Guns, Booze and Zombies, Oh My, Z Nation “Welcome To The FU-Bar” 

Guns, booze and zombies, oh my! Yes, we’re not far from Wichita in tonight’s episode, but look around, Dorothy, because this is definitely not Kansas anymore.  In fact, as the title of the episode so eloquently put it, everything’s F^*^&* Up Beyond All Recognition, yes a total FUBAR.

In the aftermath of Charlie Garnett’s (Tom Everett Scott) death, the group continues to have issues on their cross-country trek, the only difference is they have no leader now to step up with a plan to solve them. Their truck is on their last leg, so when they see signs for a gun show, they figure that’s a good place to start looking for a new vehicle as well as food and supplies. Of course, the advertisement of liquor might have something to do with it too.

   Guns, booze. What can possibly go wrong? — Murphy

WTF Is Up With Murphy?

When Murphy (Keith Allan) first realized he was changing in “Home Sweet Zombie,” he was sad, he was terrified and we were sad because he was sad. However since that episode, Murphy’s outlook is different, almost as if he is now embracing what he is becoming which seems to be a full-blown human/zombie zybrid.

While Murphy may not be very pleasant on the eyes, he is slowly figuring out his new abilities and each episode seems to be about his trying out a new skill. In last week’s episode, he realizes that zombies won’t attack him and actually become docile in his presence. With our being in the middle of a zombie apocalypse, this kind of power can go to your head and so we had the super-hilarious Messiah Murphy scene with his declaring himself God of the zombies.

This week the team needs a new vehicle and when the rest of the group strikes out, Murphy decides it’s time to step up and show them how it’s done. Murphy waits very smartly until one guy leaves the bar and then apparently passes out drunk. He seizes the opportunity and steals the guy’s car keys. He’s not fast enough, though, because the dude wakes and isn’t very happy seeing Murphy trying to rip him off.

This starts a big fight and what comes next is a total shocker. With no weapons to defend himself, Murphy does the unthinkable and lunges at the guy’s throat, biting a huge chunk out. He then grabs the car keys and just walks off like nothing happened.

WTF, Murphy? The big question is did he really feel the urge to bite and eat the guy or did he just bite him to see what would happen. I’m banking on the latter. The big reveal comes later when this same guy is shot and killed but he doesn’t turn. Murphy finds him dead, sees that he hadn’t turned and even says it out loud, almost like he just got the result he was looking for or expecting from the “test” he had just run.

This information is pretty important as it confirms that whatever is in Murphy’s blood, saliva, etc. it somehow neutralizes the zombie virus and prevents it from manifesting. The only question is will Murphy make it to California? Murphy has become my favorite character, so I certainly hope so. And if he’s indeed simply a zybrid as opposed to turning into a full-blown zombie, yeah I’m hopeful. The interesting part is going to be how much more his appearance morphs into that of a Z.

A Zunami Is Coming

Okay, I buy the idea of a gun show in the middle of nowhere because guns and ammo are scarce and if you’ve got them, it’s a good way to trade them for other much-needed supplies. But a shooting contest and in a zombie apocalypse no less? If your goal is to attract a giant herd then, sure go on and have yourself a shooting contest.

Citizen Z (DJ Qualls) had already spotted an extremely large herd on satellite making its way across Kansas, but even with his strong warnings, the group doesn’t see it until it is almost on top of them. 10K (Nat Zang) is neck-to-neck with this cute Asian girl in the shooting contest and won’t leave until a winner is declared. They do finally get out but not before the zunami catches up and is right on their tail. And they never got a new vehicle, so they are left trying to out run this herd of the century in a beater.

What’s more, let us not forget that Mack (Michael Welch) and Abby (Anastasia Baranova) went out on their own to try to find help and supplies. And with the zunami approaching, they’re not going to have a way to get back to the group. On the other hand, they do have a better ride, so they might have a better chance of outrunning the thing.

As I had said before, this show seems to be getting better and better as time goes on and this episode continues that streak. Lots of great character development for Murphy and Keith Allan continues to do an excellent job in the role. The scene in the FU-bar of Warren (Kellita Smith) getting past her grief was a little over-dramatic and over-the-top but in the end, it was of no consequence because the rest of the episode was so good.

And with the preview of next week’s episode, I have a feeling this one may even be better. It’s titled “Zunami,” so brace yourselves for what I anticipate being the most gruesome, action-pack episode of the season thus far.

Z Nation airs on Fridays at 10/9c on Syfy.

Random thoughts and observations

•  Is anyone else getting annoyed with Mack? I mean, come on, wanting to just ride off with Addy and abandon the rest of the group? What a complete jerk. Could this be an omen that he may not be around much longer? God I hope so, and if it is, then maybe Citizen Z can step in and get a chance with Addy. Now, that would be cool.
• The best zombie of the episode goes to the outhouse zombie with his boxers still down and at his ankles. What a hilarious scene!
• Loved the little crush that was set up between 10K and the Asian sharp-shooting girl. Ten bucks says we’ll see her again.