After twelve years of continuous zombie mayhem, The Walking Dead aired its final episode in November 2022. When it first aired, The Walking Dead was a phenomenon on par with Game of Thrones. However, The Walking Dead saw a dip in storytelling quality and was marred by some truly head-scratching decisions. Although it managed to dig itself out of that hole with the Whisperers storyline, the damage was done during the highly anticipated Saviors storyline, which was beloved by comic readers.

While The Walking Dead managed a return to form, despite the lack of Rick Grimes throughout the final seasons, there was nonetheless a period of time in which the show struggled immensely. This is most easily evident by a sharp decline in scores on IMDb.

Updated by Jordan Iacobucci on March 20, 2024: The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live reinvigorates the TWD universe with a fresh new story that elevates its post-apocalyptic world and delves deeply into characters that audiences have known for years. While The Walking Dead finally seems to be back on track, some episodes of the original series failed to live up to audience expectations.

20 "The Lucky Ones" Is Too Slow-Paced

Lance Hornsby (Josh Hamilton) and Maggie Rhee (Lauren Cohan) sitting on the steps in The Walking Dead

Episode Number

IMDb Rating

Director

11x12

7

Tawnia McKiernan

"The Lucky Ones" isn't necessarily a bad episode of The Walking Dead, but it certainly moves at a slower pace to establish Eugene's love life, and ease Ezekiel's worry about his cancer treatment. The episode certainly suffers from doing too much in under 40 minutes, with Pamela Milton and Lance Hornsby failing to swoon over Maggie, which leads to no progress toward a Commonwealth-Hilltop-Oceanside contract.

Although the highlights include Maggie fighting against the Commonwealth's colonization, the storyline that fell flat was of Eugene and the "real Stephanie," whose name is Max. Eugene has always been a goofy character to ground, but the romance saga doesn't exactly fit the tone that Season 11 was going for. It isn't the worst episode of the series by a long shot, but definitely shows how much the show's final season was stretched by its elongated episode count.

19 "Say Yes" Includes Characters Making Terrible Decisions

Rick (Andrew Lincoln) and Michonne (Danai Gurira) look through an opening in the Walking Dead

Episode Number

IMDb Rating

Director

7x12

7

Greg Nicotero

The Walking Dead had a rough go of it in Season 7. After the tumultuous season premiere, it was hard to get viewers to "Say Yes" to returning every Sunday. The twelfth episode reverts back to the heroes after focusing on the antagonists' gray moral grounds in the previous episode, but it didn't mean the storylines were welcomed with open arms.

While Rick and Michonne scavenge for supplies on a love-fest trip burdened by cheap cop-out "deaths" and an infamously terrible CGI deer, Rosita goes on a rebel mission to assassinate Negan against her friends' wishes. Season 7 wasn't Rosita's best era, as she made questionable choices that ultimately caused more trouble than it was worth, and this episode was pure proof.

18 "We Are The End Of The World" Was Out Of Place

Alpha (Samantha Morton), covered in blood, confronts Beta with a mask on in The Walking Dead

Episode Number

IMDb Rating

Director

10x02

7

Greg Nicotero

"We Are the End of the World" was rated low due to its odd placement in the extended season. Only the second episode in the 10th season, "We Are the End of the World," halts the momentum built up by the premiere by telling the origins of Alpha and Beta with a younger Lydia.

Although the episode would've fared better later in the season, it was still a well-developed episode that fleshed out Alpha as more than just a cult leader who kills without cause; her role as a complicated mother is more defined, and the flashbacks also give teases of Beta's backstory that pay off well later in the season.

17 "Last Day On Earth" Has A Frustrating Cliffhanger

Episode Number

IMDb Rating

Director

6x16

6.9

Greg Nicotero

"Last Day On Earth" is frustrating. Not because it's bad, it's actually one of the better Walking Dead episodes as a whole. The level of tension and dread building up throughout is unlike any other episode in The Walking Dead. "Last Day On Earth" is frustrating because it should not have been the season finale. The infamous choice to not reveal who met their maker by Negan's hand after his fantastic introduction not only robs that scene of its power, but it besmirches one of the most iconic moments in the comic series. The Walking Dead's equivalent to Game of Thrones' "Red Wedding" is a moment that should've forever been brought up as one of the most shocking moments in television history.

Had "Last Day On Earth" been second to last in the season, then the finale could've been used to deliver the biggest gut-punch in the entire series. Instead, AMC's cheap marketing ploy backfired immensely, leaving the biggest demise to be viewer's enthusiasm for The Walking Dead. What could have been one of the show's best episodes was exchanged for something far worse. Thankfully for the series, audiences binge-watching the series later on may have a better experience with Negan's introduction than viewers who watched the episodes live.

16 "Mercy" Kicked Off The Walking Dead's Worst Season

Carl (Chandler Riggs) carries a gas cannister while walking alongside Rick (Andrew Lincoln) on The Walking Dead.
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Episode Number

IMDb Rating

Director

8x01

6.9

Greg Nicotero

The Season 8 opener "Mercy" is notable for yielding the lowest score of any season premiere, but it's also a milestone episode. "Mercy" is the 100th episode of The Walking Dead. While "Mercy" was packed to the brim with cute nods to past events and easter eggs that eagle-eyed fans no doubt enjoyed spotting, such as the opening sequence mirroring the series premiere, the story itself was surprisingly boring.

"Mercy" was supposed to kick off the "All Out War" fans had been eager to see brought to life. However, save for a few tense sequences, this opener didn't inspire much hope in the season that followed. Unfortunately, "Mercy" showed just how unsatisfying the long-awaited Savior War storyline would be, with the season only getting worse each week.

15 "Honor" Controversially Kills Off Carl Grimes

Carl Grimes (Chandler Riggs) dies in Rick (Andrew Lincoln) and Michonne (Danai Gurira)'s arms in the Walking Dead

Episode Number

IMDb Rating

Director

8x09

6.9

Greg Nicotero

What could've been rated as one of the top episodes of The Walking Dead turned out to be the lowest. For fans, it was the frustration of losing an original comic character for little to no good reason other than shock value. For critics, it was the unbearable 56 minutes of dragging out Carl's death, intersected with Morgan and Carol embarking on a disconnected mission to save the Kingdom from the Saviors.

Although "Honor" was meant to, well, honor Carl Grimes' legacy, it did the complete opposite by failing to justify his death. Still, it was an emotional rollercoaster that highlighted the tragedy of child characters in the apocalypse. While the episode has genuinely emotional moments, Carl's sendoff pales in comparison to other fan-favorite character's final episodes.

14 "Dead Or Alive Or" Doesn't Have Much Going On

Daryl Dixon (Norman Reedus) pointing forward in a swamp on The Walking Dead

Episode Number

IMDb Rating

Director

8x11

6.9

Michael Satrazemis

"Dead or Alive Or" is a bit of a drag, even if it does focus on underrated characters who develop bigger presences in the series down the line. The episode lacks the suspense needed to get viewers to tune back into the next episode, but Dwight's double-agent persona does come to a climax.

After escaping Alexandria and losing Carl, Daryl is put into a position of leadership that foreshadows the mantle he picks up in the future. Daryl, Rosita, Tara, and Siddiq are responsible for leading the displaced Alexandrians to Hilltop while narrowingly avoiding the Saviors on the road. But trouble always hits the group as Tara can no longer suppress her need for revenge against Dwight. Gabriel's deteriorating eyesight makes for a heart-racing escape that tests his faith.

13 "Some Guy" Is An Underrated Episode

King Ezekiel (Khary Payton) is covered in blood and upset over the death of Shiva in "Some Guy" in The Walking Dead
2:36
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Episode Number

IMDb Rating

Director

8x04

6.8

Dan Liu

It doesn't feel right that "Some Guy" is rated as low as it has been by fans on IMDb. Khary Peyton delivers easily his best performance in the series in this King Ezekiel-centric episode. Ezekiel experiences the loss of his army, his beloved tiger, and his bravura after a vicious attack by the Saviors. Peyton's portrayal of the guilt and grief-stricken King, who was a zookeeper pre-apocalypse, is haunting to behold.

To top it off, audiences also get some classic "Rambo Carol," and the episode ends with a wicked cool car chase. There are plenty of negative things to say about Season 8, but "Some Guy" is truly an under-appreciated gem. The episode is far superior to some of The Walking Dead's other less popular episodes, and most likely struggles as a result of being crammed between other boring entries in the show's lackluster eighth season.

12 "Go Getters" Pushes A Relationship No One Cared About

Enid and Carl hold hands while roller skating in Go Getters in The Walking Dead

Episode Number

IMDb Rating

Director

7x5

6.8

Darnell Martin

"Go Getters" showcases Alexandria and its allied communities at one of the lowest points in its oppression of Negan and the Saviors. Tensions are boiling over as Sasha, Jesus, and separately Carl, plot ways to assassinate Negan.

Jesus and Sasha devise a plot to sneak onto a Savior truck, Metal Gear-style. At the same time, Carl and Enid bond over roller skates. The Carl and Enid relationship never resonated well with fans, which could explain "Go Getters'" low scoring. This bonding moment was revealed to be a ruse as Carl was searching for an opportunity to hop on a Savior truck himself, which happened to be the same truck Jesus ended up on.

11 "How It's Gotta Be" Sets Up A Controversial Death

Carl (Chandler Riggs) is distraught with a car burning in the background during the Savior's attack on Alexandria in "How It's Gotta Be" in The Walking Dead

Episode Number

IMDb Rating

Director

8x08

6.8

Michael Satrazemis

For the most part, "How It's Gotta Be" is fine. But in the last two minutes, the producers not only rewrote the course of the season but The Walking Dead series itself. This is the episode that revealed that Carl Grimes had been bitten. The decision to kill Carl was one of the most poorly-received twists in the history of the show and is the only creative decision that rivals Season 6's cliffhanger as the biggest mistake in The Walking Dead universe, in any medium.

Not only did that decision fundamentally alter the future of the series, but it also reeked of one of the show's biggest and most frustrating habits: valuing ratings and money over story and logic. Carl is one of the most important characters in The Walking Dead and maintains that role to the very end of the comics. Losing Carl took so much away from The Walking Dead's identity.

10 "The Damned" Doesn't Deliver Believable Action Scenes

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Episode Number

IMDb Rating

Director

8x02

6.7

Rosemary Rodriguez

Season 8 clearly did not get off to the best start. While "The Damned" is packed to the brim with action as the united Alexandrians, Hilltoppers, and Kingdom forces attack Savior outposts, the sequences are staged so poorly and shot so badly that it's hard to actually care about anything that's happening.

Guns never run out of ammo, the main characters have plot armor thicker than Game of Thrones' "Battle of Winterfell," and the episode itself feels entirely weightless until its final moments when a long-presumed-dead Season 1 character makes a surprise return. "The Damned" is also notable for introducing Alden and Gracie, with the latter being adopted by Aaron.

9 "The Other Side" Has All Of The Walking Dead's Biggest Flaws

Sasha (Sonequa Martin-Green), holding her sniper rifle, talks to Rosita (Christian Serratos) in "The Other Side" in The Walking Dead

Episode Number

IMDb Rating

Director

7x14

6.6

Michael Satrazemis

Another episode in which characters walk places, talking poetically for long stretches only to make wildly irrational decisions, Season 7's "The Other Side" is an hour spent with Sasha and Rosita on their quest to kill Negan at the Sanctuary, an obvious suicide mission. Amazingly, the writers manage to botch the palpable friction of Abraham's former lovers squabbling on their way to kill the man who murdered their red-haired love, and the episode suffers greatly for it.

"The Other Side" could've gone a long way to build up both Sasha and Rosita's characters, and give them greater depth through what should be a complex tension-filled dynamic. However, "The Other Side" falls well short of that, making it one of the most boring episodes of TWD.

8 "Rogue Element" Is Unoriginal And Bland

Princess listens to Eugune as he shares his plight in "Rogue Element" in The Walking Dead

Episode Number

IMDb Rating

Director

11x11

6.6

Michael Cudlitz

The Walking Dead ended on a relatively high note through its final season, which was a tough feat to pull off given the Commonwealth arc isn't nearly as action-packed as previous arcs. "Rogue Element" sticks out as a low point of this final season by focusing on a jilted Eugene going deep into a rabbit hole.

Eugene is searching for his lover Stephanie, who suddenly goes missing after being the catalyst for the group's arrival at the Commonwealth. This leads Eugene to explore conspiracy theories, which ultimately turn out to be correct. However, Eugene's obsession with finding answers checks all the cliche boxes, right down to the paper-filled walls. A more original approach could've led to "Rogue Element" being one of the best episodes, but in the end, it's nothing that hasn't been done hundreds of times before.

7 "Time For After" Botches Eugene's Storyline

A shirtless Rick (Andrew Lincoln) tries to kill a walker as Jadis/Anne looks on in "Time For After" in The Walking Dead

Episode Number

IMDb Rating

Director

8x07

6.5

Larry Teng

In addition to forcing the audience to spend more time with Jadis and her weird Junkyard clan, this episode spends a lot of time setting up Eugene as a loyal Savior. Jadis and her Scavengers have often been mocked within The Walking Dead fanbase, and are often cited as the epitome of how far The Walking Dead fell during Seasons 7 and 8.

As for Eugene, he spends three-quarters of "Time For After" fully leaning into his more villainous side, only for it to be completely undone in the last few moments with no explanation. Believable character motivations are not the strong suit of Season 8.

6 "Monsters" Wastes A Long-Awaited Character Return

Morales points his gun at Rick and Daryl in "Monsters" in The Walking Dead.

Episode Number

IMDb Rating

Director

8x02

6.4

Greg Nicotero

"Monsters" isn't the worst episode of Season 8, but it does suffer from more of the problems that bogged down the whole first half of the season. The action feels weightless and there is a painful lack of stakes. Characters make completely irrational decisions without proper motivation.

On top of that, "Monsters" bungles a long-awaited return. Season 1's Morales didn't die and is now a Savior. This reunion doesn't last long as he dies shortly after his return. "Monsters" rehashes the same themes The Walking Dead had been spooning out since Season 1 without adding much to the conversation. This episode epitomizes everything that didn't work with the show's eighth season, dropping major reveals to get audiences buzzing and then refusing to follow through.

5 "Find Me" Forces A Love Story With Daryl

Leah being greeted by Dog on her front porch in The Walking Dead

Episode Number

IMDb Rating

Director

10x18

6.2

David Boyd

In 2020, the real world froze as the Covid-19 pandemic brought the lives of everyone to a halt. For The Walking Dead, this resulted in production delays for Season 11. AMC found an opportunity to add a few extra episodes to the end of Season 10 to tide fans over, which was admirable. The limitations of these episodes show as most take place in a single setting with few characters involved at a given time.

"Find Me" is the second of these episodes and reveals that Daryl was involved in a romantic relationship with Dog's original owner Leah Shaw during the post-Rick time jump. Between the suddenness of Daryl being romantically involved with someone, especially someone new to the series, and the lack of action, it's easy to see why fans were harsh on "Find Me."

4 "The King, The Widow, And Rick" Doesn't Progress The Story

Saddiq looks distraught in the woods in "The King, The Widow, and Rick" in The Walking Dead

Episode Number

IMDb Rating

Director

8x06

6.2

John Polson

"The King, The Widow, And Rick" takes the crown as the lowest-rated episode of Season 8. It takes whatever small amount of momentum the previous two episodes had stirred up and grinds it to a screeching halt for a slow, meditative hour where everyone is sad and nothing important happens.

"The King, The Widow, And Rick" reunites Carl with Siddiq, who was spared in "Mercy." Carl is eager to help Siddiq because he sees good in him. Carl knows his group needs all the help they can get, and believes Siddiq deserves an opportunity to help. That decision would prove to be fatal for Carl, which didn't do this episode any favors in hindsight.

3 "Swear" Proved The Limits Of Tara's Character

Episode Number

IMDb Rating

Director

7x06

5.7

Michael Strazemis

Season 7's Tara side-quest "Swear" has long been panned as one of The Walking Dead's worst episodes. There's nothing wrong with Tara as a character, and Alanna Masterson did a wonderful job making Tara charming and endearing. But "Swear" is a train wreck from beginning to end. There's no real purpose behind it other than to introduce Oceanside and to find a way to get Heath off the show, both of which could've been done much more gracefully.

Topping it all off is the baffling decision to put an entire episode on the shoulders of a character who never really screamed "leading lady." Focusing on Tara was not a bad thing, she deserved a chance to shine, but "Swear" did not do her proper justice. The episode was Tara's undoing as a character, as she was given little to do in later seasons, eventually being killed off in Season 9.

2 "Splinter" Is Unmemorable

Princess gazes through an opening of her confines in "Splinter" in The Walking Dead

Episode Number

IMDb Rating

Director

10x20

5.2

Laura Belsey

Speaking of characters who deserved a chance to shine, but wasn't given the right opportunity, Princess got her moment in "Splinter." "Splinter" is the fourth of six "Covid episodes" and depicted Eugene's group being held captive by the Commonwealth as they go through a filtering process.

Princess offers a lot of background on her character and her abused pre-apocalypse past. Paola Lázaro did a marvelous job bringing the colorful Princess to life, and she made the most of this opportunity. Sadly, the limitations of these Covid episodes reared their ugly head again as fans found the dialogue-heavy "Splinter" to be on the boring and unmemorable side.

1 "Diverged" Is A Pointless Episode In Every Way

Daryl (Norman Reedus) hands Carol (Melissa McBride) a note before they go their separate paths with Dog going with Carol in "Diverged" in The Walking Dead

Episode Number

IMDb Rating

Director

10x21

4.1

David Boyd

The worst episode of The Walking Dead is yet another Covid episode. "Diverged" is a Carol and Daryl story as the two close friends go their separate ways. "Diverged" depicts Carol and Daryl both coping with their idea of normalcy. Ultimately, "Diverged" is infamously known for Carol's excessive attempt to capture a rat she found in Alexandria's pantry. While this was meant to serve as a character moment for Carol to illustrate this new low in her life, "Diverged" acts more as a Tom & Jerry episode than a The Walking Dead episode, and not a good one.

The episode is long, boring, and melodramatic, making two of the show's most beloved characters difficult to like. Carol's baking antics and Daryl's moody adventuring don't make for particularly interesting storylines as the show continues to flounder in its forced batch of interseason episodes, proving once and for all what a poor decision Season 10's extended season was. Episodes like "Diverged" killed excitement for The Walking Dead's upcoming final season, which improved in quality but struggled to win fans back over time.

The Walking Dead Poster
The Walking Dead
TV-MA
Horror
Action
Drama
Thriller

Sheriff Deputy Rick Grimes wakes up from a coma to learn the world is in ruins and must lead a group of survivors to stay alive.

Release Date
October 31, 2010
Cast
Andrew Lincoln , Norman Reedus , Melissa McBride , Lauren Cohan , Christian Serratos , josh mcdermitt , Danai Gurira , Seth Gilliam
Main Genre
Horror
Seasons
11
Creator
Robert Kirkman, Charlie Adlard, Tony Moore
Network
AMC
Streaming Service(s)
AMC+ , Netflix
Franchise(s)
The Walking Dead