Most fans dropped out of the show after Season 5 – Here’s why


There was a time when it seemed like everyone was watching The Walking Dead. Conversations about water focused on Rick Grimes and other survivors as they navigated the traps of a zombie apocalypse. The show was intense, graphic, heartbreaking, and suspenseful. The AMC series quickly became one of the most popular shows on television.

Now, a full decade after the premiere, the comic-based story is not as popular as it once was. Critics point to some specific instances of how and when The Walking Dead It lost its shine and therefore sacrificed many fans who used to love it.

‘The Walking Dead’ proved that real people are as dangerous as zombies

Negan in The Walking Dead
Negan in The Walking Dead | Genes / AMC page

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At first The Walking Dead, a few survivors unite to defeat a common enemy of undead “walkers” seeking to eat the brain. Part of the intrigue of the show is combining people of all ages from different backgrounds and forcing them to work together just to survive.

Rick, a former sheriff, becomes a natural group leader and a trusted source of strength for everyone. But as the series progresses, survivors realize that their biggest security threat is not just zombies – they are in much more danger with the other survivors who have formed rival groups and communities.

These villains include the Governor in season 3 and the cannibals who live on Terminus. But then a super villain appears and everything changes for The Walking Dead players

Fans couldn’t bear Negan’s story

With increasingly evil antagonists threatening the main characters in The Walking DeadWriters were forced to find new ways to keep the story going. However, his introduction of Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) and his followers the Saviors took things too far, fans say. Season 6’s first episodes with Negan were deemed too unnecessarily bloody and sadistic.

Ever since Negan started wreaking havoc, the audience started dropping by the millions. Screen Rant reported that Season 5 averaged over 14 million viewers per episode, while Season 6 averaged 13 million. For season 7, that number dropped to 11 million and has continued to decline.

In addition to the disgusting factor, fans felt that Negan’s story went on too long. Rick spent more than 2 seasons trying to defeat him and once he finally did, many former fans had lost interest. They complained that there were too many filler episodes that could have been cut.

The main characters were killed in season 6

The Walking Dead He never avoided killing the main characters, but in Season 6 so few members of the original cast were left that viewers were irritated. One of the most difficult deaths was Rick’s son Carl, mid-season 8. However, fans were upset even before that.

Glenn’s insanely bloody death at the hands of Negan in Season 6 is often cited as a major example of showrunner Scott Gimple choosing the value of shock rather than creatively enhancing the narrative.

Season 9 saw a new person, Angela Kang, in charge of the show, which many fans see as a positive. But it won’t be easy to get those lost fans back. After a strong start and a lackluster half, it seems The Walking Dead it could come to an end soon.