It was no secret heading into this past Sunday night’s episode of “The Walking Dead,” titled What We Become, that it would be Danai Gurira‘s final episode, meaning the writers had to figure out a way to write longtime mainstay Michonne off the show. And they did just that, sending Michonne off on a journey to find Rick Grimes – who, it’s now clear, is likely still alive.
Needless to say, What We Become was a big episode of the series even if it wasn’t a premiere or a finale, so it comes as no big surprise that the episode had an uptick in the ratings.
3.66 million people tuned in to watch Michonne’s final hour, making What We Become the most viewed episode of the show’s tenth season since the premiere this past October.
Here’s the full breakdown of viewership for Season 10’s episodes so far:
- Episode 10.1 – 4.00 million
- Episode 10.2 – 3.47 million
- Episode 10.3 – 3.48 million
- Episode 10.4 – 3.31 million
- Episode 10.5 – 3.09 million
- Episode 10.6 – 3.21 million
- Episode 10.7 – 3.31 million
- Episode 10.8 (Mid-Season Finale) – 3.21 million
- Episode 10.9 (Mid-Season Premiere) – 3.52 million
- Episode 10.10 – 3.16 million
- Episode 10.11 – 2.93 million
- Episode 10.12 – 3.49 million
- Episode 10.13 – 3.66 million
For the sake of comparison and context, the thirteenth episode of Season 9 pulled in 4.83 million viewers, reflective of the show’s steady ratings decline as it gets longer in the tooth.
And for context in regards to the television landscape at large, “The Walking Dead” was the #1 highest rated original cable telecast this past Sunday night. These zombies still have bite.
Viewership across television has gone up with millions of people worldwide stuck at home as a result of the fast-spreading coronavirus pandemic, and shows like “The Walking Dead” will likely be benefiting in the weeks to come. Unfortunately, with production on the show currently shut down, it’s possible that the eleventh season won’t be arriving this October.
