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 "That "The Walking Dead" is now the most watched drama in the history of basic cable is staggering, just like our zombies." "What Lies Ahead" was met with general acclaim from television critics. Gina McIntyre of the "Los Angeles Times" felt it was the series' best installment, calling it "thrilling" and "heart-wrenching". Similar sentiments were echoed by Josh Jackson of "Paste", who gave the episode an 8.8 out of 10—a "commendable" rating. Darren Franich of "Entertainment Weekly" liked what he called the "casual" atmosphere of the opening scene and described the ending as "daring". IGN's Eric Goldman felt the episode