Jalen Tormo (Rise)

Jalen Tormo was a survivor of the outbreak in Rise, and was a recurring character in the first season of the series. At the start of the outbreak, Jalen was at his residency in New York serving as an executive for the Foxwood Shipping Company. After being informed that the Bridgeport branch of the company was closing it's location for the day, Jalen made the decision to inform the remaining active branches of the company that their locations would follow that of the Bridgeport branch and end operations for the day whilst the national emergency was underway. Upon hearing of the Bridgeport location's intentions, Jalen began to make his way to his car in order to drive to the Bridgeport office and check in on the employee's after realizing the phone lines were down. On his way towards his car, Jalen encounters a reanimated monster, though lacks the information about the impending apocalypse to notice the monster as such, instead later describing the monster as a possibly drugged-up homeless man. After the man begins chasing towards Jalen, he ends up scratching him as Jalen enters his car and drives away. Again, lacking enough information about the monsters, Jalen has yet to realize that he has been infected. Once arriving at the Foxwood Shipping building in Bridgeport, he tells Jessica Callis, serving as manager of the branch, that he will take over her position for the short-term whilst Jessica attempts to make her way back home to her husband John Callis, and her daughter Amy Callis. Once at the location, he checks in on every employee, including Jack O'Rourke, Reggie Harbaugh, Shauna King, and Tyler Dallmer. Upon declaring to all employees that they are welcomed to leave the office to be with their families during the national emergency, Jalen seemingly begins feeling the effects of the infection. Later in the night, whilst the remaining workers are awaiting an update on the news, Jalen informs them that he will be going up to a vacant office to take a nap and get rid of a stomach and headache. After falling asleep, the infection begins to take it's tole on Jalen, eventually killing him whilst he slept. Jalen dies and then reanimates into a monster later after being helped by Jack and Reggie, who pierce his heart with a metal pipe, putting him down.
== Representation ==
Jalen is shown to be a dedicated worker, but is also mentioned to be more dedicated towards his workers than the company as a whole. This is represented by the fact that he made the trip from New York to Bridgeport, Connecticut to ensure the safety of his employees due to the phone lines being down, and yet to realize that email is currently functional at the time.
== Appearances ==
=== Season One ===
* Day Zero - Part Two
* It'll Grow on You
== Trivia ==
* Jalen is the first named character in the series to die of the infection, he is also the first named character to reanimate from the infection.
* Jalen is the first named character in the series to be killed, whether as a human or as a monster.
* Jalen is the first human or monster killed by both Jack O'Rourke and Reggie Harbaugh.