it. It's an amazing show and I was so honored to be a part of it, but at the same time, being the same character without anything fun to do is a bit frustrating." Payne did ask showrunner Angela Kang to make sure his departure was done "to make sure we were telling a story that surprises the audience" and was happy that his death formally presented the human Whisperers on the show. He did not rule out his reappearance in the second half of season nine, alluding to the show's plans to have flashbacks into the six-year time jump following Rick Grimes' disappearance in "What Comes After" that led to the current division between the survivor communities. Reception Critical reception "Evolution" received positive reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, the episode has an approval rating of 81% with an average score of 7.4 out of 10, based on 21 reviews. The critical consensus reads: "The Walking Dead delivers an unnerving midseason cliffhanger -- and a new and terrifying threat -- although some viewers may feel that the ghoulish Whisperers are a retread of the same old antagonists with a new, rotting face. Ratings "Evolution" received a total viewership of 5.09 million with a 2.0 rating in adults aged 18–49. It was the highest-rated cable program of the night and the episode increased in viewership from the previous week. References External links "Evolution" at AMC 2018 American television episodes The Walking Dead (season 9) episodes