The Walking Dead’s Risky New “Reset” Gamble Pays Off With #1 Streaming Smash In America
The Walking Dead's risky new "reset" is a gamble that's paid off.
The newest season of The Walking Dead: Dead City is taking the US by storm thanks to its new Number 1 streaming spot. Continuing Maggie and Negan's adventure in Manhattan, Dead City season 3 sees the pair put aside their differences in order to build a new life in the city. However, old threats and new outside forces destabilize the lives they're trying to build, as they finally come to terms with the past. Season 3 features a major behind-the-scenes change, with The Walking Dead writer Seth Hoffman taking over as showrunner.
Now, FlixPatrol reports that The Walking Dead: Dead City is Number 1 in the United States following season 3's premiere on Sunday. According to data from July 27, 2026, the show has surpassed all others on the platform within a day, enthralling US audiences in the process. It's also Number 2 globally as of writing, coming in just behind The Vampire Lestat, which aired its season finale last week. The numbers prove the post-apocalyptic franchise is still a strong performer for AMC.
What makes this success so special, however, is that the show has entirely redefined itself going into its new batch of episodes. Dead City season 2 ended by promising a deeper reckoning between Maggie and Negan as the New Babylon Federation marched into the city. At the same time, the Dama has Hershel under her thumb, planning a rebuild of her own. However, the season 3 premiere appears to be a transition away from these pre-established conflicts, instead focusing on the core duo learning to let go of the past while Maggie tries building a new life.
It's managed to work in the show's favor so far: Dead City season 3 reviews have been overwhelmingly positive, with the season currently sitting at a 100% on Rotten Tomatoes based on 5 reviews. This makes it the highest-rated season of the entire franchise, putting it above The Walking Dead season 5's 90%, which now comes in at second place. The US viewership signifies people are curious about what this new direction will entail, especially since Maggie and Negan are no longer at each other's throats.
The season is expected to have plenty of unique approaches across its eight-episode run. It's already been confirmed that Emily Kinney is returning as Beth Greene for a what-if episode, imagining Maggie and Negan's lives had the zombie apocalypse never happened. Reviews have also discussed an episode that mirrors The Pitt, a fitting approach considering a hospital will be an important location throughout the season. These changes alter the series' approach, but seemingly address the problems that have kept the show from flourishing in its first two seasons.
With seven episodes left, The Walking Dead: Dead City has plenty of time to impress with even more new developments. It's not the only series in the franchise to keep an eye on, though: Daryl Dixon season 4 airs in 2027, which will end the Europe-set spinoff. Depending on the long-term plans for Maggie and Negan, season 3 could be the start of a very important approach to their stories moving forward.