Actress Bella Ramsey, who plays Ellie in the HBO adaptation of The Last of Us, responded to criticism of the second season in an interview on The Awardist podcast, suggesting that dissatisfied viewers should refrain from watching the third season.
You don't have to watch it. If you don't like it so much, there's a game - just replay it. If you don't want to, don't watch the third season. But if you do, I hope you'll enjoy it.
The third season, expected to be released in 2027, will focus on Abby (Kaitlyn Dever). Neil Druckmann, the co-creator of the game, left the project to work on new Naughty Dog games, including Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet. Despite the controversy, HBO and showrunner Craig Mazin are confident in the success of the sequel.