But Noah Emmerich’s Dr. Edwin Jenner was definitely not an informational savior, and what Rick got from him was a depressingly damning reveal.
(And one that Robert Kirkman actually wishes hadn’t been shared.)
I admit that it would be interesting for the Walking Dead characters (of either medium) to one day discover that there’s a part of the country that is still working relatively normally, with ongoing research happening – and perhaps that’s what Eugene’s current comic storyline is hinting at – but that would be an emotional gouging to the epic story that has been built up already.
Back in Season 1 of the TV show, the live-action versions of Rick & Co. sort of got closer to the “facts” than anyone in the comic book, since they actually reached the CDC and spoke with someone thought to be in the know.