Much like the video game that it is based on,The Last of UsSeason 2 has been madea victim of review-bombing. This is when a bunch of internet trolls collectively manipulate ratings on aggregator websites, mainly to vent their frustration at a story’s elements, often times in a political sense.. Several platforms such as Rotten Tomatoes and IMDb have taken measures to prevent this sort of thing, but there’s only so much that can be done to keep trolls at bay. They’ve really been at it with the second season ofThe Last of Us, which continues to be critically acclaimed, but has alsoseen its audience score on Rotten Tomatoes plummet to unreasonable lowsover the last couple of weeks. That said, this appears to be somewhat unique to Rotten Tomatoes, asthe IMDb user scorefor the episode sits at an impressive 9.5 out of 10.
Having once stood at 55%, and then fallen to 53%, the second season’s audience score onRotten Tomatoesnow stands at 51%. This is completely off from the critics' rating of 95%.The Last of Usremains one of the most acclaimed dramas on the air. The first season broke viewership records and landed 24 nominations at the Emmys, winning eight. It holds a 96% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and a far superior (compared to Season 2) audience score of 87%. Released in 2020, The Last of Us Part II video game was similarly targeted by trolls, with itsMetacritic user ratingdropping to 3.4/10 at its lowest. It currently sits at 5.8/10.
It was observed that most of theanimosity was directed at the game’s perceived progressive politicsand characterization, which is exactly the sort of thing that you’d expect trolls to feel outraged about. Spoiler alert, but Episode 2 of the show also dives into the game franchise’s most controversial moment — the murder of Joel (Pedro Pascal) at the hands of Abby (Kaitlyn Dever). For the games, this led to a lot of animosity and hatred towards both the cast and crew of the game, feeling that Joel didn’t deserve such a death (even though he went on a self-absorbed killing spree at the end of Part 1). It seems that same thing is repeating here.
In cinema, the review-bombing of 2019’sCaptain Marvelmovie prompted Rotten Tomatoes to amend its metrics. More recently, the live-action Disney remakesThe Little MermaidandSnow Whitewere also targeted for similar reasons. No points for guessing who was at the receiving end of the hate. In the case ofThe Last of Usas well, it’s starBella Ramseywho’s being targeted. Again, in another sad comparison to the games, original Ellie actorAshley Johnson(whose voice can be heard in the ending song of the most recent episode) original Abby actorLaura Baileyalso faced online abuse for unwarranted reasons.
‘The Last of Us’ Remains a Critics' Darling
Co-created by the game’s head writerNeil DruckmannandChernobyl’sCraig Mazin,The Last of UsSeason 2 brought back Pedro Pascal as Joel. Audiences who weren’t familiar with the game’s story were in for a shock last week, as theywitnessed Joel meet an unfortunate fate. But two episodes in, the show remains a critics' darling.In his reviewfor Collider,Ross Bonaimewrote, “With Season 2,Mazin and Druckmann prove once again why HBO’sThe Last of Usis the strongest video game adaptation ever.”
New episodes ofThe Last of Usair on HBO on Monday. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.
The Last Of Us
After a global pandemic destroys civilization, a hardened survivor takes charge of a 14-year-old girl who may be humanity’s last hope.
