section_path: Reception/Critical response
section_name: Critical response
paragraph_text: Critical response
  
  The Last of Us has an average approval rating of 94% on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes and a weighted average score of 83/100 on Metacritic, indicating "universal acclaim". The first season has a 96% approval on Rotten Tomatoes based on 487 reviews, with an average rating of 8.7/10, and a Metacritic score of 84 based on 44 reviews. Several reviewers considered it the best adaptation of a video game; GameSpot ' s Mark Delaney called it "the beginning of a new era" for the genre. Reviewers praised the differences from the game's narrative, and some believed the scenes lifted directly were among the weakest and led to pacing issues. Critics overwhelmingly considered the third episode the season's best, and some named it among the greatest television episodes in recent years; The Hollywood Reporter ' s Daniel Fienberg felt it elevated the series to a new level, and Empire ' s John Nugent called it "one of the finest hours of television in recent memory". The production design was lauded for matching the game.
  
  The cast's performances in the first season received widespread acclaim, with critics singling out Pascal and Ramsey's chemistry. Some considered Pascal's performance his career-best, citing his ability to portray nuance and rare vulnerability, and several found Ramsey gave the show's breakout performance for their balance of comedy and emotion. Guest performances were highly praised, including Parker for her likeability, Torv for being sophisticated and heartbreaking, and Lynskey for juxtaposing humanity and viciousness. Critics enjoyed the chemistry between Pascal and Luna, and Ramsey and Reid. Offerman and Bartlett's performances were described by Complex ' s William Goodman as "career-best". IGN ' s Simon Cardy lauded Lamar Johnson's emotional performance in his final scene, and Total Film ' s Bradley Russell felt the naivety of Woodard's role intensified the narrative. The A.V. Club ' s David Cote called Shepherd's performance "masterful in its wry, understated charm".
  
  The second season has a Rotten Tomatoes approval rating of 92% based on 258 reviews, and a Metacritic score of 81 out of 100 based on 42 reviews. Critics felt the season reinforced The Last of Us as the best video game adaptation; /Film ' s Jeremy Mathai felt it "sets a new standard for every video game adaptation" and lauded the unified creative vision of each production department, and Collider ' s Ross Bonaime declared it "one of 2025's best seasons of TV". Several reviewers compared the second episode's action sequences to Game of Thrones at its best, and many considered the sixth episode the standout for highlighting Joel and Ellie's relationship. The deeper themes and more complex characters were praised, though some reviewers felt the lack of scenes with Joel and Ellie left the second season weaker than the first, and others found the quicker pace detrimental and the narrative unsatisfyingly incomplete.
  
  The performances in the second season received acclaim, with Pascal and Ramsey's chemistry continuing to receive praise; Rolling Stone ' s Alan Sepinwall found some episodes weaker for their absence. Critics lauded Pascal for bringing warmth, charisma, and hardiness to Joel, and Ramsey for developing Ellie into a traumatized young adult while maintaining emotional immaturity and playfulness. Many reviewers considered Merced the season's highlight for her compassion and humor, as well as her chemistry with Ramsey, and Dever's performance was lauded for her portrayal of grief, rage, and hatred; some felt her performance upstaged others'. Several critics applauded O'Hara's dramatic acting abilities, and Wright's captivating and menacing nature, immediately drawn in by his unsettling charisma. Barer's performance was lauded for its powerful devastation, and praise was directed towards the performances of Luna, Mazino, and Wesley, though some reviewers considered them underserved and the characters underdeveloped. Inverse ' s Valerie Ettenhofer found some interactions "strangely artificial" in contrast to the first season.
  
  The Last of Us has an average approval rating of 94% on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes and a weighted average score of 83/100 on Metacritic, indicating "universal acclaim". The first season has a 96% approval on Rotten Tomatoes based on 487 reviews, with an average rating of 8.7/10, and a Metacritic score of 84 based on 44 reviews. Several reviewers considered it the best adaptation of a video game; GameSpot ' s Mark Delaney called it "the beginning of a new era" for the genre. Reviewers praised the differences from the game's narrative, and some believed the scenes lifted directly were among the weakest and led to pacing issues. Critics overwhelmingly considered the third episode the season's best, and some named it among the greatest television episodes in recent years; The Hollywood Reporter ' s Daniel Fienberg felt it elevated the series to a new level, and Empire ' s John Nugent called it "one of the finest hours of television in recent memory". The production design was lauded for matching the game.
  
  The cast's performances in the first season received widespread acclaim, with critics singling out Pascal and Ramsey's chemistry. Some considered Pascal's performance his career-best, citing his ability to portray nuance and rare vulnerability, and several found Ramsey gave the show's breakout performance for their balance of comedy and emotion. Guest performances were highly praised, including Parker for her likeability, Torv for being sophisticated and heartbreaking, and Lynskey for juxtaposing humanity and viciousness. Critics enjoyed the chemistry between Pascal and Luna, and Ramsey and Reid. Offerman and Bartlett's performances were described by Complex ' s William Goodman as "career-best". IGN ' s Simon Cardy lauded Lamar Johnson's emotional performance in his final scene, and Total Film ' s Bradley Russell felt the naivety of Woodard's role intensified the narrative. The A.V. Club ' s David Cote called Shepherd's performance "masterful in its wry, understated charm".
  
  The second season has a Rotten Tomatoes approval rating of 92% based on 258 reviews, and a Metacritic score of 81 out of 100 based on 42 reviews. Critics felt the season reinforced The Last of Us as the best video game adaptation; /Film ' s Jeremy Mathai felt it "sets a new standard for every video game adaptation" and lauded the unified creative vision of each production department, and Collider ' s Ross Bonaime declared it "one of 2025's best seasons of TV". Several reviewers compared the second episode's action sequences to Game of Thrones at its best, and many considered the sixth episode the standout for highlighting Joel and Ellie's relationship. The deeper themes and more complex characters were praised, though some reviewers felt the lack of scenes with Joel and Ellie left the second season weaker than the first, and others found the quicker pace detrimental and the narrative unsatisfyingly incomplete.
  
  The performances in the second season received acclaim, with Pascal and Ramsey's chemistry continuing to receive praise; Rolling Stone ' s Alan Sepinwall found some episodes weaker for their absence. Critics lauded Pascal for bringing warmth, charisma, and hardiness to Joel, and Ramsey for developing Ellie into a traumatized young adult while maintaining emotional immaturity and playfulness. Many reviewers considered Merced the season's highlight for her compassion and humor, as well as her chemistry with Ramsey, and Dever's performance was lauded for her portrayal of grief, rage, and hatred; some felt her performance upstaged others'. Several critics applauded O'Hara's dramatic acting abilities, and Wright's captivating and menacing nature, immediately drawn in by his unsettling charisma. Barer's performance was lauded for its powerful devastation, and praise was directed towards the performances of Luna, Mazino, and Wesley, though some reviewers considered them underserved and the characters underdeveloped. Inverse ' s Valerie Ettenhofer found some interactions "strangely artificial" in contrast to the first season.