'The Last Of Us' Puts Up Outrageous TV Ratings, Appears Unstoppable

"The Last of Us" appears to be a truly unstoppable force.

The third episode of the hit post-apocalyptic thriller about a pandemic destroying the world aired Sunday. It trended for days due to the incredible quality of the episode that starred Nick Offerman and Murray Bartlett in guest roles as Bill and Frank.

Now, the ratings are in and the numbers are huge.

"The Last of Us" puts up monster TV ratings. (Credit: HBO)

"The Last of Us" puts up huge ratings.

The Sunday night broadcast of episode three of "The Last of Us" had 6.4 million viewers, according to a release from HBO. That's a 12% jump from episode two and a 37% jump from the series premiere. It's clear word of mouth is causing the profile of "The Last of Us" to shoot up.

While the full streaming data isn't in for episode three, the numbers are in for episodes one and two and the data is jarring. The first two episodes of "The Last of Us" averaged an absolutely mind-boggling 21.3 million viewers. The only show to average more is "House of the Dragon," which has had a lot more time for people to watch after the fact.

"The Last of Us" is turning into a monster success for HBO. (Credit: HBO)

For comparison, the "Yellowstone" midseason finale had an immediate viewership of 8.2 million people, and while the final number with streaming doesn't appear to be known, it's hard to imagine it broke the 20 million mark. It very well could have, but it's not likely.

When it's all said and done, there's a very real chance "The Last of Us" will put up better total viewership numbers than the first half of "Yellowstone" season five. Given the success of the Kevin Costner show, that's an incredible accomplishment for HBO.

Again, episode three trended for more than two days on Twitter. That's how much buzz and attention it generated. I won't spoil it here, but let's just say it's not what people were expecting.

"The Last of Us" is a hit with fans. (Credit: HBO)

If you're not already watching "The Last of Us," I can't recommend it enough. It's truly TV's next great hit. Check it out on HBO, and make sure to keep checking back for the latest coverage as we have it.