Z Nation - S2E9 - RoZwell

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Previously on Z Nation, ‘The Collector’

Starring: Kellita Smith, DJ Qualls, Keith Allan, Anastasia Baranova, Russell Hodgkinson, Nat Zang, Matt Cedeno, Missi Pyle, Doug Jones | Director: Jason McKee

BITES & MORSELS

The group makes a quick stop in Roswell to pick up supplies but end up in the middle of a rally for UFO enthusiasts. With help from their de facto leader, they discover that aliens are real (kinda), flying saucers exist (maybe) and there’s definitely another party interested in Murphy.

ZOMBIE ROLL CALL

This is an episode that Giorgio A. Tsoukalos would have great pleasure in watching.

There were a fair amount of Zs kicking up dirt all over Roswell, but nothing was more intimidating for the crew than facing armor-clad flesh-hungry aliens. 10K managed to bump his kill count up significantly during “RoZwell”, while bagging himself a pair of undead extraterrestrials. Which makes his current total… carry the two…

 

 

FIGHT THE FUTURE, MAN!

Strangely enough, what Sketchy warned the residents of Burrtown about in “Down the Mississippi” wasn’t complete bullshit. Everything the group has come across in their journeys in season two has some kind of connection. Communication towers, secret files with multilayered encryption, chemtrails… IT’S ALL ABOUT THE CHEMTRAILS, YO! Eh, who knows. Sketch either smoked double his weight in Z Weed or he may be onto something.

The oddities pile on in “RoZwell” with a cult of wannabe ‘extranauts’, half-assed conspiracies and vivisected Zs stumbling about like jack o’lanterns. The town has inspired Warren, Addy, Doc and 10K to share their innate interest in little green men. In the meantime, Vasquez keeps his handsome trap shut and Murphy… well, the supposed King of the Zombies aka Messiah of the Dead aka Savior of Humanity aka The Guy with Blue Skin and a Mean Bite thinks beings from outer space is a load of hooey. Imagine that. No matter because the wannabe spacemonkeys believe he’s the Emissary to the aliens. It never ends for the poor guy.

Murph will have to ride that crazy train a bit longer thanks to the supernatural visions of Bernadette, portrayed by the entertaining Missi Pyle. Given the overall kookiness that’s unfolding around them, Pyle injects a fair amount of levity in every scene, for Bernadette believes she’s been expressly chosen to usher in a new era for a select few. Considering Pyle has played very memorable characters in Mars Attacks! and Galaxy Quest, I’m certain a lot of viewers were expecting a swerve in the storyline, but nope! She’s 100% human this go around! Still the kookiness was ever present as Bernadette was disarmingly cheerful, flashing a smile each time she caught the gaze of Warren or Murphy. It also didn’t help that she had the uncanny ability to sneak up on people. Woman had no chill, I swear.

I DON’T WANT TO BELIEVE

As the self-appointed ‘inductees’ prepare themselves for their ascension, the gang becomes acquainted with a mysterious skeptic named Dan Scully (because WHY NOT?) played by the ever likable Doug Jones. Scully shares Murphy’s belief that everyone in town is one beer short of a six pack. Although that changes awfully quick when Dan shares his conspiracy theory with the crew. There is more to Scully’s involvement with the cult as the episode progresses, warning Warren and the others not to believe Bernadette and leave Roswell immediately.

Much of the humor in “RoZwell” played off well because Murphy played the straight man throughout, suddenly becoming the sole rational voice among his friends. The more Doc shared his interest in UFOs and 10K remarked about alien tech, Sasquatch and secret military installations, the harder Murph side-eyed all of them. Just when he thought they all lost their marbles, BOOM. PROOF.

THE TRUTH IS OUT THERE… MAYBE.

It appears someone has kept tabs on Patient Zero since the journey to California began. Addy toys around with an advanced interactive display and discovers a number of files about the ZA and viral strains that may be responsible. However one file in particular catches her interest: a star chart titled Zona. Odd, yeah? Now if you’re a diehard Z Nation fan, that particular intel may seem familiar as clues to that secret location may or may not be found over yonder.

After uncovering more dead Men In Black, 10K finds a new gun to play with but it’s Warren who takes the final shot and downs the alien menace for good. In the end, nothing was as it seemed for anyone. More was revealed about other active government operations, the acquisition of advanced tech and the location of Zona. Although disappointed at the outcome, Bernadette kept hope alive for the sake of her friends, and our intrepid heroes broke West at dawn towards their next big adventure.

NOTES OF THE DEAD

• When cut to pieces by an alien stasis beam, zombies kind of resemble olive loaf. mmm, delish.
• Now that Z Nation has been confirmed for the third season (w00t!), perhaps dressing up Nat Zang mid-scene should become a thing. Just a suggestion.
• Never eat teriyaki chicken from a roadside motel unless you want to turn into a Z soon after.
• What did escape from that chamber under the base?

Just when they thought the worst was behind them, the survivors will face a wall of undead in “We Were Nowhere Near the Grand Canyon” Friday at 10/9c on SyFy!