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“The Walking Dead” Ratings: The Good and the Bad
It’s easy to pick apart ratings and find the meaning you’re looking for, which is why we’re trying to be impartial about them. It’s well known here on the site that I don’t like “The Walking Dead” (although I’m a huge fan of the comic), and that John Squires does (here’s what he had to say about the season finale). In the end, all that matters is that AMC’s zombie series is a really big deal for the horror genre, and its success only helped open the doors for other shows such as “The Exorcist”, “Preacher”, “Bates Motel” and many, many more.
I’ve been keeping up with the ratings since the decline started, and was hoping that I wouldn’t have anything to report as Season 7 came to a close. In fact, over the past few weeks, the numbers began to plateau a bit, which was a good sign.
The March 5th episode hit an alarming 10.16, nearing single digits for the first time since 2012. I was certain I would be reporting on that, only to my surprise learn that the following week jumped to 10.68. While the March 19th episode dipped again to 10.31, it once again rebounded to 10.54 setting up the season finale. This past Sunday’s conclusion, which critics raved about, popped back up to 11.31. It’s unclear how many viewers will stick around for Season 8, but at least it feels as if the show hit a floor, instead of free falling. That’s the good news.
The bad news is that the 11.31 is the worst season finale since Season 2. The fifth season neared 16 million, so in just two years “The Walking Dead” has literally lost nearly one-third of their viewers. Another drop like that and we’re talking about 5 million viewers by the end of Season 9. With that said, the ratings do appear to have plateaued, which could mean the show merely lost its casual viewers, with the diehard fanatics sticking through until the very end.
Again, “The Walking Dead” is a really big deal for all of us, so we hope for its continued success. But then again, nothing lasts forever…
What did you guys think of the finale?
All of us here at Bloody Disgusting are deeply sad to learn that The Blob director Chuck Russell has passed away at 74 years old.
Russell’s career began with his directorial debut, 1987’s A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors.
The multihyphenate film director, screenwriter, and producer is best known for helming 1994 comedy The Mask starring Jim Carrey, Arnold Schwarzenegger actioner Eraser, and adventure spinoff The Scorpion King. The latter served as the first leading role for Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.
The filmmaker left an indelible mark on horror with his ANOES sequel, 1988’s The Blob, and 2000’s Bless the Child.
Russell’s final film credit is 2024’s Witchboard remake starring Madison Iseman (I Know What You Did Last Summer), Aaron Dominguez (Only Murders in the Building), and Jamie Campbell Bower (“Stranger Things”).
It marked Russell’s return to horror after a lengthy hiatus, and he shared sequel hopes to Bloody Disgusting in an interview ahead of the remake’s release: “I got to design the board with real mystical symbols and things that I know represent good and evil, and where that board takes us if the audiences respond to the film, and I hope they will; I know it’s out there for you guys, but the sequel is a world we’ll get to go a little further. That’s sure the intention.”
He also recently expressed interest in returning to the franchise that began his career.
TMZ notes that Russell passed away at his San Diego-area home.
We send our deepest condolences to Chuck Russell’s family, friends, and fans.
Director, Co-Writer & Producer Chuck Russell behind the scenes of the horror film, WITCHBOARD. Photo courtesy of The Avenue and Atlas Distribution
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