After the two hour flashback movie open for Z Nation in its third season. “A New Mission” picks up where the season finale ended. Murphy has gone rogue, 10K has switched sides and Roberta, along with her team, is taken by Chinese soldiers.
The playhouse has been torn down.
While there is some humor in this episode the overall feeling is one of somber grimness. It turns out that humanity is now a minority in this apocalyptic world. As a result Z’s are now eating one another as the food supply continues to dwindle.
Murphy has defeated Zorn for now but The Man is still out there and he has a new name on his list. The bald nemesis is on the trail of the blue man and he is closing in.
Z Nation is moving into darker territory, albeit with the odd comic moment thrown in, as the group have become divided. Murphy is off to populate his world with “blends” and take over. Warren is now changing her game plan and Citizen Z has an interesting new friend…with benefits.
“A New Mission” has some game changing moments. No least of which is a new “species” of human, called Enders. Brain fried people who look and act like refugees from Mad Max. This new threat is armed with blunt instruments, with the occasional sharper instrument thrown in and attack anything on sight.
The second change is that 10K is no longer really 10K. He is a blend. Granted, the guy with a gun is much more than Murphy’s other creations. Unlike Cassandra, who had problems enunciating properly after her conversion, 10K is clear, lucid and able to speak very well.
He is, however, unable to refuse Murphy’s orders. 10K is unaware that he is a blend, even after his creator points out that he has stopped counting his kills. Although he still has a degree of loyalty to the rest of the team. 10K proves this by killing the approaching Enders that threaten Warren and her team.
Murphy’s experience on the sub and Zorn’s intention of bleeding him dry for the “Billionaire’s Club” has left him more bitter than before. He is now working at building his army of blends. He plans to become the new leader of this post apocalyptic world.
Although underneath it all, he is still the same old Murphy. When asked about 10K, he lies – shaking his head to signify that the sharpshooter is dead. Doc, however, recognizes the trick shot that happens seconds later as being his old friend’s handiwork.
In this episode, Murphy begins to build his army and Warren’s team, after being captured by the Chinese, team up with scientist Sun Mei. There were some new toys in this episode.
The troops who capture Roberta and her crew have a ball that shoots laser directed nails into the heads of zombies. Later, the same weapon is used against Mei’s troops killing all of them bar one; Lt Mong (John Wu).
Mong does die soon after but at the hands of a giant Z that attacks him and rips out his throat.
By the end of the episode Murphy has gone his separate way, along with 10K and Warren is hot on his heels with her newest team member.
There is at least one comic moment in the episode: Soon after their capture by Mei’s troops, Roberta signals a “breakout.” Both she and Addy manage to grab guns, and in Roberta’s case a soldier as well, while Hector and Doc fail miserably in the escape attempt.
Warren has to surrender her newly gained weapon, and the soldier. Hector does, however, manage to make up for his inaction later when he saves Addy from the giant Z who attacked Mong.
The Man is still out there, walking into the are moments after Warren and her team depart the area. Still wearing his suit trousers and waistcoat with flip flops on his feet, The Man now has Murphy’s name on his sheet of paper.
Citizen Z, who is now part of a small local family, is watching the aurora borealis. His new best friend, Kaya (Romana Young) may be his biggest fan (But not like Misery. Okay?) and he may be happy but is his part of the mission really over?
Murphy has reached new heights of bitter self absorption. “There is no CDC” he snarls at Warren. He offers to take Warren on, there is begrudging respect on both sides, but Roberta declines the chance to become his “blend b*tch.”
This direction of Murphy’s is not new. He first thought of his own army in “Party With the Zeros.” In prior seasons Murphy was always thwarted by either Warren or circumstances. It looks like season three of Z Nation may allow The Murphy to take over.
Z Nation airs Fridays on SyFy. Tune in to see how Warren handles The Man and to see if 10K can break those ties that bind.
CAST:
- Kellita Smith – Warren
- Keith Allan – Murphy
- Nat Zang – 10K
- Anastasia Baranova – Addy
- Russell Hodgkinson – Doc
- Joseph Gatt – The Man
- Sydney Viengluang – Sun Mei
- Emilio Rivera – Hector
Mikes Film Talk 