SPOILERS AHEAD FOR THE LAST OF US EPISODE 3:
The popularity of The Last Of Us continues to grow daily through extremely positive word of mouth. It has gotten nothing but nearly universal praise in its three episodes thus far. Yet, things are changing a little bit with the most recent Episode 3. Suddenly, we’re beginning to see a shift in opinions on the show from certain fans. What is it about this episode that has people running to their computers to blast negative reviews?
Backlash For What?
Heading to the IMDB page for The Last Of Us we can see the stark difference in the show’s praises. The first two episodes have somewhere between 60,000 and 70,000 reviews and an average score of 9.2 out of 10. Extremely high praise from all over. Episode 3 has twice the number of user reviews at over 125,000 and the average score has gone down to 7.9 out of 10. For anyone unfamiliar, this large number of reviews bringing down an average score is known online as “review-bombing”. It’s not uncommon for shows and movies that feature LGBT storylines to receive review-bombing. Now, that’s exactly what’s happening in The Last Of Us Episode 3.
The episode primarily features a side story, focusing on the new characters Bill and Frank for their first (and last) appearance. If it isn’t obvious from the picture above, Bill and Frank are in a same-sex relationship. This fact alone has led to a slew of extra reviews around the internet attempting to bring down the show’s score. It’s sadly unsurprising that certain people are willing to turn on a show with otherwise universal praise because of one gay couple.
It’s worth noting, however, that despite the backlash from certain groups the episode’s reviews are still vastly positive. Even with all of the review-bombing the episode still hovers close to 8 out of 10 stars. Proof that good writing will shine through to the surface, even if some people don’t like what that writing has to say.
The Last Of Us Keeps Rising
Through the controversy of the most recent episode, the profile of The Last Of Us continues to grow. The show continues attracting new viewers and breaking records for HBO. As of right now, the show only has 3 episodes how with 6 still to come. Undoubtedly, the show’s reputation and acclaim will only continue to rise with each new addition over the coming weeks. Fortunately, the show has already been renewed for Season 2, so there’s a lot more of The Last Of Us still to come.
The Last Of Us is continuing to premiere new episodes on HBO every Sunday. The first three episodes are available for streaming on HBO Max now.