AMC's hit post-apocalyptic series "The Walking Dead" just announced that it will go big with its mid-season finale.
The episode, which will air on Nov. 10, still does not have a title. The eighth episode of "The Walking Dead" season 8 will be 88 minutes long, as opposed to the usual 60 minutes. As such, "Talking Dead" will air at 10:28 p.m. EST instead of during its regular 10 p.m. slot.
The mid-season finale could possibly focus on Rick (Andrew Lincoln) and Negan's (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) ongoing battle. Along with this, the last episode of "The Walking Dead" for 2017 could see the biggest cliffhanger, which could pave the way for more viewers awaiting the return of the zombie-themed series next year. Another theory is that the show could kill another major character.
"The Walking Dead's" mid-season finale will be directed by Greg Nicotero, who is also the executive producer of the show. Nicotero also directed the current run's premiere, which coincidentally was also the 100<sup>th episode of the series.
Meanwhile, "The Walking Dead" season 8 had started off with low viewership ratings, at least compared to its past premieres. This season's premiere, titled "Mercy," aired on Oct. 29 and had comparably fewer viewers than the previous season's, titled "The Day Will Come When You Won't Be," aired on Oct. 24, 2016. The numbers had further declined for episodes 2 and 3 in the current season. But, even with the plummeting ratings, the show continued to be the most watched cable show every Sunday.
Despite the viewership issue, AMC announced that "The Walking Dead" will have more seasons and revealed that the showrunners were unfazed by the declining number of fans. Instead, the ratings have made them more determined about the show. "We've studied the best. Some have been around 30, 40, 50 years. We have a chance for a lot of life in the franchise," AMC chief executive officer Josh Sapan said.
"The Walking Dead" season 8 airs every Sunday, at 9 p.m. EST on AMC.
