HBO had a hit on their hands with The Last of Us during its first season both critically and with viewership. However, Season 2 saw both reviews and audience reception begin to falter following that crucial scene from The Last of Us Part II, and fans have been wondering how much longer the series will be able to go on as it uses up its source material. HBO Chairman and CEO Casey Bloys was asked about this very topic, and when quizzed on whether Season 3 will be its final season, Bloys responded by saying “it certainly seems that way, but on decisions like that, we will defer to the showrunners. So you can ask them.”
Whilst not a full confirmation, Bloys knows better than the rest of us do about the future of HBO shows, so him believing that Season 3 “seems” to be the end of the show is the best piece of evidence we’ve had yet that the next season will be its last. Showrunner Craig Maizin has in the past considered a fourth season to wrap up the show, but fan response to Season 2 may have since changed these plans.
Gaming adaptations in both TV and film are generally getting better with time, and The Last of Us is often considered one of the best examples of adapting the gaming medium to long-form television. Season 1 has a Rotten Tomatoes rating of 96%, with Season 2 dropping to 92%. That’s still an incredibly high score for a television series, but with audience scores dropping from 86% to 37% across seasons, critic reactions seemingly don’t tell the whole story.
We’re still waiting for confirmation from Maizin about the official future of the show, and we’ll be sure to report it when we have it. For more breaking gaming news, including the latest video game adaptations, keep your eyes on GameObserver.
