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Z Nation, Ep. 1.09, “Die, Zombie, Die…Again”: Another example of show’s poor footing

Z Nation, Ep. 1.09, “Die, Zombie, Die…Again”: Another example of show’s poor footing

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Z Nation, Season 1, Episode 9, “Die, Zombie, Die…Again”
Written by Dan Merchant
Directed by Tim Andrew
Airs Fridays at 10pm EST on Syfy

Z Nation came out of the gates in its first few episodes with unapologetic force. Seemingly promising a series that stood firmly against anything melodramatic or clichéd by actively making fun at every turn, the show appeared as though it would be a great palate cleanser for those who are sick of stories about the undead. Unfortunately, the episodes that comprise the last half of this first season have been fairly meager attempts at achieving drama or tension, and “Die, Zombie, Die…Again” is yet another disappointing installment.

Mack and Addy return to our television screens after splitting from the main group of survivors and not being present in the last episode. Addy is still plagued with confusing and terrifying visions of zombies and gore, all while questioning the foundation of her relationship with Mack. In spite of her best arguments, he tries to convince her otherwise and sets up a ‘first date’, which is postponed when he becomes trapped in his own loop of hellish nightmares.

Although previously it seemed as though the series was playfully and consciously jabbing at tired clichés, the fact that they are now being used in an emotionally heavy context is more indicative of poor writing. Clichés are more than welcome when they are realized as overdone, but if there is nothing evidently self-aware, it appears as if the writers just did not realize that what they present has been done to death. With a setup in “Die, Zombie, Die…Again” that’s similar to Groundhog Day, but with more emphasis on the ‘it was all a dream’ chestnut, it is difficult to watch this episode without groaning every time Mack would ‘wake up’ again and do his dream over. Due to the fact that the show’s reality ceases to exist for the majority of this instalment, it makes for an entirely disengaging watch, because there is not a lot to drive the overall plot forward. Furthermore, because it is immediately established that Mack and Addy are locked in their nightmares, there is nothing particularly subtle or captivating at play. If a viewer sees something that should not feasibly be in the characters’ reality, such as a large snake, it is easy to just shrug it off as “They’re just dreaming”.

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Throughout the series thus far, there has been a feeling that the writers packed too much drama into the last half of the season. There were moments in the middle episodes where genuinely interesting story arcs began to come into play, but at this point near the end, it feels as though they will remain untouched, instead of solved or even mentioned again. One plotline in particular that had potential was that of Citizen Z, and how he was once entirely consumed by the thought of Addy existing. Although his obsessive and lonely tendency to think about her constantly seemed as though it would be a major point in coming episodes, there has yet to be a resurgence of that storyline. It is feasible that if the two characters ever meet that that will come back into play, but due to the fact that it has not been addressed for a few episodes, one begins to wonder how he got over his crush so quickly.

“Die, Zombie, Die…Again” feels as though it is just another presentation of small plot arcs that will soon be forgotten and pushed aside for something else. It’s eminently apparent that there is a lack of cohesiveness amongst the writers for the show. Instead of working towards a common A-plot while crafting their own individual B-plots, the show feels as though each writer is stubbornly pushing forward with their own agendas, while keeping to a vague theme that the characters eventually need to get to California. This could feasibly be a much better series if more co-writing takes place in the future, because if not, Z Nation will continue to be pulled every which way, trying to shove as much tragedy and shallow excitement into every moment.

[wpchatai]