The Last of Us Episode 8 Breaks the Series Record, Becoming the “Most Viewed” So Far

Episode 8 of the Last of Us broke previous records set by the series. Titled, “When We Are In Need,” featured the highly anticipated return of the original actor from the games, Troy Baker. Additionally, the episode showcased the most powerful performance of Bella Ramsey so far. HBO has announced the episode to be the penultimate entry of season 1. 

So far, the premier of Episode 8 has witnessed a 74% increase in viewership compared to episode 1. Previously, the title of ‘most watched episode premier’ belonged to Episode 4, following the critically acclaimed and fan-favorite story of Bill and Frank in episode 3.  

Episode 8 of the Last of Us Breaks series records 

As shared by Warner Bros. Discovery, the latest episode of the series attracted an audience of 8.1 million during its initial broadcast. This was almost 74% more compared to the episode 1 premiere, which accumulated around 4.7 million views. The previous record holder was episode 4, which saw a viewership of 7.5 million. 

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HBO Max’s the Last of Us is based on Naughty Dog Studio’s Magnum opus gaming series with the same name. The Last of Us had the second-biggest opening viewership on the platform, only behind the prequel series of the “Game of Thrones”, titled the “House of the Dragon”, which had garnered a viewership of 5.7 million at its launch.

The show gained a lot of traction by the premier of the second episode. Making history by being the show witnessing the most significant increase in viewership on HBO. The show’s tremendous success soon made Warner Bros. and HBO producers confirm a season 2 renewal, which could potentially follow the story of Part 2 of the game. 

Initially, the show had a cloud of uncertainty hanging over it. Veteran fans of the original games were very skeptical about the adaptation. The gaming community highlighted that the series wouldn’t be able to show respect to the original source material and followed a long list of being an easy “cash grab”. Moreover, this could answer why the show didn’t get the top spot on its premiere.

However, soon the adaptation gained its now impeccable reputation. From long-time fans to newcomers, the show became a cultural heartthrob, each week giving the fans a new ‘trauma’ while making them cry tears of joy. 

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