‘The Walking Dead: Dead City’ Season 3 Episode 5 Release Date and Beth Greene’s Return

Fans of ‘The Walking Dead’ universe can finally mark their calendars for the next installment of Manhattan’s ongoing saga. Episode 5 of ‘The Walking Dead: Dead City‘ season 3 is set to premiere on Sunday, August 23, 2026, and it will be titled “Imperialis.”

The zombie thriller has maintained a consistent weekly release schedule since its season premiere, and episode 5 will continue this trend without any interruptions. New episodes air at 9 pm ET on both AMC and AMC+, with AMC+ offering them at 6 pm PT the same evening. This means that West Coast viewers get a slight head start on the episode compared to those watching the traditional broadcast.

The current season kicked off with a premiere that set the tone for the episodes to follow. Season 3 debuted on Sunday, July 26, 2026, and has been releasing a new episode every Sunday since, culminating in a total of eight episodes.

Looking back from episode 5 helps provide context for the pacing. Episode 3, “Emigrants,” aired on August 9, followed by episode 4, “Found/Lost,” on August 16, leading up to episode 5, “Imperialis,” on August 23. Following this, the season will continue right through to the finale.

Episode 6, “Genesis,” is set for August 30, followed by episode 7, “Hourglass,” on September 6, and the season finale, “Tenebrae,” on September 13, 2026. This gives viewers a solid Sunday night viewing routine for nearly two months.

Time zones play a crucial role here, as the East Coast broadcast time does not apply universally. The season has been airing at 9 pm Eastern and 6 pm Pacific, with Central Time viewers catching new episodes at 8 pm and Mountain Time at 7 pm. This consistency has made it easy to predict episode 5’s air time even before AMC confirmed it.

The anticipation for episode 5 builds directly from where episode 4 concluded. According to the official synopsis, Maggie and Luis are on a quest for valuable resources while Negan and Renata focus on protecting the city. This division of responsibilities has been a recurring theme this season, with the ensemble splitting into smaller groups to tackle Manhattan’s escalating challenges.

Overall, season 3 has embraced a theme of rebuilding rather than mere survival. The central plot revolves around Maggie and Negan’s efforts to save the devastated city and its remaining inhabitants, compelling them to set aside past grievances and rebuild trust. Episode 5 seems to be another step in this fragile alliance rather than a leap into a new crisis.

One particularly exciting detail fans are eagerly anticipating involves an episode later in the season, which has influenced how viewers are interpreting episode 5. Episode 6, “Genesis,” is noted as the alternate reality episode featuring the return of Beth Greene. As episode 5 sets the stage for this twist, viewers are viewing “Imperialis” as a calm before an intriguing storm.

This season has introduced several new characters alongside the returning core cast of ‘The Walking Dead: Dead City.’ Aimee Garcia and Jimmi Simpson joined the cast for season 3 back in September 2025, with Raúl Castillo announced shortly after in October. These additions align with new characters like Renata and Luis, who have taken on more significant roles this season.

Behind the scenes, the season has also seen a change in creative leadership. Seth Hoffman has stepped in as the new showrunner for season 3, taking over the reins of the Manhattan-set spinoff.

The ambitious scope of this season was evident even before it premiered in the U.S. Two episodes were selected to debut at the 65th Monte Carlo Television Festival in June 2026, with Lauren Cohan, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, and Seth Hoffman in attendance. This kind of international attention suggests that AMC views this season as more than just a routine spinoff installment.

For those eager to catch episode 5 as soon as it airs, the viewing options remain consistent with the rest of the season. AMC’s linear broadcast and the AMC+ streaming app will both feature the episode simultaneously, with AMC+ subscribers occasionally getting early access before the traditional TV airing.

The Sunday night format has made ‘The Walking Dead: Dead City’ easy to follow in real-time, especially for fans who enjoy discussing theories online right after each episode airs. With ‘Imperialis’ set to arrive on August 23 and the Beth Greene-focused episode following closely behind, the middle segment of season 3 is shaping up to be the most talked-about part of the series.

With the fragile trust between Maggie and Negan still being tested and Manhattan’s rebuilding efforts far from complete, episode 5 carries significant weight as the season progresses. What do you think ‘Imperialis’ has in store for this fractured version of New York, and are you ready to see how the show handles Beth Greene’s mysterious return the following week?