The Walking Dead ended season 7 with another shocker featuring the deaths of Olivia and Spencer. But despite the new developments, The Walking Dead is in danger of the series ending with another low viewership rating.
After starting the season with the deaths of Glenn and Abraham, it was thought that The Walking Dead season 7 would be off to new heights as the premiere was the second most watched episode of the series. But that episode left a lot of bad taste to viewers because of the violence and some weren't satisfied with pay off. It caused others to stop watching the show as was seen in the ratings after.
After the premier, The Walking Dead's ratings has declined with each episode. It culminated in the midseason finale as the lowest amount of viewers since season 3. It had a 5.1 rating among adults 18-49 which was only better than the fall finale of The Walking Dead's second season. As a comparison, last season's midseason finale had a rating of 7.0 in the same demographic. This is a huge concern for the producers as the latest episode of The Walking Dead season 7 was generally well received as compared to the other episodes of the season.
The Walking Dead season 7 midseason finale still managed to pull in 10.58 million viewers despite the decline. But despite the huge number of views, it's becoming more clear that The Walking Dead has reached its peak and has started to decline.
This is a common trend that affects even the best shows. Only a few managed to retain its success after falling off of it. Friends also had a similar situation where the sit com was at its best during the middle seasons and started its slow decline as the seasons pass. Friends ended in its 10th season once the decline was evident. Unfortunately, The Walking Dead could suffer the similar fate Friends had and could end if the decline is too much. The Walking Dead season 7 could be the beginning of the end for the series.
The good news is that if the producers are smart and plan ahead, they could set up the perfect ending to leave on a good note and establish itself as one the best zombie TV shows ever. The Walking Dead has already diverged themselves from the comics and creating the perfect ending of their own could at least save its legacy. Maybe a finale wherein Rick dies while Daryl or Carl can take over would be an ideal scenario.
Still, The Walking Dead Season 7 can reverse its fortune on the second half of the season and in the upcoming 8th season. But the producers should at least be wary and consider ending the show on a high note or risk permanently damaging the amazing work they've done over the past several years.