The two-hour premiere event of Z Nation Season 3 has all the elements that make for a great episode: weird new zombies, impossible odds, rousing fights, and new friends.
We last saw Murphy (Keith Allan) speeding away from Dr. Merch’s (Lisa Coronado) buning submarine in a boat. Vasquez (Matt Cedeño) has struck off on his own, and Citizen Z (DJ Qualls) is frozen into a Citizen Z-sicle. Warren (Kellita Smith), Doc (Russel Hodgkinson), and Addy (Anastasia Baranova), and Escorpion (Emilio Rivera) (er, Hector, as he’d rather be called) encounter a group of foreign soldiers, most likely after The Murphy. And as for our favorite sharpshooter, 10K (Nat Zang), well, he was last seen on Dr. Merch’s submarine. You know, the one that caught on fire and sank? He didn’t seem to be on the boat that Murphy commandeered, but we know that he is still alive.
Now, we don’t see all our characters in No Mercy, but worry not, as this episode is a little more sideways than linear. We do see the return of a character from earlier seasons, and we meet the person who will likely be the main antagonist of Season 3: The Man, portrayed by Joseph Gatt (The 100, Game of Thrones).
We also meet a girl named Red (Natalie Jongjaroenlarp), her little brother (Holden Goyette), and the group of survivors they live with. Our gang has gotten sidetracked yet again by a hopeless cause against an evil Man, and stay to help, against their (well, Murphy’s) better judgement. And you’ll see glimpses of a place where it seems that the zombie apocalypse is but a distant concept.
The opening scene of the premiere — being billed as a movie — with an emotional monologue from Warren, gives this episode a somber feel, and leaves you with a sense of loss, despite only seeing flashes of an unknown character. Whether this sets the tone for the whole season (hopefully it won’t, as one of my favorite things about this show is it’s campiness and humor) or just for the movie is unknown; either way, it was extremely well-executed.
One thematic element you will likely notice in this movie is the color red, repeated over and over. From Red’s vibrant outfit, to Doc’s sunglasses, to brick and rusted sheet metal, the color red will catch your eye in nearly every frame. Doc has told 10K that red is an unlucky color, and references the “Redshirts” of Star Trek, but Red uses her red garb to send the message, “I’ll kill you in a heartbeat.” The color red symbolizes life, danger, blood, and adventure, which is a pretty good summary for this episode, as well as the whole show. The greens, blues, and yellows are generally less vivid in No Mercy, similarly, there isn’t much luck, peace, or happiness here. The other color widely featured throughout the movie is a dull blue. We see it in Murphy’s skin, and many background elements. This desaturated blue gives their location a sense of hopelessness and depression.
This movie kicks the season off with a bang (or a splatter, as it were). Keith Allan has lost none of Murphy’s charm (read: sarcasm and bitterness) in the months between seasons 2 and 3, and the writers have served up a generous helping of the humor and cheesiness that we all love. Kellita Smith’s Warren delivers an emotional monologue that will bring tears to your eyes. Russel Hodgkinson’s Doc is still the resigned optimist of the group, always seeing the glass half-full, even when there is no glass. Nat Zang’s sniper alter ego, 10K, is still quiet, but gets a bigger role in this movie, and fills a crucial spot. If you’ve seen the promo pictures, you’re probably pretty confused by the appearance of the half-zombified Cassandra, portrayed by Pisay Pao. I can’t give away much, but yes, that really is her, and she’s just as creepy as ever. And Anastasia Baranova must have been keeping up with her zombie-fighting lessons, because Addy skillfully bashes in lots of heads in No Mercy.
Z Nation’s special premiere event, No Mercy, airs Friday, September 16th, at 8/7c on Syfy.