'The Last of Us' continues to create records as Episode 4 becomes the series' most-watched yet

The tender moments between Joel and Ellie and the introduction of a new, menacing villain worked wonders as the show saw a 17% jump in viewership from Episode 3
Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey in a still from 'The Last of Us' (HBO)
Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey in a still from 'The Last of Us' (HBO)

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: There’s no doubt that ‘The Last of Us’ is the biggest show of the year and it keeps on getting better with each passing episode. People across the globe are tuning in every week to watch how Joel and Ellie are going to reach their desired destination and fight all the dangerous situations during their journey. So, it doesn’t come as a shock that the viewership for HBO’s new series is increasing week after week and has reached a record high with Episode 4.

The fourth episode of the series titled ‘Please Hold My Hand’ primarily focused on the blooming friendship between Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey). They have realized that the only way to stay alive is to trust each other and care for each other. In the episode, we see Joel and Ellie trying to reach Wyoming through the freeway, but they are stopped in their tracks when they are ambushed by a couple of members from a group called The Hunters. The duo managed to kill both of them and the leader of the group, Kathleen (Melanie Lynskey), told the members to neutralize the threat. The tender moments between Joel and Ellie and the introduction of a new, menacing villain worked wonders as the show saw a 17 percent jump in viewership from Episode 3 last Sunday.

RELATED ARTICLES

'The Last of Us' Episode 4 Review: A new villain emerges as Joel, Ellie's friendship grows stronger

What's beneath the GROUND in 'The Last of Us' Episode 4?

Melanie Lynskey as Kathleen in 'The Last of Us' (HBO)
Melanie Lynskey as Kathleen in 'The Last of Us' (HBO)

'Please Hold My Hand' becomes the show's most-watched episode

According to HBO, ‘The Last of Us’ delivered another series high with 7.5 million viewers across HBO, HBO Max, and other linear telecasts. Apart from seeing a 17 percent jump from Episode 3, the latest episode was up 60 percent. The record-setting series premiere on January 15, 2023. The series has seen a growth in viewers for three consecutive weeks now.

On Rotten Tomatoes, the fourth episode has a perfect rating of 100%. But it seems, a certain section of fans continues to review-bomb the series because of last week’s episode featuring a gay love story. As of writing this, 5.5% of reviewers have given a rating of 1% to the latest episode. Meanwhile, 44.6% of reviewers have given it a rating of perfect 10.

Pedro Pascal (Joel) and Bella Ramsey (Ellie) in 'The Last of Us' (HBO)
Pedro Pascal (Joel) and Bella Ramsey (Ellie) in 'The Last of Us' (HBO)

How did Episode 4 of ‘The Last of Us’ end?

The concluding moments of Episode 4 saw Joel and Ellie sleeping inside an abandoned building. They will be continuing their journey in the morning, but someone is watching them and is planning to spoil their journey. We’ll get to know the identity of that person in the next episode that arrives earlier than expected.

Episode 5 of ‘The Last of Us’ will be released on Friday, February 10, 2023, at 9 pm EST on HBO and HBO Max to avoid clashing with Super Bowl LVII.

GET THE BIGGEST ENTERTAINMENT STORIES
STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX.

MORE STORIES

Eddie and Susie plan a casino in the Middle East as the Netflix series returns with a changed cast.
2026-10-24T16:38:18.000Z
An unanswered call sends Sean’s girlfriend to the precinct after news of a police shooting.
2026-10-24T14:03:15.000Z
In an exclusive interview, Donnie Wahlberg shares whether Tom Selleck is open to working in ‘Boston Blue’
2026-10-24T08:19:19.000Z
‘Fire Country’ welcomes a Grammy-winning artist to Smokey's in their latest episode
2026-10-24T06:24:48.000Z
Episode 3 of ‘Sheriff Country’ delves deeper into Eva Santos's (Rachel Ticotin) past
2026-10-24T05:05:00.000Z
'Law & Order: SVU' Season 28 is bringing back a main cast member who exited in Season 5
2026-10-24T03:01:14.000Z
Prime Video’s 'The Greatest' explores Muhammad Ali’s life inside and outside the ring, and now the series has added a former WWE star.
2026-10-23T15:09:43.000Z
Joanne and Noah are married in the eyes of God, but they still need to break the news to their families, who remain at odds
2026-10-23T10:17:27.000Z
Riley’s death in Season 26 marked an emotional moment for viewers, and Episode 3 sees the team navigating through this challenging time
2026-10-23T07:17:55.000Z
Episode 12 opens with a Fiona and Myrtle reunion before a revelation about Constance changes everything
2026-10-23T06:37:10.000Z