The Walking Dead ratings hit lowest point in six years

Is this the beginning of the end for The Walking Dead? The show has hit its lowest ratings since 2011, which could mean the start of the show’s demise.

Is The Walking Dead slowly shambling towards its death?

According to Deadline, the popular zombie drama has taken a bit of a fall from where it used to be. In fact, the ratings for Sunday night’s show are officially the lowest numbers the show has drawn since 2011. And though still high, the trend downward could still spell potential trouble for the show’s future.

The fifth episode of Season 8 drew 7.9 million viewers on Sunday night. These numbers clock in as the lowest in the series since 2012, with the episode “Better Angels” — the penultimate episode of Season 2. Back then, the show was on the upswing, gaining more and more viewers by the millions as it went on. But apparently what goes up must come down, and now in Season 8, the show is hovering back around its Season 2 numbers.

It’s still important to note that these ratings are very high. When The Walking Dead was at its peak, its numbers were beyond insane. The series was able to lose around 9 or 10 million viewers and remain one of the highest rated shows on television. It’s not in any danger of being cancelled by AMC anytime soon. But if the numbers keep falling lower and lower, then eventually, it will become an issue.

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Watch new episodes of The Walking Dead when they air Sunday nights at 9:00 PM EST on AMC.