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S01.E05: Blame It On Leo

Tara Ariano

By Tara Ariano
in Zoo [V]

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MissLucas

MissLucas

Definitely not enough snark-fodder in this episode! And not enough killer zebras! Weakest outing yet - we need at least one over-the-top animal attack/mauling per episode and those stupid bats just don't cut it anymore. They peaked in the Antarctic.

 

I never paid much attention in science classes (just like annoying journalist) though I'm not sure that would help here, but why exactly did they need the Mother Cell right after stating that the Mother Cell is everywhere? Are we following the same logic here as Orphan Black where they needed to get their hands on the Original? And why did the Mother Cell look like a frog mummy - or was my monitor playing tricks. All I could see in the plastic container was something warty greenish grey.

 

And bats do have a defiant pupil, ha!

  • Love 2
Clanstarling

Clanstarling

Chloe and her eyeball acting are here for exposition purposes.

I never really noticed it until I read the forums, and now I can't unsee it. But if she's going to stick with eyeball acting, she should throw a few squints in for variety.

 

I don't know why Moron Gang figured it was a good idea to steal from armed thugs instead of either using SOMEONE'S CREDIT CARD... or calling their superiors for access to a larger bank account or calling that woman from RIO's intelligence agency and asking for a loan of equipment to solve their bat problem.

I know! Add to all that foolishness, they thought "yeah, let's go steal the tower we saw the bats short out only a few hours ago." Brilliant logic there. When the bat attacked the phone, I thought it was trying to make a call to the mother cell.

 

I've been dive-bombed.  You've been dive-bombed.  I'm beginning to think that even the birds know this show is crap. 

An aggressive bluejay once stole a peanut M&M out of my husband's fingers, an inch or two away from his mouth. Birds are no shrinking violets.

Free

Free

Definitely not enough snark-fodder in this episode! And not enough killer zebras! Weakest outing yet - we need at least one over-the-top animal attack/mauling per episode and those stupid bats just don't cut it anymore. They peaked in the Antarctic.

 

Exactly, it's the only thing they can offer since everything else is just a convoluted mess.

 

 

When the little girl was having a seizure I kept wanting her to mention pink stars falling. 

 

I knew it reminded me of something.  XD.

  • Love 1
raven

raven

(edited)

"An outlawed insecticide, you're risking the health of every living thing in Rio".

"We know, but people are frightened".  And dead people can't be frightened amirite??

 

I love FBI guy being in standard issue FBI suit and shades for the trip to Rio.  Too bad he didn't dance on the sand.  Even without that, he's having fun and can keep snarking around.

 

Bat-made explosions are not good enough, can't believe there were no attacks this ep.  Very, very disappointing.

 

I also wondered about their scooby budget.  They should be outfitted with a bad ass traveling lab or something.  Abe did have $ for bribery, and Mitch's hair picked up some tupperware to store the bat who faked his own death.

 

 

Chloe and her eyeball acting are here for exposition purposes.

 

What is it with bug eyes?  Looney Leo was rocking the bug eyes and even Scoops was doing the wide eye.

 

Since we got the Mother Celllode of exposition out of the way this week, can we please go back to attacks?  Please???

Edited by raven
  • Love 2
Netfoot

Netfoot

(edited)

That sounds like a pretty badass cat.

 

I picture him wearing thigh-high black leather boots, a bandanna around his head, and an eye-patch.  And carrying a naval cutlass.  He doesn't say "Mowrr!"  He says "Arrrrrrr!" instead.  (Or she, maybe.)

 

ETA:

Yep. This is what Zoo needs to be a couple times each episode.

 

Right!   Only... with zebras!

Edited by Netfoot
MDKNIGHT

MDKNIGHT

This show is kind of weirder with the real life broohahhah regarding the killing of a protected lion by a US dentist going on.

I still think my biggest hurtle in buying the premise is that we have enough guns and other tech to make pretty much all the animals and ourselves extinct. I just can't take the animal threat seriously. Now, if you tell me that by continuing to eat animals like chickens and cows the whammy goes into us and we become wolf-Manson, THAT I can see as a really scary threat.

  • Love 1
ratgirlagogo

ratgirlagogo

 

The Brazilian gov't is prepared to dose nearly 7 million people with noxious pesticide to kill the bats -- bats that don't appear to be attacking anyone, and appeared to be confining themselves to one section of the city.

Now you see, this could so easily have been just handwaved along - the bats are only attacking the favela/ghetto parts of Rio, so who cares if the human beings who live there survive or not?  And yet even though we see that that bats only attack the ghetto, we are not given an explanation for that - and all we need is some kind of token handwave to go onto the next adventure/attack.  And yet we don't get the token explanation.  COME THE FUCK ON.  This ain't PBS.  Nobody cares about any real factual shit, just make the internal bullshit story consistent and we'll just go with it.  Sheesh.

 

Another example - the crusading independent journalist who has devoted her entire life to trying to bring down Monsanto, whoops, I mean Reiden, doesn't even know fourth grade level scientific terminology or concepts.  Good god show, it would be EASIER to just show her knowing that "scat" means shit and what trophic levels in the food chain are.  

 

But the worst sin on this show is the LACK OF ANIMAL ATTACKS.  SyFy shows them week after week with a fraction of the CBS budget.  Come on.  These people are BORING.  Where are the animal attacks??!!??!!

  • Love 5
ottoDbusdriver

ottoDbusdriver

Now you see, this could so easily have been just handwaved along - the bats are only attacking the favela/ghetto parts of Rio, so who cares if the human beings who live there survive or not?  And yet even though we see that that bats only attack the ghetto, we are not given an explanation for that - and all we need is some kind of token handwave to go onto the next adventure/attack.  And yet we don't get the token explanation.  COME THE FUCK ON.  This ain't PBS.  Nobody cares about any real factual shit, just make the internal bullshit story consistent and we'll just go with it.  Sheesh.

 

It just can't be the technology attracting the bats -- are the show writers seriously trying to say that the more upscale neighborhoods of Rio have less technology ?  If anything, they would have even more than the favela areas.  So why are the bats concentrated in just those areas again ?

  • Love 2
shapeshifter

shapeshifter

This show is kind of weirder with the real life broohahhah regarding the killing of a protected lion by a US dentist going on.

Seriously.

I still think my biggest hurtle in buying the premise is that we have enough guns and other tech to make pretty much all the animals and ourselves extinct. I just can't take the animal threat seriously. Now, if you tell me that by continuing to eat animals like chickens and cows the whammy goes into us and we become wolf-Manson, THAT I can see as a really scary threat.

The hive mind among animals only would give them a leg up on us. Now that they've decided a bacteria is involved, it's easy to explain that this bacteria does not infect humans.

I picture him wearing thigh-high black leather boots, a bandanna around his head, and an eye-patch.  And carrying a naval cutlass.  He doesn't say "Mowrr!"  He says "Arrrrrrr!" instead.  (Or she, maybe.)

He was all boy. But very civilized--he never killed anything in the house. I had to plug the mouse holes because he would only chase the mice around indoors. Dead bodies were always left outside on the doorstep. This cat respected where his cat food came from. No humans were harmed.
ennui

ennui

It seems to me if you put humans (without our technology like guns, bows and knives ) against a good number of predictors we would be at a distinct disadvantage. Like Mitch said it is our ability to reason and our tech that puts us higher. Take those away and we would actually be pretty low on the scale.

The “Big Four” types of literary conflict: Man vs. Man, Man vs. Nature, Man vs. Society, and Man vs. Self.  Here we have Man vs Nature (and Jack London did it better).

 

I did ponder a bit over the Mother Cell. Leo (more eyeball acting) said it would make things "faster better cheaper," and I remembered the Six Million Dollar Man, who was "better stronger faster." I guess this is the budget offering?

  • Love 1
Trini

Trini

(edited)

Well, this one was disappointing. I can roll with nonsensical, but not nonsensical and BORING. There was barely anything to snark on -- but a couple of things:

 

Frenchy just got attacked by a bat, but then came inside and left the door open!

 

The stupid plan to get rid of the bats. They actually don't really know WHY the bats are swarming and why in that area, but they GUESS it because technology, so they plan to put a cell tower in the jungle? But they have to steal it from the favela? The same favela where they were held at gunpoint? And they're doing all this on their own without the Brazil authorities?

 

???

 

Come on, show. I had high hopes after Wolf Prison Break. Let's get back to that.

Edited by Trini
  • Love 2
MissLucas

MissLucas

(edited)

 

are the show writers seriously trying to say that the more upscale neighborhoods of Rio have less technology ?  If anything, they would have even more than the favela areas.  So why are the bats concentrated in just those areas again ?

Er, I think Abe mentioned something about those contraptions not being properly insulated and therefore giving off more *cough* electric radiation or something unlike proper transformers in affluent parts of the city. Of course that still won't explain the Japanese bat attack or the lion attack in the pilot but there you go!

 

Now that they've decided a bacteria is involved, it's easy to explain that this bacteria does not infect humans.

Ah, but Wolfmanson has the defiant pupil!

 

I agree with the reviewer - this show must get dumber to be good.

Edited by MissLucas
  • Love 1
animom101

animom101

DId I hear an Australian Kookaburra in the Alabama swamp?  Really?  Need better science advisors.

A student's microscope would not have enough magnifying capability to see a bacteria's marker.

This marker-the signature of the scientist who created the bacteria, is NOT VISIBLE, even with an electron microscope.  This marker is found with DNA sequencing, an addition of genes that may flouresce or specific antibiotic resistance,

 

It is impossible for bacteria to replicate so quickly that the coffee pot shattered.  This speed of replication would kill any host VERY quickly.  This appeared more like an exothermic reaction. 

maczero

maczero

That's the really stupid part -- they already had a rental car.  When they met Gabriela and her crew in Rio in the parking garage, they was a gray car right behind them that they obviously drove there.  Since it was the only car on the entire level.

One could argue a truck/suv would be more useful for hauling equipment and going off road than a car.  Although stealing one seems like it would invite more trouble than they need.  OTOH, they're already stealing the telecom equipment anyway so what's one more crime?

 

I still think my biggest hurtle in buying the premise is that we have enough guns and other tech to make pretty much all the animals and ourselves extinct. I just can't take the animal threat seriously. Now, if you tell me that by continuing to eat animals like chickens and cows the whammy goes into us and we become wolf-Manson, THAT I can see as a really scary threat.

The problem is we can't kill off the animal kingdom without screwing ourselves over in the process.  What do we eat?  What about the environmental impacts of killing off every animal species on the planet?  The threat is valid in my opinion.

MDKNIGHT

MDKNIGHT

(edited)

"The problem is we can't kill off the animal kingdom without screwing ourselves over in the process.  What do we eat?  What about the environmental impacts of killing off every animal species on the planet?  The threat is valid in my opinion."

 

I understand that.  And a story set in the future where we are about to go extinct because we've destroyed our environment has merit.  However THIS particular set up is just not being executed in a way that I find scary or thrilling.  Yes LONG TERM we might be endangered but right at the time the show is set we could blast the hell out of any lions or dogs that were threats, stop having cats as pets ,if they really turn on us and even in this set up I'm not sure they would.  Stray dogs have something to gain by killing and eating us.  The house cats and dogs don't for the most part interact with us out of fear.  They have positive bonds with us.  The defiant pupil allegedly makes the animals not see us as unconquerable.  I'm not sure what that would do to an animal that doesn't fear us in the first place.  So the cats get together and kill a bunch of kindergarteners....how are they better off?  Any way I suppose we'd get special containers for chickens and better fences for cows and go in with protective clothing when we were going to milk a cow or get eggs etc but call me an optimist but I think we'd muddle through once we knew what the danger was.  Of course keep in mind that when I look at the scenario I believe if the dead COULD rise (which is absolutely impossible) it would be more of the Zombie Inconveniance than a Zombie Apocalypse. 

Edited by MDKNIGHT
shapeshifter

shapeshifter

And killer penguins would have been hilarious.

I think even better than killer penguins or killer zebras would be intimidating penguins or zebras. As an older small powerless person who is able to convince large young men to behave or help or get back to work or just be polite, I like to think the penguins would scare folks by encircling and staring at them with the defiant pupil.
  • Love 2
shapeshifter

shapeshifter

At least Mitch named his daughter well. No idiotic Minx.

Based on my experience of having named 3 daughters, Clementine is not a name a child would be grateful for. I wonder if her initials spell CAT.

I am looking forward to hearing Billy Burke argue with his ex about Clem with an almost straight face every time he says the name.

Cute fake-out, though, with "Leo" being a person and not a lion.

  • Love 1
MissLucas

MissLucas

(edited)

They're in Brazil. No attacking parrots or macaws? Monkeys? C'mon where's the pirahna attack on innocent swimmers?.

 

 

True - why go to Brazil when you don't want to feature fearsome local fauna? Piranhas on the Copacabana (hey, if bats can fly to Antarctica the whole freshwater thing is clearly a non-issue). Also missing: anacondas and poisonous frogs in the drains. And let's not get started on things with more than four legs: "It is calculated that Brazil has more insects than any country in the world. It is estimated as having over 70,000 species of insects"

*cancels plans to visit Rio*

Edited by MissLucas
  • Love 5
izabella

izabella

(edited)
I never paid much attention in science classes (just like annoying journalist) though I'm not sure that would help here, but why exactly did they need the Mother Cell right after stating that the Mother Cell is everywhere? Are we following the same logic here as Orphan Black where they needed to get their hands on the Original? And why did the Mother Cell look like a frog mummy - or was my monitor playing tricks. All I could see in the plastic container was something warty greenish grey.

 

I think when they said the Mother Cell was everywhere, they meant it was everywhere in Reidel's millions of products, which are globally distributed everywhere. 

 

I don't know why they need the original Mother Cell.  Maybe to study it to find an antidote?

Edited by izabella
Bruinsfan

Bruinsfan

I never paid much attention in science classes (just like annoying journalist) though I'm not sure that would help here, but why exactly did they need the Mother Cell right after stating that the Mother Cell is everywhere? Are we following the same logic here as Orphan Black where they needed to get their hands on the Original? And why did the Mother Cell look like a frog mummy - or was my monitor playing tricks. All I could see in the plastic container was something warty greenish grey.

When I saw that the Mother Cell was a visibly large lump of green gunk in a vial it immediately reminded me of this:

https://youtu.be/VAwdh2iWyJg?t=1m17s

 

Which of course means that Reiden is basically acting out the plot of The Stuff.

Clanstarling

Clanstarling

At least Mitch named his daughter well. No idiotic Minx.

Why pick on poor bats? Poor things.

They're in Brazil. No attacking parrots or macaws? Monkeys? C'mon where's the pirahna attack on innocent swimmers?

In Louisiana they should have been attacked by gators and nutria.

Unless I'm forgetting an animal - I think that for now, they're sticking to mammals. So - where are the rampaging spider and howler monkeys - or is that too Planet of the Apes?

Rambler

Rambler

OK so I guess the Scooby gang needs to break into high school labs because, although they can afford to fly anywhere at the drop of a hat, apparently they are unable to pay for their own microscopes. Because of course the scientist guy is only going to need to use a microscope once.

 

Brilliant plan that the Brazilians came up with to kill the bats with insecticide. Because we all know that you can kill mammals with something that was designed to be used on bugs. Right?

 

And have they forgotten about the big game hunter from the first episode? I am still waiting impatiently for his face to be eaten by lions. Also if they could have someone edit in a line where he mentions that he is a dentist from Minnesota that would be great.

  • Love 6
JTMacc99

JTMacc99

(edited)

OK so I guess the Scooby gang needs to break into high school labs because, although they can afford to fly anywhere at the drop of a hat, apparently they are unable to pay for their own microscopes. Because of course the scientist guy is only going to need to use a microscope once.

I think they probably had a hard time coming up with a way to create drama at the microscope store. The hunting store was easy. Just have Mitch interact with hunters and we have a scene.  Using the school lab was easy. Just have them run out just in time for third period.  But the microscope store? That might be the one place on earth where Mitch wouldn't be interesting.

Edited by JTMacc99
shapeshifter

shapeshifter

(edited)

And have they forgotten about the big game hunter from the first episode? I am still waiting impatiently for his face to be eaten by lions. Also if they could have someone edit in a line where he mentions that he is a dentist from Minnesota that would be great.

Wasn't he from a country other than the US? Maybe he could mention his good buddy, a dentist from Minnesota.

Last night I heard an interview on NPR with one of the stars of the 1981 film Roar that is going to be released in the US for the first time:

Roar now has a cult reputation for the number of cast and crew injured during filming. The tagline for the US re-release was: "No animals were harmed in the making of this movie. 70 members of the cast and crew were."

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/movies/roar-the-longforgotten-wildlife-movie-that-injured-70-cast-and-crew-20150710-gi8zrv.html#ixzz3hqXef6QA

I'd be surprised if this show doesn't give Billy Burke at least a throw away line about the stupidity of that project--which would be funnily ironic if delivered just before he injects an lion with adrenaline or something.

Edited by shapeshifter
  • Love 2
Sandman

Sandman

How is Evan Lee Hartley even aware of the Mother Cell ?  If he has been on death row and about to be executed the next day before the wolf attack, that means that he has probably been in prison for at least a decade or more (the average for Mississippi is 12-15 years).  And if the Mother Cell was only discovered 12 years ago, and took a while to develop and determine what it was and what the side effects were, he would have been in prison already.  So when was that photo taken of Manson-lite and Papa Oz ? The dates that have been provided just aren't adding up.  Did the wolves tell him to go looking for it let alone describe what it would look like once he saw it ?

 

I'm not even sure how the Mother Cell was supposed to work. How does having a genetic "vector" (yeah, whatever) make Reiden Global's products more competitive? My current cracked out theory is that humans who take Reiden Global pharmaceutical products become the alphas in the Defiant Pupil Club -- I'm sure it'll be revealed that Wolf Manson was treated for childhood acne with ReidenActiv or something, and that's why the lab is protecting Clem. 

 

When Frenchie was on the balcony talking to McHunky on the phone, I wasn't really riveted with fear by the bat hanging near her head.

 

I was! Bats creep me out, the leathery little demonspawn.

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