Sunday, November 11, 2018

Z Nation, Season 5, Episode 6: Limbo




We open with an epic and disgusting zombie fight - because Z Nation always brings the icky. Doc, George and Warren are following the markings of the Talker hiding and it leads them to Limbo

Yes, the same place the blends told Murphy they were waiting. It’s a… club. A casino. And general place of debauchery ranging from the standard table dancers and roulette to chainsaw duels and whack-a-mole.

Murphy runs the place now wearing a ridiculous outfit which honestly he kind of makes work and he’s much beloved by his people (there’s also a moment where he says he’s in a bisexual threesome relationship which would be more noteworthy if it wasn’t a single throwaway line for comic relief and to emphasise the debauchery of Limbo rather than actual representation.)

We have lots of scenes of the general ickiness and it’s notable that there are a huge number of Talkers in Limbo. Murphy claims to be apolitical and not involved in Altura’s issues but Warren notes that his is the only settlement in Newmerica which allows Talkers to move around freely. AND Limbo is marked as a safe place for Talkers - so it seems Murphy is not nearly as apolitical as he claims

They do have a gang of Talkers now, but they’re very very hungry and Murphy isn’t THAT kind - most of the Biscuits in Limbo are used for stakes in gambling. Among the Talkers is Marjorie - Dante’s wife.

He insists that the Talkers are just dropped on his doorstep from a truck and he knows nothing. George changes her opinion of Murphy and hits him with the full weight of her super empathy and gives him one of her awesome speeches

Murphy is impressed - but not buying. Even George’s beautiful idealism runs aground on Murphy’s cynicism. Murphy also remembers Estes from Zona - and thinks he was dispatched on a secret mission not that he left as Estes claimed. There’s also a hairy moment when the near zombie Talkers need to be corralled

They’re interrupted by the arrival of the truck Murphy mentioned - and he has a psychic sense of Lucy. He hurries down, thinking his dead daughter has somehow come back and opens the door to find…

ADDIE

Yes it’s Addie! I called it last episode! That spiky mace had to be Addie! She’s back! She’s back. And… perhaps a little broken. She’s deeply sad about Lucy’s death and she, Murphy and Doc drink to her passing, reminiscing and sounding deeply sad (the least said about the booze they’re drinking, the better). She resists the idea that she’s a saviour for the Talkers despite clearly being so - and angrily backs off when they mention Dante. She thinks there’s absolutely no way he’ll get anything resembling a fair trial and she leaves angrily


She’s delayed fighting zombies with an almost manic glee when Warren and George join her - and there’s something deeply joyful seeing how quickly Warren and Abby stand back to back to fight like they’ve never been parted. And they talk about Addy as her lieutenant, their willingness to die for each other and generally really hammering their deep and profound bond which makes me so happy to see them back together

Warren takes that trust and uses it to endorse George who promises she absolutely won’t hand Dante over to Altura.

She takes them to where Dante’s hiding and he naturally declares his innocence to the bombing and he doesn’t want to go back to Altura

While they’re collecting Dante, Doc and Murphy are going through all kinds of shenanigans with the Talkers, getting more emergency biscuits having to win them back in a card game which involves Doc nearly losing all his clothes, Murphy using the psychic bonds with his blends to win… followed by the man eating all the biscuits and exploding like a Monty Python scene. It’s just nasty

When everyone is back in the bar a captain from Altura arrives… Warren and Murphy both try to hold him off but Marjorie escapes again saying Dante’s name. He holds a gun to her head and Dante surrenders - George offered to fight for him but Dante refused to let her risk her life as he refers to her as their “hope for the future”.

He surrenders but, despite Warren intervening and Murphy protesting Altura has no authority in Limbo, he still shoots Marjorie in the head as he leaves

George is duly shaken… maybe her idealism has finally taken a hit

10k also joins them - for reunion, exclamations over his hand - and him revealing the trucks full of zombies that are being shipped into Newmerica territory.