Will You Watch Syfy's Post-Apocalypse Survival Show Z Nation?

Imitation is said to be the greatest form of flattery. With that being said, the Syfy channel has jumped on the very successful bandwagon of The Walking Dead. They have created their own 13-episode horror/drama post-apocalypse zombie survival series entitled, Z Nation.

The series is produced by The Asylum, makers of Sharknado. More than likely, it will be a very low budget production with their signature over the top cheeky humor, which is a vast difference from the emotional roll-coaster of the Walking Dead. 

Speaking of production value, in the first season of TWD they received an initial budget of $3.4 million per episode. From the beginning, The Walking Dead strived for an authentic look through a variety of locations, dynamic movie quality special effects and masterful innovative makeup.

Z Nation takes place three years after a zombie induced virus has leveled the country. A team of regular guys turned heroes of the world, have to transport the only known survivor with healed over zombie bites from New York to California, where the last functioning viral lab awaits his blood. Although the antibodies he carries are the world’s last, best and only hope for a vaccine, he hides a dark secret that threatens them all. Ooh ominous. 

 

The primary cast includes Harold Perrineau from Best Man's Holiday, Lost and Oz, Tom Everett Scott from Beauty and the Beast and Southland and DJ Qualls from Road Trip and Supernatural.

Z Nation premieres Friday, September 12th, at 10Pm but if you are interested in checking it out sooner, Syfy released a trailer. Enjoy

 

The Walking Dead - Trapped Like Prey

Prey - hunted or caught for food, defenseless in the face of attack. 

In the season finale of The Walking Dead, Rick showed Michonne and Carl how to catch an animal in a trap. He explained if you camouflage the trap, you can control the movement of the animal and force them directly into the trap.

The irony of his statement is we now know, Rick's group was in fact the big catch of the day. The maze layout of the compound is exactly what Rick described as the perfect trap. The group was forced through the facility guided by snipers on the rooftops shooting at the ground and directing them to boxcar "A" by gun men in the bushes.

There is no question that they have done this before.

AMC released this photo of a deleted scene from the finale. We see Rick, Carl, Michonne and Daryl fighting off a several Walkers chained-up with stacks of human remains sprewed all over the ground (note how the remains look).

It's not zombie ravaged victims but carefully cut leftovers. If you read my previous post Come for Sanctuary - Stay as a Meal, I've suggested that  humans are butchered for their meat by the cannibals of Terminus. This photo is further proof of their practice. 

We have witness survivors feeding the undead before. Remember The Governor caring for his daughter Penny and Hershel keeping Walkers in the barn on the farm. Could the well-fed Walkers be former members of Terminus who now serve as part of the trap? What do you think?

The Walking Dead Insight from the Cast on Ep 15 "Us"

If you are like me you are anxiously awaiting Sunday's finale of the Walking Dead. The official show description states: "Many paths collide; Rick faces sheer brutality; the group struggles to survive."

That description makes me really wonder about Rick, Michonne and Carl safety.  Will Daryl be alright with this ban of ruffians he is currently with? I'm guessing things will be very intense on this finale and I hope they all survive.

I came across this video released by AMC and I thought you may be interested in hearing the perspective of the cast.

Enjoy

The Walking Dead "The Grove" - 2 Sneak Peeks of "US"

For many viewers this was a shocking episode to watch but, for the Walking Dead comic fans this was not a surprise. Fans of the comic series, anticipated the death of Mica and the execution of Lizzie.

The episode starts with Lizzie laughing and playing with a Walker, as if it was a play-date pal. Carol frantically runs from the house they have recently secured and puts the Walker down. Lizzie's reaction is volatile. 

In Lizzie's twisted mind, she views Walkers as misunderstood friends that are "just different". Since the beginning of her character, she's had an affinity for Walkers. I believe she relates to them because she's always been different from others.

As the episode unfolds, Carol tries to reason with Mica to embrace the notion of protecting herself from not only Walkers, but people as well. She explains that life is different now and you have to change to survive. Out of the mouths of babes, Mica says "Killing people is wrong and I don't even wish I could." Mica doesn't have a mean bone in her body and she reminds Carol of Sofia, another precious child not equipped for this world. 

As much as Mica is a sweet child, her lack of a survival instinct leads to her ultimate demise when her sister kills her. Due to Lizzie's mental incompetence she awaits Mica's return as a Walker. Her sickness has manifested into a disconnect in understanding what is a Walker. 

Lizzie confesses that she was just about to kill baby Judith when Carol and Tyresse arrived back at the house. They know having a mentally unstable person in the group is equivalent to having a time bomb. Carol had no choice but to put her down. Carol feels responsible for Mica's death and Lizzie's actions.

"Lizzie, Look at the Flowers"

This was first said by Mica when the girls had their backs turned away form their dying father, as Carol put him out of his misery. This must have been their father's way to calm her down. Clearly Lizzie has been a disturbed child for a while. Was the zombie apocalypse the responsible for her initial mental issues or was she already a broken child? It makes me wonder, how will Judith fair through this if she grows into a tween. Her entire childhood is surrounded with death. Which child's characteristics do you think she will adopted Lizzie, Mica or Carl?

There are only two episode left this season. I hope we see some reunions before the season ends. The official description of the next Walking Dead episode reads, "However brutal some survivors believe they must be to stay alive, we get to see that faith can sometimes be the strongest survival tool."

Here are 2 sneak peeks for the next episode of The Walking Dead.

The Walking Dead "Alone" Analysis and 3 Sneak Peeks of "The Grove"

Seeing Bob’s existence before he joined Rick’s group was a somber reminder of how being “Alone” can break your spirit. Bob’s solitude is a state of being that he never wants to experience again. When Daryl asked "Do you want to come with us?" He didn’t hesitate to answer "yes" nor did he need to ask any questions. The bottom line… he no longer would be "alone". 

Bob’s driving need to be a part of a Rick’s group keeps him with a hopeful heart to reconnect with the others in “Terminus”. But Sasha is not as trusting of the unknown as Bob, memories of “Woodbury” dance in the back of her head. Her tough exterior is a ploy to mask her fears. 

Despite that Tyreese is missing, Sasha’s desire to survive leaves her with the instinct to find shelter and safety. She realizes that she doesn’t want to be “alone” when Bob leaves her to find Maggie. Sasha and Maggie are very much alike. They are both strong fearless warriors who are sensitive to family. Hershel instilled a hopeful and positive mindset into both his girls. Because of that hope, Maggie is able to convince Sasha to stay optimistic in finding Tyreese while she maintains focus on finding Glen. Her one singular thought gives her an unwavering drive to walk through hell in order to reunite with him. Based on the last scene, she will meet Glen in “Terminus”... if they both make it.

The episode also showed us the development of the friendship between Beth and Daryl. Watching Daryl come back to life with Beth was comforting, but witnessing his feelings of defeat again was heart wrenching.

As Daryl sits "alone" at his lowest point, he is approached by a group of men lead by a man named Joe (same gang Rick hid from in the house until he could flee). Their initial inclination it to attack him but instead, Joe invites Daryl to join the gang.

 

I think it’s safe to say, Daryl's well-being with these men is questionable. When a man laughs after being hit in the face, he definitely has a screw loose. Beth's kidnapping was very shocking and creepy. Could the same gang be responsible for taking her? Did Daryl accept the invite because he feels that he doesn’t deserve to be around good people? Or do you think he really didn’t have a choice?