Manny Camacho reviews Z Nation…
This awful series has started to develop into something decently greasy, immorally interesting and oddly satisfying. Even if Z Nation has many moments that cause my brain to frantically send signals throughout my body to self-terminate from time to time. Originally I thought this series was trying too hard to be like The Walking Dead and truthfully I don’t like the production house The Asylum. They have sketchy practices for a variety of the films they produce and most of these movies (in question) are so awful –I lack the mental fortitude to control myself from subjectively stating to most people that The Asylums films are garbage and you’re not going to like it. But that’s hubris and not objective…So I’ll take a good couple of Cuban Expresso shots and continue writing…
There is an excess of high quality programming available which should quell our cravings for good TV outside of watching Z Nation. Especially now with The Walking Dead in its 5th season. However, I find it hard to resist to watch a completely different series on the Zombie Apocalypse. Because let’s face it…it’s another Zombie Apocalypse series and that alone will draw attention.
Z Nation isn’t very different from from The Walking Dead, outside of ultra high production value. The apocalypse has wiped out most of humanity and the group we’re following is trying to survive the horror. In similar fashion to the recent developments of The Walking Dead, this series focuses on a survivor who had an experimental vaccine tested on him just as a horde of “Z’s” broke into the lab where the tests were being conducted. He was the last of the test subjects as all the others immediately died as the tests were carried out. The horde of zombies overwhelmed the soldiers and staff in the lab and as a consequence our test subject, Murphy, suffered multiple Zombie bites and was seemingly lost.
Murphy actually survived! Being rescued by (arguably) the strongest actor the series had at the time. Harold Perrineau. Who can now be seen in Constantine as Manny an Angel that helps guide and frustrated everyone’s favorite “Master of the Dark Arts”. Perrineau’s character in Z Nation, Hammond, ends up dying in the first episode but charged this group of survivors with the task of saving humanity by getting Murphy to a special facility on the opposite side of the country. Of course. Because…reasons…
To make it somewhat unique, the first episode showcased a military base somewhere in the arctic north where one communications soldier remained behind as the rest of the base evacuated. Why they were evacuated…we don’t really know. We watch the lone soldier try to make it to the evacuation plane only to see it leave him behind and subsequently crash and burn. We can guess why this happened, but again…reasons…random plot points…
Our left-behind soldier who seemingly has years of supplies, electricity and an extreme control of global telecommunications, including satellite coverage, remained and functions like a guide for our group and dubs himself “Citizen Z”. a sort of post-apocalyptic pan-global DJ. This character is played by DJ Qualls and while I believe he truly is putting 100% effort into the role. (Usually) when I see him come into frame and begin to speak is when my brain frantically tries to send those self-termination signals I mentioned before. I’ve only convinced myself that he was functionally solid in a scene during episode 6. Everything else he’s done on this series has been questionable at best.
If I were to give an average rating of every episode from the first through to the 4th, I’d be giving it somewhere in the realm of 2 stars ★★. This is based on my own rating standards not that of Flickering Myth which dubs 2 stars as “Passable.”
However, all that said and I can’t believe myself…The 6th and 7th episodes were exceptionally decent.
I know, I’m shocked to say it. If you’ve watched the first couple episodes and gave up on the series, you’re probably wondering (if not) questioning my taste at this very moment. I understand, because I’m doing to same in assessment of my validation as a critic. This in the wake of this production house using references to its other properties…by conjuring up a tornado in the Kansas area full of Zombies and spitting out this gem “…They ain’t sharks!” A reference to The Asylums cult following phenomenon Sharknado film.
But alas, what this show has done relatively well is not rest on ceremony for the perceived main characters. Had this formula been used by The Walking Dead, Rick would have died before season one ended. Glenn would have been dead by episode three and Carl…forget Carl, he would have been fed to a “Z’Nado” as was coined by Citizen Z. Because it has no standing conviction to maintain their cast…so far.
The series ended up with two episodes that were relatively genuine and real to the emotion of the situation.
The 6th episode, “Resurrection Z” placed the group in front of a religious cult that called the Z’s “The Resurrected” as chosen ones. To be honest, the premise was parallel with some of what we were seeing on The Walking Dead for that particular week. A cross between Terminus and the new Church the group has stumbled on. But it had its own charm and clever storyline utilizing Murphy, the last hope for humanity, as a Zombie Messiah to aide the group in escaping the crazed cult. The tragic end to this episode is what will stay with you and the build up was genuine. You felt very early on that there would be no peace in the seemingly stable town they stumbled on. Even if you knew right away that the plot point of no weapons inside the town would never fully work you sort of wondered how could this place succumb so easily.
The 7th episode, “Welcome to the Fu-Bar” was surprisingly just as entertaining and continued the emotional state where we left off in the 6th episode. It was a slight break from the realities of the world without losing sight of those horrors. It reminded me of ending of Night of the Living Dead. People playing with Zombies like toys, getting their frustrations out on the dead in a manner that seemed almost more barbaric then the dead coming back to life.
The group found a random town in the middle of Western Kansas that was a Gun and Moonshine haven and trading post. There was even a completely random sniper competition for a very powerful sniper rifle that could have been used to trade for something of higher value. Even as the situation grew increasingly worse, the competition continued and the awkwardly cheerful mood of the crowd didn’t completely dissipate, even as people around them ended up getting killed and subsequently turned from something as idiotic as stray gunfire. A seemingly specific political and social commentary on the world around us. How people may be desensitized. My mind was blown, could The Asylum actually be producing intellectually thought provoking material? I don’t believe it! But the episode is there and its hard to argue with what is showcased. For now, I’ll continue to presume this may have been accidental. Good, but what I’d call “Failing upwards” or perhaps with a Zombie reference…”Stumbling Forwards” into quality material.
The best nugget of plot revelation in this episode continued to showcase Murphy’s decent into either madness or toward leading the audience to believe the vaccine used on him is failing. As he continues to get worse. While we’re not completely sure, in this episode he hisses and growls at someone and bites the person. The expectation is that this person would eventually turn and subsequently when they get killed still does not turn. Murphy is definitely carrying a possible cure. If not a natural immunity to the virus. To what extent is still to be shown.
I won’t completely spoil the events transpiring to the moments described but I will argue that if the series can actually maintain this sordid level of quality; even by forgetting that quality due to writing and directorial “fits of insanity” is still a good thing. By inserting awkward and horrid writing intermixed with the calamity of actually focusing on quality television will eventually hurt Z Nation. So let them go nuts with their ideas and let them actually steer it into becoming a decent show!
The series may actually have a fan following. Of course, we’re in an age that is in love with the Zombie Apocalypse concept. So much so to the point some of us…You know who you are, are prepared for such events and dream of the scenarios within this context. Yes, I’m among them and have been writing a book about this for the last 4 years.
With Halloween around the corner, The Walking Dead back in action and our appetites for Zombie mayhem alive and kicking the world over –I can see the appeal and ease for a lower quality production, like Z Nation continuing to grow and drive a market for itself. In fact, I think because it has gained some popularity, the production is being forced to grow and develop a few solid plots and storylines which will increase the overall quality of the series.
Z Nation is not The Walking Dead, it never will be, but it has an amazing tether to that Zombie-love emotion we’re all enamored with that keeps calling some of us back. I don’t love this series but sufficed to say it has potential and as long as it continues to produce material like the recent episodes; I might eventually utter the words (in this case type them down) “Give it a look, it might surprise you.” For now I’m not that bold. But I will give episode 6 ★★★ and episode 7 ★★★★. If they can stay out of the copycat business and continue to produce unique situations that are not so closely inspired by concurrently existing material it will get better.
Manny Camacho is a Miami, Florida based award winning writer and independent film producer whose current novel, I Think? No, I’m Sure…God Hates Me, is currently sold out of its first printing but will be available again on Amazon soon.
Follow him on @EmanuelFCamacho and on Facebook
Originally published October 25, 2014. Updated April 13, 2018.
