Escape from Zona: Review for Z Nation 402

Escape from Zona:
Review for Z Nation 402
By A. Zombie

One thing we know for sure, Murphy will need to find his daughter. Soon. As self-centered as he is after years spent playing top dog in Zona, the drive to be present for his daughter still determines his entire decision-making process. It’s kinda sweet. Lucy probably won’t see it that way, considering she spent those years scraping by in the wasteland while papa dearest took top prize in the weekly lawn bowling tournament. She’s been left behind at every turn, merely seeing her father in passing since he gave her up at the ranch. Duct tape can’t patch the gaping holes left after Murphy abandoned his child. But will Roberta’s vision-driven quest allow for a reunion?

These visions are seemingly tied to the deterioration of Zona and its people. As the new vaccine fails, the citizens Lose Their Ever-loving Minds, reverting to mindless, ravenous beasts which aren’t quite zombies, blends, or human. They’ve created a whole new cannibalistic problem while trying to solve another. To cap it off, one of these devolving people has access to a compound which burns flesh. Just like the rain in Roberta’s vision. If they’re supposed to stop this guy, they’re heading the wrong way, though. It’ll be a tad difficult to prevent something from spreading beyond Zona’s island if they’re back on the mainland with no coordinates for the doomed safe haven. Head scratching may be a Z Nation fan’s new pastime until we get far enough in the season for any of this vision stuff to make sense.

Back on the main land, things aren’t running smoothly for, well, anyone. Lucy and Addy aren’t just captured, but then shot at by a surprising foe, only to be separated before they can use the ambush to their advantage. They get within sneezing distance of freedom just to fall short. Now they may not only miss the group heading to the promised safe place up north, but also each other as they fight their way back together.

On the flip side, 10k and Doc volunteer to run up the road on a mission to locate a delayed supply caravan. Oddly enough, it’s not hard to find. The drivers left everything right there on the road. The drivers themselves? Gone. Not a trace of anyone in, on, or under the fully-loaded vehicles. They do find a house. There’s a firefight against unseen attackers. One of them is as good a shot as 10k. That’s . . . odd. We learn quite a bit about the new cast and how they function in tense situations. Which is good to know because things just got really, really weird while they were searching for the convoy.

At the northern-bound’s camp, Sun wakes by herself. Which isn’t that bizarre. But when she checks on her patient, they’re gone. As is everyone who stayed behind during the mission. Even Red is poof. Vanished into thin air. 10k doesn’t take the news well when the squad returns. Everyone else feels much like I do—what the heck happened to the others? Is it the langoliers? Wait. Wrong universe. But seriously, how can dozens of people disappear without a trace? Humankind is small enough without half the population going MIA.