their average score was 80/100. Early criticism of the series focused on the slow pace of the second season, particularly the first half. Ken Tucker of Entertainment Weekly, described the series as "a nighttime soap", comparing it to "a parody of a Samuel Beckett play" that had very little sense of direction and few appearances of walkers. Nate Rawlings of Times online entertainment section noted that "the pace during the first half of this season has been brutally slow. [...] They've tried to develop individual characters, but each subplot meant to add a layer to a character has been quickly resolved." Later reviews from other critics, such as Scott Wampler of Collider.com, recognized the increased quality of the second half, stating it "seemed far more intense, more interesting, better written". Recognizing the overall season, Kevin Yeoman of Screen Rant offered praise saying "the writers succeeded in unshackling themselves from the intermittent monotony brought about by the serial nature of the show". The third season had 88% of Rotten Tomatoes' 327 critics giving it a positive review, with an average score of 7.85/10. The site's consensus states, "The palpable terror and visceral thrills continue in the third season of The Walking Dead, along with a deeper sense of the people who inhabit its apocalyptic landscape." Metacritic's 19 critics rated the season 82/100, all of whom gave a positive review. For the fourth season, 81% of Rotten Tomatoes' 316 critic reviews were positive, with an average score of 7.60/10. The site's consensus states, "Consistently thrilling, with solid character development and enough gore to please grindhouse fans, this season of The Walking Dead continues to demonstrate why it's one of the best horror shows on television". Metacritic scored the season 75/100 based on 16 critic reviews, 13 of which were positive, three mixed, and none negative. The fifth season had 90% of Rotten Tomatoes' 374 critic reviews rating it positively, with an average score of 6.95/10. The site's consensus states, "Thanks to a liberal dose of propulsive, bloody action and enough compelling character moments to reward longtime fans, The Walking Deads fifth season continues to deliver top-notch entertainment." Metacritic scored the fifth season 80/100 based on 11 critic reviews, all of which were positive. For the sixth season, 76% of Rotten Tomatoes' 512 critic reviews were positive, with an average score of 7.40/10. The site's consensus states, "Six seasons in, The Walking Dead