Little Red and the Wolfz: Review for Z Nation 305
Summary
There are times when splitting the episodes into Plot A and Plot B makes sense. Typically the story lines are so action-packed, cramming both into a single episode doesn’t leave adequate time to actually tell the story. I’m not feeling that this season. They split the plots over the last two episodes and while the Murphy hunting team’s plot steamrolls forward, Murphy and 10k tread water, rehashing everything we already know while buying time for Plot A to reach Spokane. The progress made in this episode is minimal in the grand scheme. We finally get 10k and Murphy in a story together, but it isn’t paying off with high sarcasm levels as anticipated. Too bad.
Little Red and the Wolfz
Review for Z Nation 305
By A. Zombie
Things in 10k’s noggin aren’t one-hundred-percent after Merch dosed him with the original cure and then he jumped into the river. His psychosis takes the form of Red, who we met in the season-opener. She leads him through the unfamiliar forest. Good thing one of them can think—10k pretty much checks out mentally the whole episode—because Will Chaffin is still on his trail. They play chase for a while. Something in the forest hunts them at the same time. We never get a good look at these “wolfz” until they’re all dead. They’re seriously underwhelming for all the build-up. I expected some weird furry zombie. More deformed military men? Really?
The real story is 10k’s inability to handle reality. At first, the Red hallucinations scare him as much as the racket the wolfz make in the distance. Eventually, he seeks her out during fights when he should focus completely on the thing trying to kill/capture him. During the moments he’s too weak to move on, she comforts him and in his mind, she’s protecting him while he heals. Red is the cure, essentially. If 10k were shooting heroine, she’d be the drug. It’s the typical junkie’s story, coupled with severe PTSD from the whole apocalypse thing and his time in Murphy’s thrall. The episode ends with 10k giving in and diving head-first into the fantasy. Weird how when he wants to escape, he lands at a picnic with 5k and Red, not back with the crew, or even reunited with Cassandra.
Murphy’s ego is a Weeble—it wobbles quite often, but never stays down. Merch’s death, and his perceived abandonment without her or 10k at his side, knocks his emotions all over the map. Before he fully snaps, he orders the troops to continue adding to their new home. He really does want to make sure there’s a truly safe place for people on the planet. The way he’s going about it leaves a lot to be desired. As does the overdrawn mental breakdown Murphy endures.
This might be the longest monologue on the show—that’s with Citizen Z living by himself for two seasons. Murphy mopes, rants, raves, and generally goes on like an entitled teenager who isn’t getting the newest gaming system for Christmas. He’s distraught Merch didn’t see his vision and instantly wish to fulfill it without questioning his motives. Worst of all, when he discovers she repeatedly took the original vaccine he realizes, “You’re saying it’s worse being me than being dead.” Uh, people tend to dig freedom in their mind over constant manipulation, dude.
Much like 10k’s side of the story, Murphy’s babbling doesn’t pay off until the end. Turns out, he was just hangry. A little nibble from Merch’s brain shines a whole new light on the darkness he thought loomed on the horizon.
Watch out, mankind. Murphy has what he needs to bring everyone under his sway and there’s no one in his way—for now.