12-06-2016, 12:00 AM
The show is on Netflix, for those who have subscriptions.
Quick background for those who've never seen the show. Z Nation is set during a zombie apocalypse. More of a B Movie style in terms of dialogue and certain plot aspects than "The Walking Dead", with more humor and less serious drama. The main characters are a group of heroes trying to escort a man, (see footnote), to a CDC center in California, and a lone man formerly working for the NSA in some polar spying/communications base. The lone man calls himself Citizen Z, and has been using the resources at the base to try to broadcast communications to the heroes when possible, and general information and music to the masses.
In season 1, episode 8 the main plotline follows Citizen Z as he meets a Russian Cosmonaut who happens to crash land just outside of the base. There is a major problem in the base however which Citizen Z is not aware of yet the audience are given multiple hints about. The cosmonaut tries multiple times to signal Z about the problem, but he never states it directly. It's important that Z must figure it out for himself.
It's a fun show and a good episode. If you have Netflix or other access to it I suggest you watch it. If not or if you're just not going to, see the spoiler below.
[+] SpoilerCitizen Z, in the last episode had been hitting golf balls by the machinery. This episode shows Z trying to clear his head a bit a couple times early. Looking up at the screens, he sees some activity and starts talking out loud about a hacker trying to break into his system. An alarm that looks like a smoke alarm goes off and he yells that he's busy working and knocks the alarm off of the ceiling silencing it. He continues watching the activity on the screens and sees some large object covered in fire crash down and here's it as it shakes the base. He looks over at his dog and complains that something like that didn't wake the dog. The screens depict what looks like part of a spaceship so he heads back to check it out. After he leaves we see the screen report a scan of the object shows no life forms.
When he gets almost to the doors to open the base, he sees wet footprints on the floor and realizes that someone has entered the base. He follows them and sees a Russian Cosmonaut in full uniform and points his gun at him to interrogate him a little. When he tells him he can take off his helmet and that the air is safe in here the cosmonaut disagrees, saying "The air is not safe." When he insists, the cosmonaut does take it off, apparently ok with the air in there.
The Russian's story is that he was the only man aboard the International Space Station shuttle when they lost communication with everyone and eventually had to crash down. He repeatedly tells Z that he is a friend and they do seem to become friends. Z shows him around and he asks about his dog; saying that usually dogs like to run around and play but his is just laying there. Z brings him back to where he plays golf and they play a bit. The Cosmonaut asks if playing golf is a good idea by all the machines. He goes to fetch a ball and when he doesn't return Z follows to find him staring at a red light on a machine with a cracked plastic piece. He sees his ball from the previous episode on the ground and says that he thought he'd lost that one. After waiting a few seconds for Z to notice what he was looking at, (which he doesn't), they head back to the screens area/main part of the complex.
Here they share some vodka and play a video game about killing zombies. Z excuses himself to the bathroom, and while in there sees the news about the ISS on his tablet. The news is that the oxygen systems failed killing all aboard and the station itself burned up on re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere. He now is suspicious and when he leaves the bathroom he goes out with his gun drawn, peering around every corner. He finds the Russian once again in his full cosmonaut uniform including the helmet standing in front of the same machine again as where Z found his missing golf ball. "We had one of these on the ISS". Z orders him to step away from the panel and accuses him of trying to "freeze him out". The Russian replies by telling him again that they are friends. "Who are you?" Z asks. The Russian tells him that he is not asking the right questions. "Why are you wearing that outfit again?" Z asks. "That's a better question." is the reply.
He ties the Russian to a chair and starts interrogating him while waving his gun in his face. He asks his name and again the Russian says he is a friend. Z says he is not a friend and that he has lied to him. The Russian asks him what is wrong with his dog. Z becomes confused, and blames the Russian for poisoning his dog. The Russian asks him again, telling him that he knows what is wrong with the dog. Z is getting frantic and repeatedly threatens to kill the Russian. Z is now very much struggling to breathe and accuses the Russian of poisoning him too. He threatens once more to kill him when the Russian replies in an insistent tone that Z is not going to kill him and asks him what is wrong with the dog.
Z turns to look at the dog for a moment and when he turns back the Russian is free of the bonds. They fight for the gun, which is knocked out of reach. The Russian manages to get on top of him and starts choking him. "I can't breathe!" Z manages to say while choking. "Why can't you breathe?" asks the Russian. "Because I've got some crazy cosmonaut choking me." answers Z. "No, you must do better than that. Fight for your life. Why can't you breathe?" the Russian asks. "I'm choking" Z answers. "Be more specific!" the Russian insists. "I'm not getting any air" Z says, and the Russian disappears.
Finally Z gets it, and heroically grabs the blanket on which is dog is sleeping and drags the dog with him to the back door while he is choking, getting the door open with obviously very little time to spare.
In my opinion, the Cosmonaut seems like a good representation of an IOB sort of ally working with Z in our world. He actually asks a few questions that seem a little naive about our world in the episode. Z was in an extreme situation and very close to death although he doesn't realize it, which justifies his being able to see and talk with the ally, (who calls himself "a friend"). The part about the ally insisting that Z figure it out himself seems correct, but I'm not sure why. Also, after it's over, it seems like exactly the sort of adventure a person is likely to forget; with Z probably filing it in his memory just as he eventually realized the problem and fixed it.
Footnote - The other plotline in the episode makes more sense when you know that the man is a sociopath with a criminal history which justified him being "forcibly
volunteered" to be injected with one of three dangerous potential vaccines
and then bit by zombies to test it, resulting in him having immunity to zombie bites. Side effects from the vaccine/virus combination have been becoming more apparent throughout the season. He seems to be slowly turning into a zombie. Also, other zombies have stopped attacking or trying to bite him.
Quick background for those who've never seen the show. Z Nation is set during a zombie apocalypse. More of a B Movie style in terms of dialogue and certain plot aspects than "The Walking Dead", with more humor and less serious drama. The main characters are a group of heroes trying to escort a man, (see footnote), to a CDC center in California, and a lone man formerly working for the NSA in some polar spying/communications base. The lone man calls himself Citizen Z, and has been using the resources at the base to try to broadcast communications to the heroes when possible, and general information and music to the masses.
In season 1, episode 8 the main plotline follows Citizen Z as he meets a Russian Cosmonaut who happens to crash land just outside of the base. There is a major problem in the base however which Citizen Z is not aware of yet the audience are given multiple hints about. The cosmonaut tries multiple times to signal Z about the problem, but he never states it directly. It's important that Z must figure it out for himself.
It's a fun show and a good episode. If you have Netflix or other access to it I suggest you watch it. If not or if you're just not going to, see the spoiler below.
[+] SpoilerCitizen Z, in the last episode had been hitting golf balls by the machinery. This episode shows Z trying to clear his head a bit a couple times early. Looking up at the screens, he sees some activity and starts talking out loud about a hacker trying to break into his system. An alarm that looks like a smoke alarm goes off and he yells that he's busy working and knocks the alarm off of the ceiling silencing it. He continues watching the activity on the screens and sees some large object covered in fire crash down and here's it as it shakes the base. He looks over at his dog and complains that something like that didn't wake the dog. The screens depict what looks like part of a spaceship so he heads back to check it out. After he leaves we see the screen report a scan of the object shows no life forms.
When he gets almost to the doors to open the base, he sees wet footprints on the floor and realizes that someone has entered the base. He follows them and sees a Russian Cosmonaut in full uniform and points his gun at him to interrogate him a little. When he tells him he can take off his helmet and that the air is safe in here the cosmonaut disagrees, saying "The air is not safe." When he insists, the cosmonaut does take it off, apparently ok with the air in there.
The Russian's story is that he was the only man aboard the International Space Station shuttle when they lost communication with everyone and eventually had to crash down. He repeatedly tells Z that he is a friend and they do seem to become friends. Z shows him around and he asks about his dog; saying that usually dogs like to run around and play but his is just laying there. Z brings him back to where he plays golf and they play a bit. The Cosmonaut asks if playing golf is a good idea by all the machines. He goes to fetch a ball and when he doesn't return Z follows to find him staring at a red light on a machine with a cracked plastic piece. He sees his ball from the previous episode on the ground and says that he thought he'd lost that one. After waiting a few seconds for Z to notice what he was looking at, (which he doesn't), they head back to the screens area/main part of the complex.
Here they share some vodka and play a video game about killing zombies. Z excuses himself to the bathroom, and while in there sees the news about the ISS on his tablet. The news is that the oxygen systems failed killing all aboard and the station itself burned up on re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere. He now is suspicious and when he leaves the bathroom he goes out with his gun drawn, peering around every corner. He finds the Russian once again in his full cosmonaut uniform including the helmet standing in front of the same machine again as where Z found his missing golf ball. "We had one of these on the ISS". Z orders him to step away from the panel and accuses him of trying to "freeze him out". The Russian replies by telling him again that they are friends. "Who are you?" Z asks. The Russian tells him that he is not asking the right questions. "Why are you wearing that outfit again?" Z asks. "That's a better question." is the reply.
He ties the Russian to a chair and starts interrogating him while waving his gun in his face. He asks his name and again the Russian says he is a friend. Z says he is not a friend and that he has lied to him. The Russian asks him what is wrong with his dog. Z becomes confused, and blames the Russian for poisoning his dog. The Russian asks him again, telling him that he knows what is wrong with the dog. Z is getting frantic and repeatedly threatens to kill the Russian. Z is now very much struggling to breathe and accuses the Russian of poisoning him too. He threatens once more to kill him when the Russian replies in an insistent tone that Z is not going to kill him and asks him what is wrong with the dog.
Z turns to look at the dog for a moment and when he turns back the Russian is free of the bonds. They fight for the gun, which is knocked out of reach. The Russian manages to get on top of him and starts choking him. "I can't breathe!" Z manages to say while choking. "Why can't you breathe?" asks the Russian. "Because I've got some crazy cosmonaut choking me." answers Z. "No, you must do better than that. Fight for your life. Why can't you breathe?" the Russian asks. "I'm choking" Z answers. "Be more specific!" the Russian insists. "I'm not getting any air" Z says, and the Russian disappears.
Finally Z gets it, and heroically grabs the blanket on which is dog is sleeping and drags the dog with him to the back door while he is choking, getting the door open with obviously very little time to spare.
In my opinion, the Cosmonaut seems like a good representation of an IOB sort of ally working with Z in our world. He actually asks a few questions that seem a little naive about our world in the episode. Z was in an extreme situation and very close to death although he doesn't realize it, which justifies his being able to see and talk with the ally, (who calls himself "a friend"). The part about the ally insisting that Z figure it out himself seems correct, but I'm not sure why. Also, after it's over, it seems like exactly the sort of adventure a person is likely to forget; with Z probably filing it in his memory just as he eventually realized the problem and fixed it.
Footnote - The other plotline in the episode makes more sense when you know that the man is a sociopath with a criminal history which justified him being "forcibly
volunteered" to be injected with one of three dangerous potential vaccines
and then bit by zombies to test it, resulting in him having immunity to zombie bites. Side effects from the vaccine/virus combination have been becoming more apparent throughout the season. He seems to be slowly turning into a zombie. Also, other zombies have stopped attacking or trying to bite him.

