"TS-19" (Test Subject 19) is the sixth and final episode of the first season of the

post-apocalyptic Apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction are genres of speculative fiction in which the Earth's (or another planet's) civilization is collapsing or has collapsed. The apocalypse event may be climatic, such as runaway climate change; astronom ...

horror

television series A television show, TV program (), or simply a TV show, is the general reference to any content produced for viewing on a television set that is broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, and cable, or distributed digitally on streaming plat ...

'' The Walking Dead''. It originally aired on

AMC AMC may refer to: Film and television * AMC Theatres, an American movie theater chain * AMC Networks, an American entertainment company ** AMC (TV channel) ** AMC+, streaming service ** AMC Networks International, an entertainment company *** ...

in the United States on December 5, 2010. The episode was written by Adam Fierro and series creator

Frank Darabont Frank Árpád Darabont (born Ferenc Árpád Darabont, January 28, 1959) is an American screenwriter, director, and producer. He has been nominated for three Academy Awards and a Golden Globe Award. In his early career, he was primarily a scre ...

and directed by Guy Ferland. In the episode, the group finally finds safe haven in the

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is the National public health institutes, national public health agency of the United States. It is a Federal agencies of the United States, United States federal agency under the United S ...

(CDC) headquarters, although the only scientist there, Dr. Edwin Jenner ( Noah Emmerich) hides many secrets that leads the group to demand answers about the

zombie apocalypse Zombie apocalypse is a subgenre of apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction in which society collapses due to overwhelming swarms of zombies. Usually, only a few individuals or small bands of human survivors are left living. There are many d ...

. Themes such as romance,

rape Rape is a type of sexual assault involving sexual intercourse, or other forms of sexual penetration, carried out against a person without consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority, or against a person ...

suicide Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Risk factors for suicide include mental disorders, physical disorders, and substance abuse. Some suicides are impulsive acts driven by stress (such as from financial or ac ...

and terror are prevalent throughout "TS-19". Different character developments occur throughout the episode, particularly with Shane Walsh (

Jon Bernthal Jonathan Edward Bernthal (; born September 20, 1976) is an American actor. He came to prominence for portraying Shane Walsh on the AMC horror drama series '' The Walking Dead'' (2010–2012; 2018), where he was a starring cast member in the f ...

), who writer

Robert Kirkman Robert Kirkman (; born November 30, 1978)Löchel, Ingo"The Walking Dead: Die Comic-Serie – Robert Kirkman" Zauberspiegel. Retrieved February 17, 2013. is an American comic book writer, screenwriter, and producer. He is best known for co-creat ...

felt that viewers would no longer identify as the show's main

antagonist An antagonist is a character in a story who is presented as the main enemy or rival of the protagonist and is often depicted as a villain.Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, as opposed to the actual headquarters for the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, which was impractical due to the high security of the area. "TS-19" received favorable reception from television commentators, who praised the development of various characters as well as the performances of several actors and actresses. Upon airing, it attained 5.97 million viewers and a 3.4 rating in the 18-49 demographic, according to the

Nielsen Media Research Nielsen Media Research (NMR) is an American firm that measures media audiences, including television, radio, theatre, films (via the AMC Theatres MAP program), and newspapers. Headquartered in New York City, it is best known for the Nielsen rat ...

. "TS-19" at one point was the show's highest-rated episode, and it is the highest-rated telecast in its first season.

Plot

The episode opens with a flashback where Shane Walsh ensures that the still-unconscious Rick Grimes is secured within the hospital during the onset of the zombie apocalypse. In the present, Rick's group has entered the

CDC The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is the national public health agency of the United States. It is a United States federal agency under the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and is headquartered in Atlanta, ...

building in Atlanta with help from its sole remaining scientist, Dr. Edwin Jenner. Jenner makes them undertake a blood test to prove they are not infected. The group enjoys the luxuries of the facility, which is self-powered and still has running water, food, alcohol, and other amenities. Jenner admits he is the only researcher that stayed behind, many of the others having left for their families or committed suicide. A drunk Shane approaches

Lori Grimes Lori Grimes is a fictional Character (arts), character from the comic book series ''The Walking Dead (comic book), The Walking Dead'' and was portrayed by Sarah Wayne Callies in the American The Walking Dead (TV series), television series of the sa ...

about her callous attitude towards him with Rick's return and attempts to

her, but backs off when she scratches his neck. Jenner later shows Rick's group what he had learned from Test Subject 19, who had been his wife but volunteered to be recorded after she was bitten in hopes of discovering a

cure A cure is a substance or procedure that resolves a medical condition. This may include a medication, a surgery, surgical operation, a lifestyle change, or even a philosophical shift that alleviates a person's suffering or achieves a state of heali ...

; the infection kills the carrier but causes the brain to re-activate and re-animate the body shortly thereafter, eliminating any conscious human traits. Jenner had been in communication with other facilities worldwide before they went silent, knowing the French had been close to a cure, but affirms that human civilization is ceasing to exist. The group discovers that the generator's fuel reserves are near exhausted; when empty, the facility will enter a self-destruct mode by design to eradicate all the infectious diseases stored there. Jenner seals the building, refusing to allow Rick's group to leave, but promises that the high-impulse thermobaric weapon designed to destroy the facility will mean their deaths will be quick. Rick's group tries in vain to have Jenner open the doors, and Rick eventually convinces him to allow them to at least try to overcome the tragedy rather than be forced to die. Two of Rick's group, Jacqui and

Andrea Andrea is a given name which is common worldwide for both males and females, cognate to Andreas, Andrej and Andrew. Origin of the name The name derives from the Greek word ἀνήρ (''anēr''), genitive ἀνδρός (''andrós''), that re ...

, choose to stay behind, but Dale Horvath refuses to leave without Andrea and stays as well. As Rick departs, Jenner whispers something to him. Shortly thereafter, Andrea has a change of heart, not wishing to see Dale die, and the two escape the building moments before its destruction. The surviving members return to their vehicles and set off away from the smoking husk of the CDC.

Production

"TS-19" was directed by Guy Ferland and written by

and Adam Fierro. Actor Noah Emmerich made a guest appearance on the show, portraying the character of Edwin Jenner, one of the few remaining medical personnel dedicated to eradicating the virus. Emmerich's appearance was formally announced in November 2010. Darabont foreshadowed the development of the episode the same month, alongside predecessors " Vatos" and "

Wildfire A wildfire, forest fire, or a bushfire is an unplanned and uncontrolled fire in an area of Combustibility and flammability, combustible vegetation. Depending on the type of vegetation present, a wildfire may be more specifically identified as a ...

". "Before it's all said and done, the opinions and actions of the group are divided." Producer Gale Anne Hurd added, "Stakes are higher, dissension develops, rivalries intensify." Principal photography for "TS-19" took place at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, which stood in for the

. Producers of the show were not allowed to photograph the interior of the actual buildings as part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as a point of reference due to its high security. Although the location was not featured in the comics of the same name, Hurd felt that it was important to add because of its close proximity to the survivor's camp. Note: Event occurs at time 26:04–28:28. As opposed to the previous episode, where filming mostly took place outside of the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, production for "TS-19" occurred inside of the building. Darabont conceived the idea of exploring the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "When Frank was pitching the idea to me, saying he wanted to bring them to the CDC and telling me all the different things that he felt would come out of that story, the science of it all and the being trapped in the small location, I was very much picturing a lot of ''

Day of the Dead The Day of the Dead () is a holiday traditionally celebrated on November 1 and 2, though other days, such as October 31 or November 6, may be included depending on the locality. The multi-day holiday involves family and friends gathering to pa ...

'' stuff," stated comic book creator

. "That's one of the reasons I was so on board with the idea." At the episode's conclusion, Jenner purposely calls for the self-destruction of the building, which ultimately explodes shortly thereafter. A plate was installed on set, which hovered over

pyrotechnics Pyrotechnics is the science and craft of creating fireworks, but also includes safety matches, oxygen candles, Pyrotechnic fastener, explosive bolts (and other fasteners), parts of automotive airbags, as well as gas-pressure blasting in mining, q ...

. The plate was turned upside down to create an optical effect where the flame travels across the panel. This created an illusion that the explosion was expanding. The sequence was divided into six different cuts; the first one consisted of the rupture glass of the building, while the last frame concluded with the collapse of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. While his group escapes from the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, Jenner whispers to Rick about the virus that has caused the zombie apocalypse. Initially there was no indication as to what Jenner said to him; the dialogue was previously inserted into the episode's script but was later removed. "I'm so pleased they didn't reveal it," said Andrew Lincoln, "because it was scripted, and extremely powerful, and I said to everyone, 'Burn this page: No one should know apart from Rick and Frank.' It's brilliant that they left it s a mystery��it's perfect, it's so classy." Kirkman was content with the idea of teasing Jenner's revelation in lieu of blatantly revealing anything about the origins of the virus. "I thought it was a great addition. I'm very much opposed to showing what the actual cause or the zombiesis and explaining how things work, but teasing a little bit is a great thing. If it adds an extra layer to the drama, then I'm all for it," he stated. "It also led up to the fantastic mystery of the whisper Jenner gives to Rick at the end of that scene. That's going to play into Season 2 quite a bit. I know where that's going and it's really a cool bit." It is not until the second season finale, " Beside the Dying Fire", that Rick reveals Jenner's message to the group. In a 2014 interview with ''

The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...

'', Kirkman revealed that he regrets revealing that everyone in the new world is infected too soon, saying: "If I had to do it again, I wouldn't have done the CDC episode t the end of season one It possibly gave away too much information and was such a big change very early on in the series."

Cast

Alongside the main cast, it was the last regular appearance of Jacqui, played by

Jeryl Prescott Jeryl Prescott Gallien (also known as Jeryl Prescott Sales) is an American actress, best known for her roles as Jacqui in '' The Walking Dead'' (2010-2012; 2016), Madame Xanadu in '' Swamp Thing'' (2019), and Aktropaw in '' Ahsoka'' (2023). Lif ...

, who died at the CDC with Dr. Edwin Jenner, played by Emmerich. Claire Bronson played Candace Jenner, who worked with Edwin Jenner at the CDC before being infected and killed. Barry Hopkins played a hospital patient. Joyce Liles, Ken Melde, M.V. Oliphant, Mike Senior and Lisa Marie Thomas played doctors and nurses.

Themes and cultural references

Ideas alluding to romance are prevalent throughout the episode. The development between Shane Walsh and Lori Grimes continues in "TS-19", which showcases a flashback featuring Shane being conflicted with the decision to leave an unconscious Rick Grimes in the hospital—who Shane initially presumes to be dead. Kirkman asserted that the sequence added dimension to the storyline, and concluded that by the ending of the episode, the audience will no longer identify Shane as an

antagonist An antagonist is a character in a story who is presented as the main enemy or rival of the protagonist and is often depicted as a villain. Lincoln said of the flashback: "You realize Shane's loyalty as a friend and as a man—and also his weaknesses. He still can't make a decision without his partner, and you realize he's flawed—everybody is under incredible duress, you see the state of the world is so extreme and terrifying that people are making split-second decisions under great duress. Is Shane barricading Rick in, or is he trying to prevent him being taken by the walkers? There are many different ways to construe what Shane has done and that's the beauty of the show is that there's no clear and definite answers, you make your own mind." Other themes prominent in the episode include

and terror. The character progression of Shane is a focal point in "TS-19". After facing constant rejection from Lori through much of the previous three episodes, he has become more agitated and impatient with her. According to Kirkman, it was important to integrate dimension to the character so that viewers "can see later in the episode, when haneis losing it and actually getting somewhat violent with Lori, the transition he's gone through and how this world has changed him from being a loving, easygoing guy into this guy who is slowly devolving into a bit of a maniac." The show features various references relating to music, media, film, and other pop cultural phenomena. Character Dr. Edwin Jenner was modeled after the English physician

Edward Jenner Edward Jenner (17 May 1749 – 26 January 1823) was an English physician and scientist who pioneered the concept of vaccines and created the smallpox vaccine, the world's first vaccine. The terms ''vaccine'' and ''vaccination'' are derived f ...

, a pioneer in the eradication of

smallpox Smallpox was an infectious disease caused by Variola virus (often called Smallpox virus), which belongs to the genus '' Orthopoxvirus''. The last naturally occurring case was diagnosed in October 1977, and the World Health Organization (W ...

. The episode title is an acronym for Test Subject 19, a patient that was examined by Jenner for clinical research. As "TS-19" comes to a close, one can hear the song " Tomorrow Is a Long Time" (1971) by American singer-songwriter

Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan; born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Described as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture over his nearly 70-year ...

play in the background. ''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...

'' Liz Kelly suggested that it could have referred to the seemingly long hiatus that proceeded after the season finale. Jenner later reveals to the group that the symptoms of the walker virus are evocative to that of

meningitis Meningitis is acute or chronic inflammation of the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord, collectively called the meninges. The most common symptoms are fever, intense headache, vomiting and neck stiffness and occasion ...

. As Rick desperately tries to break out of a nearly incinerating Centers for Disease Control and Prevention building, Carol hands him a grenade, which was the same grenade that Rick had found in a tank in the series premiere, " Days Gone Bye". The opening and concluding scenes of "TS-19" are reminiscent of the American television series '' Lost''.

Reception

Ratings

"TS-19" was originally broadcast on December 5, 2010 in the United States on AMC. Upon initial airing, the episode amassed 5.97 million viewers and a 4.1 household rating, indicating that 4.1% of households that watched television viewed the episode. Following two encore presentations, total viewership accumulated to 8.1 million. At the time of its airing, "TS-19" was the highest-rated cable television series of all time demographically; it attained a 3.4 rating in the 18-49 demographic, denoting 4 million viewers, while simultaneous acquiring 3.5 million viewers in the 25–54 demographic according to

. The accolade was then succeeded by three episodes of ''The Walking Dead'': the episode's ratings were beaten by second season premiere "

What Lies Ahead "What Lies Ahead" is the second season premiere episode of the post-apocalyptic horror television series '' The Walking Dead''. It originally aired on AMC in the United States on October 16, 2011. It was written by series developer Frank ...

", followed by "

Nebraska Nebraska ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Ka ...

", and lastly the second season finale " Beside the Dying Fire", of which the last aforementioned currently holds the record. "TS-19" became the most-viewed cable telecast of the day, obtaining significantly higher ratings than installments of ''

Hannah Montana ''Hannah Montana'' is an American teen sitcom created by Michael Poryes, Rich Correll, and Barry O'Brien that aired on Disney Channel for four seasons between March2006 and January2011. The series centers on Miley Stewart (played by Miley Cy ...

'' and '' Shake It Up'' on

Disney Channel Disney Channel is an American pay television television channel, channel that serves as the flagship (broadcasting), flagship property of Disney Branded Television, a unit of the Disney Entertainment business segment of the Walt Disney Company ...

. Ratings and total viewership moderately increased from the previous installment, "

", which received 5.56 million viewers and a 2.8 rating in the 18-49 demographic. In the United Kingdom, "TS-19" garnered 492,000 viewers, subsequently becoming the most-viewed television series of the week on FX.

Critical response

"TS-19" garnered favorable reviews from most television critics. In his 8.5 out of 10 rating review, Eric Goldman of

IGN ''IGN'' is an American video gaming and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa district and is headed by its former e ...

wrote that the episode was an exceptional showing for the series, adding that it told "a compelling, intense story within its hour" albeit averting from the comics. As Michelle Kung of ''

The Wall Street Journal ''The Wall Street Journal'' (''WSJ''), also referred to simply as the ''Journal,'' is an American newspaper based in New York City. The newspaper provides extensive coverage of news, especially business and finance. It operates on a subscriptio ...

'' wrote, "The first season of ''The Walking Dead'' doesn’t exactly end on an optimistic note, but our heroes are left driving into the unknown after escaping certain death at the CDC." Kurt Christenson of ''

New York Daily News The ''Daily News'' is an American newspaper based in Jersey City, New Jersey. It was founded in 1919 by Joseph Medill Patterson in New York City as the ''Illustrated Daily News''. It was the first U.S. daily printed in Tabloid (newspaper format ...

'' analyzed that "almost and everyone's still kind of in the dark", and Kelly stated that "TS-19" came to an "abrupt, explosive end". ''

Salon Salon may refer to: Common meanings * Beauty salon A beauty salon or beauty parlor is an establishment that provides Cosmetics, cosmetic treatments for people. Other variations of this type of business include hair salons, spas, day spas, ...

'' journalist Simon Abrams concluded that the frenetic pace of ''The Walking Dead'' was relatable, while '' Paste'' television commentator Josh Jackson was keen of the character development in the episode as well as the varying political themes covered; "After six episodes, the characters are worth caring about. Despite occasional stilted monologues, quick tempers and unfortunate stereotypes, the few living souls in ''The Walking Dead'' are a bigger draw than the undead. The show has spent more time on topics like marriage, parenthood, unfaithfulness, loss, domestic violence, gender roles, small-scale politics, loyalty, kindness than it has with kill shots. By filling the world with zombies, Frank Darabont is able to explore the human condition under extreme circumstances." ''

Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American online magazine, digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, ...

'' writer Dan Snierson was entertained by "TS-19", and asserted that the conclusion "resonated over images of Rick & Co. U-turning into the great unknown, we got the sense that as long as they were alive, at least there was a chance of a tomorrow." Writing for the same publication, Jeff Jensen was intrigued at how producers approached the themes of the comics, and later noted that it was proof that they were using the comics as a route for thematic inspiration in lieu of a literal interpretation. For ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...

'' Gina McIntyre, "Tonight's finale ..did yield much insight, though, into the nature of the plague itself, in relative terms anyway." Some commentators were less enthusiastic about the episode than the general consensus. Although Josh Wigler of

MTV MTV (an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on ...

declared "TS-19" a "compelling hour", he professed that it was lacking for a season finale. "While there was a massive fireball and a decent amount of zombie action," explained Wigler, "not to mention some concrete information regarding the outbreak, there are still several plot threads that haven't come close to resolution." '' Vanity Fair'' Mike Ryan argued that in contrast to a "great season", the episode was a mediocre conclusion to ''The Walking Dead'' first season, writing that "this might have been the silliest hour of television that I've ever watched". Leonard Pierce of ''

The A.V. Club ''The A.V. Club'' is an online newspaper and entertainment website featuring reviews, interviews, and other articles that examine films, music, television, books, games, and other elements of pop-culture media. ''The A.V. Club'' was created in ...

'' issued "TS-19" a B− grade: despite proclaiming that "there was some good stuff" in the episode, Pierce opined that it fell below his expectations. He denounced many scenes in the episode—notably the explosion sequence—as he felt it was a waste of cinematography. "The fact that almost all the scenes played out in dark, closed quarters wasted ''The Walking Dead'' gorgeous cinematography; the pacing was again off beat, with far too much padded scenes of people looking at one another in shock; and, though I'm usually not bothered by plot contrivances, there's no way anyone in a vehicle that close to such a huge explosion would have lived through it." Writing for Cinema Blend, Nick Venable said that it was an interesting episode, although it could have been executed in a better manner. The character progression of several characters and the performances of various actors were lauded by critics. Wigler noted that Bernthal, Holden, and DeMunn delivered "brilliant character work", a view that was echoed by Pierce in regards to Emmerich's performance; "He has a nervous intensity that grounded every scene he was in, which this show needs." Similarly,

Alan Sepinwall Alan Sepinwall (born October 19, 1973) is an American television reviewer and writer. He spent 14 years as a columnist with ''The Star-Ledger'' in Newark until leaving the newspaper in 2010 to work for the entertainment news website HitFix. He ...

HitFix HitFix, or HitFix.com, was an entertainment news website that launched in December 2008 specializing in breaking entertainment news, insider information, and reviews and critiques of film, music, and television. In mid-2010 HitFix crossed the 1,00 ...

described Emmerich's acting as "haunting", and ultimately cited the performances of Lincoln, Holden, and DeMunn as episode highlights. Ryan affirmed that character development remained one of the series' strongest points.

Deleted scene

In a scene deleted from the television series, after Rick's group flees the CDC they return to the Atlanta nursing home they first visited in " Vatos", only to find the residents and their protectors have been killed execution-style and their supplies ransacked.

References

External links

"TS-19"
at

* {{The Walking Dead episodes 2010 American television episodes Television episodes directed by Guy Ferland Television episodes written by Frank Darabont The Walking Dead season 1 episodes