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Every time a new The Last of Us episode is released, a record is set. Episode 3 titled Long, Long Time, was without a shred of a doubt one of the best episodes of the series, and the ratings second that.
The episode saw a touching love story between Bill and Frank, portrayed by Nick Offerman and Murray Bartlett, respectively. The showrunners decided to shift the focus of the main plot from Joel and Ellie to the couple and it did wonders.
Long, Long Time was so monumental that fans all over the globe are demanding that Offerman and Bartlett receive every accolade out there for their phenomenal performances. People have even gone as far as to call the episode the greatest one in TV history.
Episode 3 of The Last of Us creates history with a 37% jump in viewership since its pilot
For the first time in HBO history, four current series have averaged over 15 million viewers. These four shows are, The Last of Us, House of the Dragon, Euphoria, and The White Lotus.
Here is the full list with its viewership count as per the WarnerMedia press release:
House of the Dragon: Season 1: 29 million viewers
The Last of Us: Season 1: 21.3 million viewers
Euphoria: Season 2: 19.5 million viewers
The White Lotus: Season 2: 15.5 million viewers
Never before has HBO had multiple current series drawing more than 15 million viewers at a time across several genres. For comparison, in 2002, The Sopranos averaged an estimated 18.2 million viewers in its fourth season, with Sex and the City season 5 at 13.8 million and Six Feet Under season 2 at 12.1 million, following closely behind.
But most importantly, episode 3 of The Last of Us managed to hit 6.4 million viewers on Sunday night in the USA. These numbers have increased by an additional 12% from last week’s historic jump in viewership and are up 37% from the series' debut night.
The hit episode shifted the focus from Joel and Ellie to Frank and Bill, a couple who found each other amidst a horrific global pandemic and lived and died together.
Season 1 of the show is now averaging 21.3 million viewers across its first two episodes, marking another historic achievement as HBO celebrates its most-watched programming slate in the network’s history.
Rolling Stone described the episode as:
"A fabulous, fabulous episode of television and early frontrunner for the best TV installment of 2023."
The episode was directed by Peter Hoar and written by Craig Mazin, and ran for 75 minutes.
What to expect from the next episode of The Last of Us?
The upcoming episode of the hit show, titled Please Hold My Hand, has been directed by Jeremy Webb and written by Craig Mazin.
Joel and Ellie will come across a revolutionary movement in Kansas City, headed by Kathleen, played by Melanie Lynskey. The actor is famous for her role as Rose on the CBS sitcom Two and a Half Men and is also known for playing Michelle Pierson in Togetherness.
The official synopsis of the upcoming episode, according to HBO, reads:
"Joel and Ellie must survive ruthless killers and monsters on a trek across America after an outbreak."
Episode 4 of The Last of Us will release on Sunday, February 5, 2023, at 6 pm Pacific and 9 pm Eastern Time on HBO and HBO Max.
