Ratings: ‘Empire’ episode 4 continues winning ways; ‘The Mentalist’ falls

How long will “Empire” remain a smash hit? This is a question that many want to know, and trust us when we say that we are right there with you. We had no idea when this show first launched that it would be so enormous, and that people would continue to be talking about to the extent that they are.

Yet, here we are. For its fourth episode, the series drew a stellar 4.3 rating in the 18-49 demographic, which is even with the preliminary numbers it scored last week. We knew that sooner or later, the show would level off. Even still, it is beyond commendable that we are sitting here right now and discussing the fact that this continues to be such an enormous show. Traditionally, this is around the time that we start to see a series like this drop. Therefore, you have to consider this as one of the ones that is doing something right.

Also, amazing? It continues to throttle everything else to the point that “American Idol” (2.9) is the next-strongest performer. These two have formed a formidable combination on Wednesday nights.

Elsewhere, “The Mentalist” (1.3) slid with an episode that was fairly strong, while “Arrow” (1.1) stayed pretty steady from one week to the next. There’s not really a whole lot of drama here with these numbers, mostly since the Simon Baker show is for sure ending in a few weeks, while Stephen Amell and company are going to be back next fall for the fourth season.

What do you think about these numbers? Share right now with a comment.