The season final of HBO’s The Last of Us drew in a series high 8.2 million viewers, despite going up against the Oscars. According to HBO, the popular post-apocalyptic drama is averaging 30.4 million viewers over its first six episodes.
The viewership for the finale, “Look for the Light,” was up 75% over the number of viewers who tuned in the night of the series’ premiere.
In late January, the network announced The Last of Us will return for season two. The season one finale – spoilers ahead! – included two pivotal moments from the video game and set the stage for Joel and Ellie’s reunion with Tommy.
Speaking with Variety, production designer John Paino said they were fortunate to be able to shoot in hospital that had been closed down. He also confirmed a real giraffe was used in the scene that replicates a fan-favorite moment from the game.
“We needed to see if we could acclimate the giraffe to strangers feeding it, with a very small film crew there,” explained Paino. “There was the indoor enclosure with a balcony and an outdoor one where the keepers would take care of it.”
Paino added: “The trainers worked to get them to eat out of a stranger’s hand. So, when Ellie and Joel walk up at the enclosure, that’s the giraffe eating those branches of food.”
Season one stars Pedro Pascal as Joel and Bella Ramsey as Ellie. The cast also includes Gabriel Luna as Tommy, Anna Torv as Tess, Nico Parker as Sarah, Murray Bartlett as Frank, Nick Offerman as Bill, Melanie Lynskey as Kathleen, and Storm Reid as Riley.
Merle Dandridge is Marlene, Jeffrey Pierce is Perry, Lamar Johnson is Henry, Keivonn Woodard is Sam, Graham Greene is Marlon, and Elaine Miles is Florence.
The Plot:
The Last of Us takes place 20 years after modern civilization has been destroyed. Joel, a hardened survivor, is hired to smuggle Ellie, a 14-year-old girl, out of an oppressive quarantine zone. What starts as a small job soon becomes a brutal and heartbreaking journey as they both must traverse the U.S. and depend on each other for survival.
