Be honest, you don't watch The Walking Dead for its intense human drama or the dynamic between the survivors as they live, love and grow together in the apocalypse. That sort of thing should be left to soap operas.
The real appeal of The Walking Dead - perversely - is knowing that at any point, any of the show's main characters (regardless of how many episodes they've been in) could be killed in some magnificently brutal fashion. Looking at the show's ratings over five seasons, it's plainly obvious that there is a direct correlation between how many characters die (or are put in mortal danger) and how many viewers tune in.
And even more startlingly, there's a slightly discomforting link between astronomical viewing numbers and animal deaths. You all really ought to be ashamed of yourselves.
But which deaths on the show's ludicrously long kill list were the most watched? Obviously zombies don't really count, because they're cannon fodder mostly, but then, their dead often aren't as numerous as the slain survivors and their pets anyway...
20. Mary And Sam
Rating: 17.29m
Episode: No Sanctuary (5.1)
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The most blood-thirsty season opener saw poor Sam's fate confirmed after he returned from a half-season mysterious holiday. Kudos for not going full cannibal though.
Less tragically, the episode (which included a raft of supporting deaths) saw Mary get her comeuppance as Badass Carol shot her in the leg and left her for walker lunch.