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The Last of Us

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One week in and The Last of Us is already the second most-watched debut on HBO since 2010. The premium cable network revealed that its adaptation secured 4.7 million viewers across linear and HBO Max’s platforms during its premiere on Sunday night. And, much like the Cordyceps infection, you just know those numbers are going to grow.

The premium cable network’s largest debut since 2010 was — of course — House of the Dragon. The premiere of the Game of Thrones spinoff drew almost 10 million viewers and crashed HBO Max’s apps. For reference, The Last of Us’s premiere viewership was double the Season 2 debut of Euphoria, which, HBO noted in its press release, went on to average 19.5 million viewers per episode across all platforms. Similarly, The White Lotus Season 2 drew in about 1.5 million viewers, and that recent season was also considered to be a hit.

All of these numbers come with a small asterisk, which is that 2010 is when HBO began streaming, and the first premiere to hit was Boardwalk Empire. So while there may have been bigger premieres previous to 2010, they were cable only; instead, HBO here is comparing apples to apples. Or, fungus to fungus if you will.

Joel and Ellie were also a hit on social media. On Sunday night, The Last of Us was trending as No. 1 on Twitter both in the United States and worldwide. The series also has a staggering 99 percent on Rotten Tomatoes based on 101 reviews.

“We are thrilled to see fans of the series and game alike experience this iconic story in a new way, and we extend our gratitude to them for helping to make it a success,” said Casey Bloys, Chairman and CEO, HBO & HBO Max Content in a press release. “Congratulations to Craig [Mazin], Neil [Druckman], and the brilliant cast and crew who worked tirelessly to bring this show to life. We look forward to fans around the world enjoying the rest of the season.”

“Our focus was simply to make the best possible adaptation of this beloved story for as big an audience as we could,” said Executive Producers Mazin and Druckmann. “We are overjoyed to see how many fans, both old and new, have welcomed The Last of Us into their homes and their hearts.”

It’s not exactly shocking that The Last of Us has so clearly resonated with viewers. First released in 2013, Naughty Dog’s PlayStation 3 game went on to become one of the best-selling and best reviewed releases for the console. Pointedly cinematic with an easy-to-follow narrative about a grieving man forced to protect a teenage girl who’s mankind’s last chance at salvation, The Last of Us is the rare game that was tailor-made for the less-interactive screen. But still, it’s nice to see a video game adaptation finally live up to its awesome promise on practically every level.