First, let me get one thing out of the way. I would be lying to you if I said Z Nation wasn't terrible. I'd also be lying to you if I said it wasn't fun either. The first season of this zombie show pretty much adhered to The Asylum's brand of terribly fun entertainment. We kick off season two of Z Nation with 'The Murphy,' an episode that takes bonkers to a whole new level.
Season one ended on a cliffhanger with the group separated and threatened by an approaching nuclear attack following Murphy's escape from the lab. How did the team survive? The episode did not take long to resolve it, they simply drove away. The evil Dr. Kurian also survives by hiding himself in a fridge. It is all a bit convenient, but coming from The Asylum some convenience is expected. Nevertheless, the premiere does achieve its job of getting the show on the road right away, re-introducing us to this ragtag group of oddball survivors.
The titular character, Murphy, continues to steal the spotlight as he did for most of last season. We find him at the beginning of the episode shopping for himself and his zombie friends, having embraced his ability to charm the undead. The clothes Murphy picks out makes him look even more of the sleaze ball he is. His actions this week aren't really too commendable either. Through his new abilities Murphy entertains himself by having two female zombies make out. We also get to see a zombie strip show. Yes, an undead stripper dancing around a pole, only on
Z Nation. Murphy's abilities has certainly made the character more entertaining, albeit slightly disturbing, and actor Keith Allan pulls off this sarcastic sleaze ball quite hilariously.
Murphy also bumps into Cassandra who is now half zombie and becomes Murphy's pet. It'll be interesting to see where her arc goes this season as she is the only expendable member on the team. Warren has pretty much solidified herself as the irreplaceable leader, Doc provides the humor, 10K provides the badassery, Mack and Addy are the resilient couple in love that every apocalyptic show needs, and Murphy is way too important to the narrative. Cassandra's role, on the other hand, has not been really well defined. Hopefully, this new half zombie arc will bring some much needed development to Cassandra's character.
Elsewhere is Warren, Doc and 10K's search for Murphy. The former breaks off from the team to search for supplies and food. Her journey this week was equal parts emotional and kick-ass. In last season's 'Home Sweet Zombie,' we saw a vulnerable Warren, grief stricken by the death of her husband and Garrett. This week vulnerable Warren is explored once again as she, devoid of all hope, contemplates suicide. Fortunately, Warren would find her way again after coming across a family who seem to be leading a fairly normal and happy life despite living in the apocalypse. We also get to see Warren doing what Warren does best - killing a horde of zombies and in slow motion! The bullet going through one zombie's head, and then curving into another was quite the spectacle, among other awesome knife and gun kills. It is moments like this slo-mo sequence that separate
Z Nation from its more serious counterpart in
The Walking Dead.
We are also quickly brought up to date with Mack and Addy, and the episode did not take long to reunite them. The all-female commune is quickly dispatched of off screen by the undead let in by the vengeful boy they kicked out in 'Sisters of Mercy.' Mack and Addy are definitely stronger when they are together, and it is great to see the show not wasting any time in getting them on the same page again. There is, however, still some unspoken tension between them, and the two actors do a great job in conveying that.
The storyline this season will concern getting Murphy to California, but now there are people after the titular character following Citizen Z's broadcast announcement to bring him alive to the CDC. We are introduced to a new character, Vasquez, who showed up to collect the bounty on Murphy's head and has now seemed to join the team. The episode ends with Murphy on the run with his undead acolytes, and it seems we are going to have a little bit of a cat and mouse game for the first part of this season.
We are also introduced to a new antagonist, the pregnant woman carrying Murphy's child who, by the way, can point in its mothers womb where Murphy is located. Ridiculous, yes, but this show definitely knows what it is and what it wants to be.
Z Nation's sophomore season looks to continue this show's brand of terribly fun zombie fare and it will surely be great entertainment, so long as you leave your brains at the door.
What are your thoughts and what do you hope to see for the rest of this season! Leave your comments below!
About the Author - Kollin Lore
Kollin is an entertainment writer and a film and television, in particular genre TV, freak having grown up during the 90s and early 2000s a dedicated fan of Buffy and Angel. Current shows like Person of Interest, Supernatural, Ripper Street, Penny Dreadful, Grimm, The Blacklist, Game of Thrones, and dozens of other shows are currently occupying Kollin’s nightly hours. His reviews for Into the Badlands and The Expanse will be coming this fall!
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