| “ | In the event of a catastrophic power failure... in a terrorist attack, for example... H.I.T.s are deployed to prevent any organisms from getting out. (...) It sets the air on fire. No pain. An end to sorrow, grief... Regret. Everything.
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” |
The Destruction of the CDC is a major event that occurred during the season finale of first season of AMC's The Walking Dead.
History[]
The group of survivors had just arrived at the CDC the day prior. After getting used to being there, Dr. Edwin Jenner used subject TS-19 to explain how the infection progressed after death, Dale interrupted the sudden silence to ask Jenner about the clock on the far wall, which is counting down from an hour. At this moment, the basement generators run out of fuel. Rick, Shane, T-Dog, and Glenn head to inspect the generators. While they're in the basement, the building's emergency light switches on, bathing the four in darkness. Upstairs, Lori and Carl are in their room when the building's air cuts off.
With the lights now shutting themselves off inside the panicked survivor's rooms, they confront Jenner in the hallway. He explains that the building is slowly starting to shut itself down. He states that in 30 minutes, the building would decontaminate, and that it is too late to stop it since there is no fuel. Rick yells at the group to grab their things and run as the emergency alarms start blaring. Before they are able to, Jenner locks them inside the control center. He tries to help the case and convince Rick and his group to accept their fate by stating that their deaths would be instant and painless when the building explodes. Daryl and Shane futilely attempt to break through the door with axes and guns, but Jenner states that it's built to withstand a rocket launcher. Rick, T-Dog, and Dale throw Daryl, wielding an axe, off Jenner. Rick talks down Shane as he points an automatic gun in Jenner's defeated and unaffected face. Rick also demands to know why Jenner stayed if he didn't think there was any hope. He reveals that TS-19 was his wife, and she instructed him to hold out as long as he could.
Rick and Lori tell Jenner that they just want their chance to keep going as long as they can. Swayed, Jenner agrees to open the door, but also tells them that they still won't be able to get past the lockdown upstairs. Jenner opens the door to the control center. He shakes Rick's hand and pulls him close, whispering something in to his ear. The group heads for the exit, but Jacqui stops. She wants to stay in the CDC, as she doesn’t want to end up in a similar fate as Jim and Amy. Andrea wants to stay too. Unable to convince her to leave, Dale states he is staying too. In the CDC lobby, the group finds the doors locked and they pound helplessly on the windows. Shane shoots a rifle at the glass, to no avail. Carol says she has something that may help, pulling out a hand grenade. She found it in Rick’s clothes when she washed them. Quickly, Rick detonates the grenade, blasting out one of the windows with mere minutes to spare before decontamination.
In the basement, a resigned Dale sits in front of Andrea, and states he will not leave her in this state. Andrea is furious that Dale is making the decision to die with her. The survivors run to the cars, shooting at nearby walkers as they run. They pile in to their cars and are getting ready to drive away when, from inside the RV, Lori sees Dale and Andrea emerge from the building.
With just ten seconds left, Jenner and Jacqui hold hands, smiling proudly as they watch the survivors flee on the security monitor. Dale and Andrea run behind a military blockade and take cover as the CDC erupts in a fiery explosion. Andrea looks numb, but follows easily as Glenn desperately motions them to the RV.
Shaken, Rick starts the engine, and the caravan drives away from the smoldering rubble, thick black smoke rising up behind them.
Participants[]
Rick's Group[]
- Rick Grimes
- Shane Walsh
- Daryl Dixon
- Carl Grimes
- Lori Grimes
- Andrea Harrison
- Dale Horvath
- Carol Peletier
- Glenn Rhee
- Sophia Peletier
- Theodore Douglas
Casualties[]
Result[]
- The CDC is destroyed by Vi.
- The group is forced to find a new shelter.