The Last of Us is just one episode in, and is already shaping up to be a monster hit for HBO. According to Nielsen and HBO, the premiere saw 4.7 million viewers tune in across HBO and HBO Max, making it the second highest-watched TV debut on the network after House of the Dragon.
That, and a raft of glowing reviews, means the future is looking bright, and fans of the game will know that we’re just beginning an epic story of misery, pain, loss, and vengeance. On top of that, the existence of The Last of Us Part II on PlayStation consoles gives the show a clear path ahead, though as yet we don’t have confirmation of a second season.
Star Pedro Pascal thinks it’s too early to begin planning for the future, but certainly sounds positive about returning, as he revealed to Entertainment Weekly.
“None of us wanna think about that. We had such a great time and it’s such a rare experience where you get to bond to this degree. You almost feel like if you have a really good experience, it’s asking for too much that it’d be well received or that experience be translated to an audience, but that’s the intention and what our whole want is more than anything.”
We’d be disappointed if we don’t eventually get The Last of Us Part II on HBO, with showrunners Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann already hinting that this game’s story would need two seasons to tell. One hurdle in the way is that there’s a five-year gap between the events of the two games and certain characters have visibly aged in that time, so any Part II story may have to wait for the actors to grow into their roles.
We’d also be curious whether fans who haven’t played the games would greet the events of Part II with the same fury that many players did. Either way, right now The Last of Us is HBO’s first big hit of 2023, and we’re hoping everyone who tuned in for the premiere shows up for the second episode on Sunday.
