Every time we write up articles about the numbers “The Walking Dead” posts week-to-week, we get a slew of comments asking us why we care. Simply put, the AMC series is the hottest horror show on TV, and since the ratings dictate the show’s future longevity, the weekly numbers are of great interest to us; they’re a barometer, essentially, of the show’s health.

The news, once again this week, is pretty good. This past Sunday night’s ‘Chokepoint’ posted a 1.8 rating among adults 18-49, with 4.83 million total viewers. That’s up from the previous episode’s 1.7 rating in the key demo, which pulled in 4.71 million viewers.

For the sake of context, here are the episode-by-episode numbers for Season 9:

Episode 9.1 – 6.08 million

Episode 9.2 – 4.95 million

Episode 9.3 – 5.04 million

Episode 9.4 – 5.10 million

Episode 9.5 *Rick’s Final Episode* – 5.41 million

Episode 9.6 – 5.40 million

Episode 9.7 – 4.79 million

Episode 9.8 *Mid-Season Finale* – 5.09 million

Episode 9.9 *Mid-Season Premiere* – 5.16 million

Episode 9.10 – 4.54 million

Episode 9.11 – 4.39 million

Episode 9.12 – 4.71 million

Episode 9.13 – 4.83 million

Season 9’s numbers had been on a steady decline, so it’s interesting to see that they’re on the rise again these last couple weeks. That would seem to suggest that viewers are interested in the Whisperers storyline, which has given us terrifying new villains in Alpha and Beta. With only three episodes remaining in the season, “The Walking Dead” is building to what’s sure to be a brutal clash between our heroes and the creepy Whisperers, and the unique storyline has all around brought a must-watch quality to the series that it hasn’t had in quite some time.

Here’s hoping this rise in viewership continues, as Season 9 has damn sure been working hard to earn those extra eyeballs. It’s not better than ever, but it’s damn good right now.