'The Walking Dead' Ratings Rise, But Still Hit All-Time Low for Midseason Finales

Sunday's eventful midseason finale of The Walking Dead gave the long-running AMC series a [...]

Sunday's eventful midseason finale of The Walking Dead gave the long-running AMC series a much-needed lift in the ratings, ticking up from its lackluster performance one week prior. However, it still wasn't enough to save the zombie drama from reaching another low mark.

According to Deadline, The Walking Dead's latest episode, "Evolution," was the lowest-rated and least-watched midseason finale in the show's history. The episode saw a total of 5.1 million viewers tune in live, earning a 2.0 rating in the coveted 18-49 demographic.

The previous series low for a midseason finale belonged to Season 2's "Pretty Much Dead Already," which aired back in November 2011. That episode garnered 6.62 million viewers, 43 percent higher than Sunday's viewership.

"Evolution" was a landmark episode for The Walking Dead going forward, despite the low ratings. The final minutes saw Tom Payne's Jesus shockingly killed at the hands of the new villains, The Whisperers, who will play a major role in the rest of the season.

"There was just lots of unrealized potential," Payne said of his character. "That was very frustrating for me. When we finally showed off this year what he was able to do, that was great. I have no wish to go back to being frustrated by a character. It's really just part of being on an ongoing series. You're constantly hoping the next episode you get, something will happen for you. You're on the edge of your seat all the time, pressing your hands together and hoping that something cool will turn up. You can only do that for so long. I'm looking forward to doing something now that has a beginning, middle and end, so I can see the character in front of me. I spent a long time hoping my character was going to have more to do. I was happy to have a great beginning, a great bit [in the middle] with Lennie, and then a really great ending. That's enough for me."

Will the arrival of The Whisperers help bring the ratings back to The Walking Dead? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!

The Walking Dead airs Sundays at 9 pm ET. Fear the Walking Dead will return for its fifth season in 2019. For complete coverage and insider info all year long, follow @BrandonDavisBD on Twitter and watch ComicBook.com's After The Dead each Sunday night following new episodes.

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