What Lies Ahead on AMC. It received 7.3 million viewers and attained a 4.8HH rating, breaking the record for the most-watched drama in the history of cable television. It received the second highest viewership of the week ending October 16, scoring higher than "Jersey Shore" but less than a 2011 NFL season game between the Detroit Lions and the Chicago Bears. "What Lies Ahead" achieved similar feats, attaining a 3.8 rating—translating to 4.8 million viewers—in the 18-49 demographic, according to Nielsen ratings. In the 25–54 demographic, it garnered 4.2 million viewers. Total viewership after two encore presentations was 11 million viewers, an increase
What Lies Ahead missing a beat, adding immediate depth to characters, ratcheting up suspense [...], plus expanding the emotional palette of the series." In his review, John Griffiths of "Us Weekly" liked the personal dynamics almost as much as the bloodthirstiness. Some critics were less enthusiastic about the episode. Zack Handlen of "The A.V. Club" gave it a B+ grade; he praised the horror sequences in the episode, but called the character development "tepid". "At the very least", he wrote, "the show does a fine job working within its restrictions. There are a handful of absolutely top-notch set pieces in ['What Lies Ahead'],