The Walking Dead’s Returning Spinoff Officially Breaks A Franchise Record

The Walking Dead: Dead City is already breaking records.

Season 3 of the post-apocalyptic spinoff series has officially broken a long-standing franchise record, just days before it premieres on AMC. Dead City season 3 marks a new chapter for Maggie and Negan’s travels in Manhattan, the pair working together to try and build a new community. But, with the Dama still lurking and the New Babylon Federation now operating in the city, it’s going to be more difficult than ever before. The new season sees The Walking Dead writer Seth Hoffman taking over as showrunner, with episodes set to begin Sunday, July 26.

Now, Rotten Tomatoes reports that Dead City season 3 has broken a franchise record for The Walking Dead following its debut reviews from critics. As of writing, the show holds a 100% based on five reviews, making it the highest-rated season of the show. Not only that, it currently sits as the highest-rated season of any Walking Dead show of all time. This puts it higher than the previous record holder, The Walking Dead season 5, which currently holds a Certified Fresh 90% based on 373 reviews.

This initially small pool of Dead City season 3 reviews means the spinoff’s score could change in the days and weeks to come. But, for now, it appears Maggie and Negan’s new journey has impressed critics more than anything in the franchise that’s come before. The season will include the introduction of major new survivors, including Dillard (Jimmi Simpson), Renata (Aimee Garcia), Luis (Raúl Castillo), and an unknown character played by Michael Emery. The season will retain its lengthier episode count, too, with eight episodes set to air.

The show’s positive reviews say the pivot in direction has breathed new life into the series, allowing its characters to flourish beyond their continued conflict. In addition, the story is more small-scale and doesn’t see Maggie and Negan at each other’s throats, willing to take the plunge into new territory in order to make a more riveting tale. Such is the case with an alternate reality episode that imagines what the core duo’s lives would be like if the zombie apocalypse never happened. This, alongside several other risky episodes, have been highlighted as the best decisions the series has made.

Dead City is expected to carry the mantle for The Walking Dead franchise into the foreseeable future. As of writing, the show remains the only continuing branch of the franchise, with Daryl Dixon season 4 set to end the series later this year. For now, no other shows in the franchise have been confirmed, though chief content officer Scott Gimple has expressed interest in bringing all spinoffs together for an event series. When this may happen, however, remains to be seen.

For now, it appears The Walking Dead: Dead City season 3 has left a tremendous impression on critics. From the character work to the new storytelling approaches, it sounds like this will be one of the more ambitious installments in the zombie universe. Depending on how other reviews fare, this just might be the best The Walking Dead has ever been.