Wildfire (The Walking Dead)

"Wildfire" is the fifth episode of the post-apocalyptic horror television series The Walking Dead. It originally aired on AMC in the United States on November 28, 2010. The episode was written by Glen Mazzara and directed by Ernest Dickerson.

In the episode, the survivors deal with the aftermath of the walker attack, and decide to move to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention facilities, hoping to find a cure for an infected Jim (Andrew Rothenberg). Meanwhile, Shane Walsh (Jon Bernthal), finding his leadership position challenged by Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln), succumbs to his inner demons.

Plot

The survivors are dealing with the aftermath of the walker attack the night before. Rick Grimes tries to contact Morgan Jones on his walkie-talkie to let him know that Atlanta is not safe. Andrea is sitting vigil over her sister's body, as the others deal with the bodies of the walkers and the dead from the attack; the bodies of the walkers are hit in the head with a pickaxe to make sure the brain is destroyed, and then thrown into a pyre to burn. Rick approaches Andrea to let her know that Amy's body must be dealt with; she pulls a pistol and he backs away, apologizing. The rest of the group argues over how to deal with Andrea, and Glenn stops Daryl from throwing one of their dead into the pyre and insists that their own dead must be buried, not burned with the walkers. It is revealed that Jim was bitten in the attack; Daryl wants to kill him, but he is stopped by Rick and Shane.

Rick argues that the group should head to the CDC facility in Druid Hills, Georgia, in the hopes of finding safety and possibly even a cure. Andrea sits with her dead sister until she awakens as a walker, before apologizing for not spending more time with her and shooting her in the head. Shane urges Lori to talk Rick out of going to the CDC, but she backs her husband; while doing a sweep in the woods, Shane considers shooting Rick, and is caught by Dale with Rick in his sights. After they return to camp, Shane says he has changed his mind and will support going to the CDC. One family elects instead to go to Birmingham where they have family; Rick gives them a revolver and ammunition and they part ways. Dale's RV breaks down on the road, and while it is being fixed Jim, whose condition has been steadily worsening, asks to be left behind to "be with his family" (all of whom were killed by walkers). The group leaves him under a tree on the side of the highway and continues on their way.

The episode then switches to a video transmission made by a man named Jenner, apparently with the CDC (whose logo appears on his coffee mug and HAZMAT suit). He says it is 194 days since "Wildfire" was declared, with no clinical progress. The man is shown, in a biohazard protection suit, doing experiments on tissue; after a spill, he goes through decontamination, but an automated equipment decontamination process leaves his samples destroyed. He continues his transmission, lamenting the loss of his best specimens and contemplating suicide. Meanwhile, Rick's group has reached the CDC campus, which is surrounded by a military checkpoint filled with corpses, both military and civilian. They are unable to gain entry into the CDC building, and with darkness coming, walkers are beginning to arrive. As the group despairingly starts to move back towards the RV, Rick sees one of the surveillance cameras move. He bangs on the door, pleading for entry for his group. Jenner sees them on the surveillance feed and, reluctantly, opens one of the doors for them. It opens with a blinding white light beckoning them to enter.

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