HBO's The Last Of Us continues to lure in more viewers despite award season - The A.V. Club

We’re going to give all the credit for this to the all-powerful Melanie Lynskey, who made her series entrance with “Please Hold My Hand.”

However, per Variety, HOTD’s rating took a dip with the third episode and remained at that lower level the rest of its first season run.

Awards ceremonies are not the stiffest competition network television can offer, but The Last Of Us already stepped out of the looming shadow of the upcoming Super Bowl.

With a thoughtful switch-up in the programming schedule, HBO moved the airing of The Last Of Us’ fifth episode to Friday, February 10.

HBO’s not shied away from the strength of the Super Bowl numbers before, as the second episode of Euphoria aired concurrently with the big game last year.

The teen drama reached its biggest audience yet that night, but even those numbers pale in comparison to what The Last Of Us has brought in so far.