We’re back with more summer thrills this week with the second episode of CBS’s Zoo. I kind of wish we had gotten to see this episode with the pilot, in a two-hour premiere, because where the introduction to Zoo was exciting and mysterious, the follow-up was much more informational. A lot of the questions we were left with last week were answered or at least explored last night. There were also a few new locations and characters introduced and it would have been nice to have gotten all this information right off the bat, but that’s scheduling I guess!
This episode served to introduce the main theory, so far, about these changes in animal behavior - fight or flight. Up until this point animals have feared humans and for the most part their reaction was flight, however now they have realized they can overpower us and all they need to do is fight, strike back, and they’ll be able to easily overtake us.
Fight or Flight picks up right where we left off with Mitch and Jamie standing at the cat tree. They call animal control and all the cats mysteriously run away almost as if they know that animal rescue was called. We see the cats returning home and snuggling up with their humans and it’s definitely creepy to think about what they’re plotting behind those beady little eyes! Also, I love the title sequence, it’s very pretty and creative. Throughout the episode, things are basically the same in L.A, Jamie is still doing her research on the corporation Radan however, we also see her computer being hacked and cloned? I’m not sure who’s behind it but I’m guessing it’s no one good. Since the lions from the attack at the zoo have been destroyed they use one of the other zoo lions to run some tests. They take the most adorable, little lion cub (stole the show in my opinion!) and they drug it while they are checking it’s brain waves. This scene gave us two very important clues. First, the lion cub had high hyper-gamma frequencies which is weird because lions aren’t supposed to have those at all. And second, whatever they are doing to the lion cub the other lions at the zoo seem to know about. They start freaking out at the exact same time that Mitch and Jamie start their procedure. This leads Mitch to believe that somehow, these lions are communicating with each other long distance.
“All they need to do is fight - and they can take down the human race.”
Meanwhile, in Botswana, Jackson and Chloe had been arrested for interfering with poaching. We see Jackson in jail and he’s trying to convince the police that there’s a problem with the lions. When he’s finally released he sees he has a missed call from Abe. So, did the lions call him like they messed with the radiator? Jackson and two of the police head out to where Abe was last seen, at the safari truck, and look for any clues as to Abe’s whereabouts. They spot him in a tree and rush to get him down. He’s still alive and trying to warn them about the ridge when they spot a group of lions heading right towards them. Three people with only one shotgun (poor planning - they know their are crazy lions running around!) are no match for these lions but thankfully they escape just in the nick of time!
It turns out, Jackson’s mom is a doctor or medical examiner and she’s in Botswana as well. She’s in charge of examining the bodies from the lion attack and she’s taking care of Abe, who, thankfully, will be just fine! This is where the “Fight” theory is first brought up. Jackson’s father had come up with this theory and has it included on some of his videos. Jackson thinks that the lions wanted them to find Abe, that way there would be someone to spread their message - they’re no longer afraid. At first Jackson’s mom is upset by Jackson’s theories about the lion behavior. She doesn't want to believe that anything his father said was true but after looking at the lion attack victims she thinks he could be right. These people were brutally murdered, slowly and painfully - not at all a lions style. She tells him that the rest of his dad’s flash drives are in Tokyo and so Jackson and an insistent Abe are headed off to Japan.
“This is unnatural, forcing a creature to do something that doesn’t come instinctively.”
Another location was added in this episode, Slovenia. The focus here is on a British couple who are adopting a Slovenian child. They're really nervous about this so when their little boy is afraid of the dog in the lobby they have it removed. Probably not the best time for an overreaction…Their little boy wants to go to the circus and so they plan a family outing. When they get there the tigers look rather unstable and the woman shows signs of sympathy and disgust at the way the animals are treated. Which leads me to one of my questions - can and do the animals know which humans are allies, and if so will that allow certain humans to be spared? I also wondered the same thing at the end. After the dog from the lobby lures the father out to that abandoned warehouse with all those bodies (ew!) and presumably kills him, the puppy goes back to the little boy and returns his stuffed animal and is very sweet with him. Is this “fight” behavior limited to adults? Are children considered innocent? I’m sure these questions will be answered in time but did anyone else wonder about this too?
“The fate of the world may hinge on it”
Chloe was also include in this episode. After leaving Botswana she travels back to Paris. She’s showing signs of PTSD and having flashbacks to the lion attacks. It looks like she has an important, government job and she’s highly respected by her coworkers. She also gets a visit from her sister, who we find out is also the woman that her fiancé slept with! Super awkward! At the end of the episode, a man stops her on the street and recruits Chloe to look into the dog and lion incidents because he thinks they're connected.
Overall, this was a very information-packed episode, as opposed to action-packed. At times, the pace was very slow and it felt like it was dragging. There’s also kind of a lot going on. All the bouncing around between so many places will take some getting used to but hopefully soon all our main characters will be united and looking for answers together.
Fight or Flight was a solid follow up to the pilot and I’m looking forward to finding out even more answers next week!
What did you think of
Fight or Flight? Let me know in the comments!
About the Author - Kate Sidwell
Kate is a 24 year old, USA based, Psychology/Public Health Researcher - but that’s just her day job! In her spare time she is an avid TV watcher (some may even say addict!!). Some of her favorite shows are Jane the Virgin, Bates Motel, The Flash, Chicago Fire, Chicago PD, Rookie Blue, Silicon Valley, Beauty and the Beast, Sleepy Hollow, The 100, The Mindy Project, Pretty Little Liars, Once Upon a Time, The Royals, Orphan Black…so pretty much too many to count and a huge variety! She’ll give pretty much any show a chance! She also devotes a lot of time to her tumblr (
eat-sleep-breathe-tv.tumblr.com) where you can find her reviewing and commenting on most of these shows and just generally fangirling! She’s excited to be writing for SpoilerTV on Complications, Baby Daddy, Proof, Switched at Birth, Secrets and Lies, and Minority Report!
