| “ | It's in our blood, we're all carriers.
―Dr. Edwin Jenner to Rick about everyone being infected.[src]
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” |
Edwin Jenner is an employee and doctor for the Center for Disease Control in AMC's The Walking Dead.
Pre-Apocalypse
Center for Disease Control
Dr. Edwin Jenner worked alongside his wife, Candace Jenner, at the Center for Disease Control (CDC). He knew a fair deal about the building and facility as well as safety protocols and decontamination steps. He also interacts with the CDC's main computer Vi who helps run the facility as well.
Post-Apocalypse
Season 1
"Wildfire"
Dr. Jenner was seen making video log entries about his work and research while working with samples in order to find a cure. On Day 64; after starting the day's work to find a cure, Jenner reaches for something and accidentally tips a vial over, the contents of which land on the exposed sample which caused toxic fumes, causing the lab to go into a full decontamination mode which destroys the remaining sample. In despair, Jenner decides to get drunk on wine and is contemplating shooting himself in the head. When the Atlanta group shows up on the CDC's doors, he reluctantly lets them in after watching Rick face the security camera and beg for someone to let them in.
"TS-19"
Edwin meets the survivors in the lobby of the CDC and demands a blood test from all of them to check if they have been infected, saying it is standard procedure and locks down the front doors permanently. After clearing everyone, he invites them to make themselves comfortable, showing that they had electricity, food, beds, and hot water, all amenities that the survivors have not had for a long time.
Later, everyone dines with Edwin and they bombard him with questions. In answer, he brings the group to the control room and talks about the CDC and how he is the last one alive after the rest of the doctors and staff committed suicide - as Jenner puts it, "opting out...".
From the control room, Jenner shows the Atlanta survivors a video of "Test Subject 19's" brain, which offers a picture of the infection and how it affects a person's brain before, during, and after death. It is later revealed that TS-19 was his wife, Candace, the head of the CDC who was infected and devoted her failing body to research in an attempt to find a cure.
When Dale asks about the countdown timer on the wall, Dr. Jenner replies that it is counting down to when the generators in the basement will run out of fuel, prompting an explosion set to destroy the entire CDC. Jenner then closes the doors in the computer lab. The survivors panic and attempt to flee, but Dr. Jenner seals the exit doors of the control room, reminding them of his words when he let them in ("When I close those doors, they won't open again.") claiming that it was no use anyway since he cannot do anything to open the doors to the outside. This causes outrage from the trapped group. He tries to comfort them, saying that the explosion will be peaceful and virtually instantaneous, and Shane attempts to kill him.
Jenner relents after Rick makes a passionate argument and unlocks the control room doors, allowing the survivors to try and find a way out. Before Rick leaves with the rest of the survivors, Dr. Jenner whispers something inaudible to the audience into his ear. Jacqui is the sole member of the Atlanta group who is left behind with him as the building explodes.
Season 2
"What Lies Ahead"
Jenner is mentioned by Andrea, when she told Dale that she wanted to kill herself at the Center for Disease Control. He is later mentioned by Daryl after the group finds a man who shot himself in a tent.
"Save the Last One"
Jenner is mentioned by both Lori and Rick in this episode. After realizing that the zombie apocalyptic world is no way for Carl to grow up, Lori, for a short time, claims that she regrets not taking Jenner's offer of a way out and that maybe he was right about everything. Rick claims that he cannot accept that and claims that Jenner simply gave up and made no attempt to survive.
"Beside the Dying Fire"
After watching Shane die and reanimate without being bitten, Rick finally shares Jenner's last words to him with the rest of the group: Everyone is infected; the living are all carriers and can reanimate upon a natural death.
Death
Killed By
- Vi (Caused)
- Himself (Suicide)
With the loss of his wife, after using her samples to possibly develop a cure, and the mass power failure, Edwin was giving up hope and decided to commit suicide. He said it was the most peaceful way to die, with no pain or suffering and in the arms of the ones that we love and care about. With the CDC building losing power, Vi deployed the HITs to prevent any diseases (and people) from escaping and decontaminated the entire facility.
Killed Victims
This list shows the victims Edwin has killed:
- Candace Jenner (Zombified)
- Himself (Suicide)
- Possibly numerous counts of zombies.
Relationships
Candace Jenner
| “ | I made a promise. To her...my wife.
―Edwin to Rick.[src]
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” |
It was revealed that Edwin loved his wife very much, and had promised her (before her death) that he would go forward in studying the virus and perhaps discover a cure, which is why only he had remained in Center for Disease Control.
Rick Grimes
| “ | You don't know what's it's like out there....you may think you do but you don't.
―Rick to Jenner[src]
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” |
Jenner seemed to trust and care about Rick's group, as he let them inside the CDC, providing them with food, showers and most importantly, shelter. He also warned Rick about everyone being already infected. It is possible that he did this out of a sense of guilt and obligation to help people in every way that he could after failing to create a cure for the zombie plague.
Dale Horvath
Edwin and Dale have a stable relationship and get along very well while the group is Rick hosted in the CDC. During their stay Dale does a lot of questions to the doctor, some also suggested by Andrew to learn more about the virus and what is happening to the structure and around the world.
Andrea
Edwin and Andrea have a stable relationship and get along very well while the group recieves shelter at the CDC. Both share the loss of a family member to each other and Andrea is one of the few members of the group who was in agreement with Jenner that there was nothing left outside in the world and that survival was pointless. Andrea is later angry at Dale for not letting her take Jenner's offer of a way out.
Appearances
TV Series
Season 1
Trivia
- The name Edwin Jenner is a nod to Dr. Edward Anthony Jenner, the English researcher who discovered the smallpox vaccine in 1796.
- In The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct, at the Atlanta football stadium where the evacuation is taking place, radio communications can be heard from the first helicopter taking off stating that a person named "Jenner" has been evacuated.