored
The ratings for The Last of Us season 2 have taken a notable hit after the death of Joel in the second episode. Before this pivotal moment, the show had garnered significant praise for its direction and performances. However, following Joel's death, there was a clear dip in both viewer engagement and critical reception.
Joel, a central character and series driver, died, which contributed to this drop. His death in The Last of Us Part II shocked and divided gamers and TV fans. The decision to follow the game's plot, while faithful to the source material, shocked and disappointed many viewers. Some considered this a bold but controversial move that abruptly severed the character's emotional attachment, leaving a gap in the storyline.
The ratings drop: The impact of Joel’s death
According to Programming Insider's Sunday Ratings published on April 16, 2025, the viewership has dropped. The Last of Us season 2 holds a 49% score on Rotten Tomatoes and a 4.1 rating on Metacritic, both stark declines from the first season.
Additionally, the second season experienced a 31.5% decline in viewership from the premiere episode following Joel's death in the second episode. The third episode, which saw just a minor recovery in viewers, continued this downward trend.
Although the first episode drew 938,000 viewers, the second saw this number fall to 643,000, reflecting the audience's mixed response to this pivotal plot twist. The course of the narrative and the death of the character they had grown to love in the first season left many viewers disillusioned.
What happened to Joel in The Last of Us season 2?
Joel's death shocked both gamers and series fans and became a defining event in The Last of Us season 2. A brutal and tragic event, his death occurs in the second episode, Through the Valley.
In the first season, Joel killed Abby's father, a former Fireflies member, while rescuing Ellie, effectively stopping the Fireflies from using her as a test subject.
Abby, driven by a desire for vengeance, killed Joel with a golf club, causing him an excruciating death. Ellie, who sees Joel as a surrogate father, witnesses the whole scene, making the moment especially tragic. She is left to deal with the consequences of Joel's death, trauma, and his actions.
The show focuses on Abby's revenge plot and how Joel's behavior impacted those close to him once he is gone. While some viewers appreciated the added emotional depth, others felt the show had lost the strong main character who made the first season so interesting.
Read More: The Last of Us Season 2: Full list of cast and characters explored
The Last of Us season 2 is available to stream on HBO.
