Is Carl Getting Recast? ‘Walking Dead’ Ratings Lowest They’ve Ever Been And Can Fall Even Lower With Rumors Of “Carl” Chandler Riggs Leaving Show
Season 7 of “The Walking Dead” blew the end of October open with the second-biggest audience that has ever tuned into the show for a Sunday night airing. Yet, less than a month later, the zombie drama just brought in its lowest ratings since its third season. This is all a little more serious than something that can be simply dismissed as an unfortunate fluke, as the show faces the most noteworthy ratings drop of its entire cable run.
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Let’s start with the episode itself. After the final numbers were in, Sunday night’s “Go Getters” had right around 11 million total viewers on the night, according to TV by the Numbers, which is the smallest same-night audience that “The Walking Dead” has seen since Season 3’s penultimate installment “This Sorrowful Life.” But back then, “This Sorrowful Life” brought in 10.99 million viewers, which put the episode right in the middle of the ranks for that season, and easily beat everything in Season 2. The show was still building its core audience, and those were really good numbers for the most part.
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Here in Season 7, however, they’re awful. The premiere, which answered the highly discussed Season 6 cliffhanger, was seen by 17.03 million viewers, so that means a little over 6 million people fell out of regular viewing by the time “Go Getters” hit. At no point during “The Walking Dead’s” run so far has there been a ratings disparity of that size within a single season. It’s perhaps a sign that audiences aren’t as happy with Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s Negan as readers were with the comic series’ villain, or that they’re growing weary of how the growing number of supporting characters is limiting the time spent with the leads.
As well, “The Walking Dead’s” ratings drop this season has been dependable on a week-to-week basis, with the numbers first taking a 4.5 million-viewer dip from the premiere to the second episode, and then going down in smaller increments since. Once again, this is a big first for the drama, and not the kind that AMC wants to talk about. At no other point during “The Walking Dead’s” run has it faced a downfall in viewers for four consecutive episodes, and we’re still not sure if this is going to be the end of it, since there are still three more episodes left before winter break.
The Walking Dead’s Chandler Riggs reveals he’s going to college – but what does it mean for the show?
The actor and his father have concerned fans with cryptic online posts about his contract expiring
THE Walking Dead actor Chandler Riggs has hinted he’s set to leave the show before the eighth series after getting accepted into college.
Chandler, who has played Carl Grimes on the zombie show since 2010, will be attending Auburn University in Alabama.
Earlier this month the 17-year-old tweeted his excitement at enrolling in college.
He wrote: “ayy i just got accepted into auburn”
Fuelling speculation he’s set to quit the zombie drama, this week Chandler’s father shared a picture of the star alongside the caption: “Completed 7 years on TWD! #freedom #thewalkingdead
His father also confirmed that his son’s seven-season contract with the hit show had come to an end in a now deleted Facebook post.
The post read: “So grateful to AMC, cast and crew, and all the fan base for making the little zombie show a big deal.”
Chandler’s potential departure raises many questions about how the rest of series seven will pan out.
Will he get his revenge on Neegan first? Will he end up brutally murdered like fellow characters?
Viewers last watched character Carl adamant he’ll defeat the evil Saviors in the latest episode.
Although the show have remained silent on the rumours, there is some hope for concerned fans.
Auburn University in Alabama is around an hour and half drive from The Walking Dead’s filming location of Atlanta.
If Chandler Riggs really is leaving the show, does this mean The Walking Dead’s showrunners need to find a replacement for the actor? Fans are hoping this could just be all a misunderstanding. After all, viewers have watched both Chandler Riggs and Carl Grimes grew up before their very own eyes.
Catch The Walking Dead on AMC every Sunday at 9/8c.
