Saturday, August 12, 2017

Zoo, Season 3, Episode 7: Wham, Bam, Thank you Sam



Abigail has rejoined her fellow Shepherds and they’re trying to use the kids on Melvatox they kidnapped to be psychic. Apparently they’re experimenting on children for the sake of the hybrids, something Abigail loves because she is almost comically evil now.


Our gang of good guys are swooping in to the rescue by tracking the improbably radioactive drugs. Clem wants to join the raid but Mitch says no because a) she’s pregnant and b) she’s literally the key to saving the human race


I feel that her miracle baby is going to be used far more as a shackle for Clem. I mean, normally if someone says “you’re pregnant you delicate flower, sit yourself down and act like the incubator you are now” we’d call it out - we’d even have a call out in show from the pregnant woman (just look at Wynonna Earp doing just that). But by throwing in “saviour of the human race” that puts on a whole lot of pressure for Clem to be obedient and quiet


Abigail and her minions have alarms of their arrival and are apparently ready to go at a moments notice - because when the gang attacks all of the Shepherds and their data has been removed, leaving only a stasis pod (for Mitch to be very sarcastic about - because he’s snarky about everything) and the children since they don’t need them any more. The data in the tanks also proves that Abigail was there and healed


While Abigail herself goes to their nearly abandonned plane, attacks Clem and takes back Abendigos.


In the aftermath of the rescued children there’s lots of media attention and Logan is approached by clearly evil man, Henry Garruson. He’s part of the IADG and evil. He has reports of a hybrid attack in Germany which is a biggie because Hybrids are an American problem and he wants logan to join his evil organisation of evilness since he thinks Logan has lots and lots and lots of experience with hyrbids


People may argue that I have no proof that this man is evil. But he’s super cagy and the actor is Michael Hogan so there’s at least a 70% chance of evilness here.


Logan takes the deal, especially since, as he explains to Jaime, Jaime is more into Mitch’s surly ruggedness than Logan’s boyband cuteness. But Evil guy does have a lead on a hybrid in Peru which will help with their pokemon style collection.


So everyone back to the plane without Logan - we have lots of geeking over the stasis pod and the potential of the technology. Clem admits she had a fight with Abigail so Abe checks her out an Jackson and she have a moment about what it means to have the cure for the world inside you and the rather extreme pressure it puts on you. I’m glad there is at least a nod to this.


The blood tests do raise a concern with the baby - it has a disease which needs a full blood transfusion to help it survive or the baby will die in 3 days. Throw in super super rare blood type and Abe declares they have to find the baby daddy (and not in anyway is this an excuse for the team to check up on Clem’s ex). The father is Sam Parker but Clem has issues because, in hunting down Mitch, she kind of ran out on him without saying goodbye.


Anyway to hybrid hunting. And it’s teleporting wolves!


Oh dear gods no.


Actually it turns out not to be teleporting wolves - but 60 foot invisible snakes that eat things so quickly it looks like they’re teleporting


This, of course makes so much sense. Just remember the Earthquake sloth.


We also have a reunion with Max, Mitch’s father who accidentally tranquilisers Mitch. Which doesn’t go well with the daddy issues already between them. They have a long annoying history which isn’t helped by an argument over the etiquette over whether Mitch should have contacted Max when he was de-podded or whether Max should have contacted Mitch when he learned Max was depodded. Someone page Ms Manners, we need a ruling. There additional annoyance of Max being a cryptozoologist which a) Mitch thinks is nonsense and b) means he wants to keep the snake alive while Mitch and Jamie need its spinal fluid in sufficient quantities to kill it.


Max would also like to sell invisible snake technology to the military, because then we can pretend it’s science.


Time for lots of fighting with the invisible snake involving guns, fire extinguishers and Jamie being eaten whole. Which gives her chance to cut her way out of it which is pretty lethal even for a hybrid snake. Spinal fluid has been acquired.


On the plane Dariela and Abe continue their painful relationship. They have Isaac back and he has an apparent clean bill of health - but Dariela wants to take him somewhere safe, wants to go home because a plane heading into danger is no place for a child. Abe can understand that but at the same time he can’t abandon this mission to save the world - and these people are family. It’s refreshing to see Abe return to what he was in season 1 - the heart of the group, the one who cared deeply about everyone in it and held them together. Dariela understands that - but she’s a complete outsider to the group, she isn’t family. This is another reason why I hate how Dariela has been treated this season - she was already an outsider as a late arriving character; to then have her storyline covered in convoluted bad decisions and extreme animosity just pushes her further out. When we think of the 10 year gap between seasons, this was a perfect chance to firmly cement her as one of the group


The whole family dynamic is reinforced by the question over what to do about Clem’s baby - with neither Mitch nor Max being compatible donors they only have 3 days before the baby dies. There’s a way to buy more time - put Clem in the pod. While everyone debates this Abe is clear: this is Clem’s decision, their opinions don’t count


Which is nice but we’re still literally turning Clem into an incubator even if it’s something she chose. The whole end of the world thing kind of makes it a nearly impossible choice. Of course she goes in - Dariela wants to give them privacy so Clem can say her goodbyes to Mitch but Mitch insists they stay - because they’re all family. Including Dariela. And since mitch was the main person beyond Abe being hostile, this is a big step


Which is added to when abe declares he needs Dariela with him and they kiss. Please please please please let this be the end of Dariela is the worst plot line.


But now we have the tension - Jaime finds out that Mitch is her arch nemesis Mr. Duncan. She is sensible about this, recognising that it’s probably the fault of the evil chip in his head and he’s not to blame - but she still has to tell the others


To which Mitch injects her with something and she passes out. This is witnessed by Max - who has also stolen an invisible snake egg.

And Jackson goes to find Sam Parker and gets kidnapped by Abigail. So just as the whole team was united they’re all splitting up again