One interesting thing about The Walking Dead is how the series’ ratings would look like after Andrew Lincoln’s departure. For a minute, the ratings seemed stable. And while AMC is not stopping the expansion of this universe as it plans out franchise deals and feature length films, the initial ratings for The Walking Dead with its Season Nine midseason finale aren’t just low, but they’re the lowest.
The recent episode, “Evolution,” was, for my money, quite an enjoyable watch. Had a great sense of tension and dread coupled with an atmospheric setting in a graveyard. More than that, it ended with the death of Jesus and introduction of the Whisperers as the next main threat. Sounds exciting. What does that mean for the ratings, though? Well, the Day One ratings for the episode came in at 5.1 million viewers with a 2.0 rating in the key 18-49 demographic.
Again, The Walking Dead may not have super stellar numbers, but most shows would probably kill for ratings like that. Nonetheless, as far as this show is concerned, these day one numbers make this the lowest midseason finale of the series so far. The highest so far goes to Season Five, where that midseason finale ended with the death of Beth. That episode sits at 14.8 million viewers. Of course, the media landscape has changed since then and not as many people watch shows when they premiere anymore.
So the ratings for this episode, like any show, could always go up when you factor in DVR and delayed ratings. More than that, The Walking Dead may not be the ratings giant that it once was, but it’s still one of, if not the highest rated cable programs on right now. So again, as many involved with the series have indicated, the ratings are not cause for concern from AMC’s perspective.
Still, though, with the introduction of the Whisperers in what should hopefully culminate in a shocking Season Nine finale — I’ll leave it at that to avoid spoiling those that don’t read the comics — hopefully folks will come back in droves to see how the survivors will deal with this new threat on their hands.
What do you think of the ratings situation for The Walking Dead, though? Do you believe there’s cause for concern? And what did you think of the midseason finale? Let us know in the comments below.
The Walking Dead will return on Sunday, February 10, 2019 on AMC.
Source: Variety