HBO’s The Last of Us Sees a Dramatic Decline in Season 2 Finale Viewers

The finale to Season 2 of HBO’s The Last of Us was watched by half of the people who tuned in to watch the conclusion to Season 1.

According to The Wrap, the closing episode attracted just 3.7 million cross-platform viewers, compared to 8.2 million its predecessor achieved. However, there is a crucial caveat here: the episode aired during the long holiday weekend.

HBO says that it’s expecting the viewership to grow significantly over the coming days, and that Season 2 has attracted nearly 37 million viewers globally per episode, which is a staggering number.

Critical reception has been a bit more mixed this time around, though. While the series commands a 94 rating on reviews aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, we’ve generally felt that the changes to the structure of the show have undone the strongest moments from the game.