'Walking Dead' Mid-Season Finale: Will Everyone Survive?

"The Walking Dead" wraps up the first half of its fourth season this week, and viewers are anticipating that the slow pace that the season has been keeping thus far may be shaken up with a major development or two before the hiatus.

Most of the speculation for the mini-finale revolves around the potential for character deaths. The series' creators have thus far shown a willingness to end the lives of major characters in order to stir things up, and there's a sense that anyone is fair game. The most intriguing potential victim is Daryl, the crossbow-toting tough guy, mostly because he's a fan favorite and it's certain that his death would drag the series back into the headlines. Insiders will only say of the finale that it's "gut-wrenching, epic, jaw-dropping."

The mid-season break finds "The Walking Dead" in a bit of a lull. After posting record-breaking ratings for its season-four premiere, the series' viewership has fallen off by 30 percent through last week's episode, and the series, while still the hottest dramatic series on TV, has shown some vulnerability to competition on the broadcast networks. Last week's episode faced formidable competition for younger viewers in particular, with an NFL game featuring fan favorite Denver Broncos and New England Patriots and the broadcast of the American Music Awards show airing opposite the zombies. The NFL broadcast drew nearly twice as many viewers as "The Walking Dead" in the crucial 18-49 demographic, and the AMA show was in a not-very-distant third place.