As The Last Of Us season 2 comes to a close, this chapter of the dystopian drama will be marked by one decisive moment at the end of episode 2. Just as it was in the original game, the brutal murder of Joel (Pedro Pascal) at the hands of the vengeful Abby (Kaitlyn Dever) was a shocking turning point, even for those who knew what was coming. It was speculated that the show may suffer a ratings decline following the loss of its most beloved characters, with one historical precedent looming in the memories of many.
In 2016, The Walking Dead season seven opened with the episode The Day Will Come When You Won't Be, which featured the villain Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) violently bludgeoning show favourites Glenn (Stephen Yeun) and Abraham (Michael Cudlitz) to death. The graphic and senseless nature of the killings saw millions tune out over the coming seasons. While it’s too early to gauge the long-term impact, ratings for The Last Of Us have remained fairly solid, up five million across all platforms according to Variety, though the season finale saw a steep decline. So, how did HBO’s hit avoid the same fate as its fellow zombie drama?
