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 Robert Kirkman said that after editing "there were certain things that just got left on the cutting room floor". "What Lies Ahead" is an extended premiere, the result of a decision to combine what were originally designed to be the first two episodes of the season. This led to much of the original first episode, titled "Miles Behind Us," to be discarded, and is also the reason that the premiere contains dual credits for both writer and director. "Miles Behind Us," which was written by then-showrunner Frank Darabont and directed by Gwyneth Horder-Payton (an alumnus from the first season), began