The Walking Dead: Ranking Every Season Premiere, According To IMDb

For about 10 years, The Walking Dead has been one of the most popular shows on television. However, on November 20th, 2022, its glorious run of gore has come to an end as everyone's favorite survivors are about to take on The Commonwealth for the final time. Throughout its time on TV, the show has brought the beloved comic to life and introduced the world to so many new and awesome characters.

One thing the show was always great at was how the writers always managed to capture the viewer's attention with their iconic season premiere (which was either filled with action, dramatic villains, and lots of chaos). While some fans may struggle to pinpoint exactly which ones they liked best (as everyone's opinion will differ), IMDb's ratings have collected data, which shows what the general consensus might be.

11 Season 8 - 6.9

"Mercy"

The lowest-rated season premiere from The Walking Dead was season 8's "Mercy." The episode has a 6.9 on IMDb with just under 13 thousand reviews.

This is the only season premiere to have lower than a 7 on the site. This episode has the survivors of Alexandra join forces with the Hilltop and the Kingdom. They band together to fight Negan and the Saviors. Perhaps the lower ratings can be credited to the fact that there is a lot of talking this episode, but not a lot of action. The anticipation that was building for a season premiere didn't really pay off when there was no big reveal or events this episode.

10 Season 9 - 7.3

"A New Beginning"

Season 9's first episode, "A New Beginning" was seen to score 7.3 on IMDb, with over 9,000 views.

The majority of this episode sees a few members of the main gang go to Washington D.C. for some equipment. Although not much happens when they break into the Smithsonian, the new change of scenery was probably refreshing for some fans. There is also the brutal execution of one of The Walking Dead's most annoying villains, Gregory, who seems to finally get his comeuppance after he tried to have Maggie killed. Both of these scenes probably explain the step up from previous season's premiere.

9 Season 10 - 7.4

"Lines We Cross"

"Lines We Cross" was the premiere of season 10 of The Walking Dead. The episode has a 7.4 on IMDb with slightly over 7,000 reviews.

This episode was just able to beat out its previous season a slim margin. Again, it is refreshing to see what fan's favorite characters are up to in this new season. Everyone is training, so they are prepared for the situation if The Whispers come back again. The interesting aspect of this episode is one of the big antagonists is a giant fire, which is cool to see that mixed with the Walkers. While there was a few good action sequences, none of them were as epic as the ones in season 11.

8 Season 4 - 8.1

"30 Days Without An Accident"

Season 4's "30 Days Without An Accident" is the first premiere to receive higher than a score of 8. This episode has an 8.1 with just under 13 thousand reviews.

This episode has one of the best action sequences in the series when a group of walkers falls through the ceiling on some of the gang who are doing a run for errands. The pinnacle of this episode is when Patrick is sick at the end, which foreshadows one of the biggest obstacles the show has ever had; the prison flu. Overall, a strong start to a good season of the show.

7 Season 11 - 8.3

"Acheron: Part I"

The final season's premiere "Acheron: Part I" sits at an 8.3 on IMDb. Season 11's premiere has just over 8 thousand reviews.

This episode sees a few different groups of Alexandria survivors off on their own missions. While Daryl is seen leading a group to a military base, viewers are also given an interesting insight to Maggie and Negan's dynamic as they are off trying to solve Alexandria's food shortage. Given that Daryl had always taken a supportive role and Maggie and Negan hated each other, fans were intrigued to see where these plots would go next.

6 Season 2 - 8.5

"What Lies Ahead"

The season 2 premiere episode "What Lies Ahead" scored an 8.5 on IMDb, with an estimated 13,500 reviews.

This episode takes place right after the CDC blows up at the end of season 1. Rick is leading the group away from Atlanta, but then they are stopped on the highway by a group of abandoned cars and a herd of Walkers. The suspense in this episode is amazing as viewers had already seen that no one was safe, so any of the main characters were at risk of death. There just wasn't one boring moment.

5 Season 6 - 8.6

"First Time Again"

Season 6 begin on a good note as its premiere episode has an 8.6. "First Time Again" has about 15 thousand reviews on IMDb.

This episode really focuses on the dynamic between Rick's group and the Alexandrians, as Rick and others are having trouble getting acclimated to Alexandria's rules. The episode's story structure is unique as it goes back and forth between present day and flashbacks of the events following last seasons finale. It is a structure that could be confusing, but this episode is coherent and easy for fans to follow along to.

4 Season 3 - 8.8

"Seed"

"Seed" is the first episode of season 3 and currently has a very high score of 8.8 (with a little over 14 thousand reviews).

This episode follows how the group is faring after the events of the farm. It appears they found a nice home at the prison. Lori has a really nice emotional conversation with Hershel that puts her character in perspective and might give the viewer a warning that she might not last much longer. What really makes this episode great is the ending when they find survivors are still hiding out there with them.

3 Season 1 - 9.2

"Days Gone By"

The first premiere episode to ranks at a 9 is the very first episode of the whole series. "Days Gone By" has a 9.2 on IMDb with about 25 thousand reviews.

This episode is a classic piece of television. The fact that Rick wakes up from a coma to a zombie apocalypse is one of the scariest ideas ever. It also leaves the mystery as to how the world ended up to the viewer to interpret. The ending when Rick is about to take his own life, but Glenn's voice comes up on the radio is brilliant and sets the standard for the rest of the way.

2 Season 7 - 9.2

"The Day Will Come When You Won't Be"

Season 7's premiere has one of the most famous scenes in all of television. "The Day Will Come When You Won't Be" has a 9.2 on IMDb and has the most reviews out of season premiere, with over 40 thousand.

Although this is the final episode of Glenn and Abraham, many Walking Dead fans would say it's one of the best in terms of drama and suspense. The last episode of season 6 ends with perhaps the biggest cliffhangers in all of television. With the show being based off the comics, fans had a pretty good idea what was going to happen, but that did not stop them from tuning in as it was the second-most watched episode in the entire series.

1 Season 5 - 9.6

"No Sanctuary"

The highest-rated season premiere of The Walking Dead is season 5's "No Sanctuary". This episode has a very impressive 9.6 on IMDb with 27 thousand reviews.

This episode picks up when the group is held prisoner at Terminus. It also had perhaps the closest they have been to death up until this point as the butcher is about to kill Glenn, but Carol perfectly times the explosion outside the compound. The whole sequence was extremely stressful and one of the best in the entire series. It also had a post-credit scene with the return of Morgan, which fans loved to see.

Next: 10 Things About The Walking Dead Season 1 That Are Unrecognizable Now

Source:gamerant.com