17 Million Watched The Walking Dead Premiere
After a massive tease at the end of Season 6, and a massive buildup to the premiere of The Walking Dead Season 7, it should be no surprise that the latest premiere episode brought in massive numbers. According to a report by TV Line, it brought in an incredible 17 million viewers, topping Season 6’s numbers by 16%. However, it did not top the overall record for the series, which was 17.3 million viewers for the Season 5 premiere.
Despite the high ratings, many fans wondered if the show went too far on the violence factor, as two major characters were killed, and Rick was almost forced to hurt his own son at Negan’s orders. Many wonder why Negan didn’t simply kill Rick and end it. A new featurette from AMC had Jeffrey Dean Morgan himself say his thinking behind it all:
“Maybe the smart thing would have been to kill Rick. Cut the head off the snake. But I think Negan is thinking a couple steps ahead here, and he’s like, ‘Well wait, if I can break this guy and have him working for me, I stand to gain a hell of a lot more.'” He adds, “As horrible as the deaths of two survivors, that moment of possibility of cutting off Carl’s arm I think is the emotional low point of the show. I think it all led to that.”
You can watch the full video from AMC below. The Walking Dead Season 7 is currently airing on Sunday on AMC.