S04.E05: The Unknowns

[ottoDbusdriver]

The team is captured by an Unseen Force and enslaved in an elaborate underground facility, forced by their mysterious captors to perform a series of bizarre, dangerous tasks.

 

[Machiabelly]

I have a feeling this will be an unpopular opinion...but I enjoyed this episode. Not sure why. It was obviously there solely to get Murphy bitten. 

But I had fun.

[Ohwell]

I have to admit, I was bored and kind of confused during the first half, but then I got sucked in later on.  That was some weird shit going on. 

Murphy eating his skin grossed me out though so I couldn't watch that.  I am enjoying him more, seems he's funnier since he's not blue-green, and I like how he is so protective of Lucy.  He cracked me up wielding that bowling pin. 

I thought for sure Doc was a goner when he was trying to breathe, and if either he or 10K bites the dust, then I don't think I can watch anymore.

Edited October 28, 2017 by Ohwell

[Jordan61]

19 minutes ago, Ohwell said:

Murphy eating his skin grossed me out though so I couldn't watch that.  I am enjoying him more, seems he's funnier since he's not blue-green, and I like how he is so protective of Lucy.  He cracked me up wielding that bowling pin. 

There were a lot of funny moments in this episode: Murphy eating the bird, Doc farting in the crate, 10k excitedly saying, "I love dog food!" But will we ever find out what was going on and who set that all up? And yes, that skin/scar tissue eating is SO GROSS.

I never really cared for Addy so I'm not missing her, but I would trade Sarge for her in a hot second.

Quote

I thought for sure Doc was a goner when he was trying to breathe, and if either he or 10K bites the dust, then I don't think I can watch anymore.

Oh, me too! I think it's the first time in a long time that I wondered if they would actually kill off one of the core group. That said, I can't imagine that bite that Murphy got is going to be a death sentence. It'll be interesting to see where they go with it.

I love Murphy's Zona shirt!

[Ohwell]

I forgot about Doc farting in the crate!

[51Muses]

I like mysteries so I really liked this episode. It had suspense, action, humor and character development. Lots of good lines. My fav was Doc's "Kidnapped and enslaved for evil purposes. Again. I hate it when this happens." 

No one batted an eye as Murphy was spitting out feathers. There was no hesitation with the dog food feeding. That’s realistic. In an apocalypse, food is food no matter what it was pre-Z times.

For reference, here are the mini quests in this episode. Yes, I took notes. Each quests "builds" the map. 

Doc (mentioned but not seen): Clear stairwell with 2 redshirts. 

Warren: Clear Elevator (crowbar, key)

Doc & 10K: Close pipes to clear noxious gas. (Wrench, duct tape)

Sarge: Up the stairs to hallway then another stairway.

Doc & Murphy: Clear hallway in the pipe works. (Croquet mallets)

TenK with Black Shirt Girl: Clamber over an extended ladder that keeps moving up.

Warren & Zona guy: (rope, screwdriver, crowbar)

Sarge: Empty stairway with bird.

Warren, Doc, Murphy, Lucy, Sarge, TenK, Zona Guy:  Makes the Dog Chow map

Warren & Murphy: Clear a short hallway. (Bowling pin)

Team Getaway 1: No Lucy. They get to the rendezvous stairs and outside. Captured again. Lucy hid away with Carson after getting out of her box. Smart girl.

Where do we stand now? Murphy is bitten and may be dying. Roberta is more intensely in the grip of her vision. More of Sarge's character is revealed. Doc and TenK are still the Batman and Robin of the Apocalypse. Warren is Wonder Woman and Captain America combined. The group has bonded with the newbies of Lucy and Sarge. Lucy is shown as resourceful and brave. Lucy has accepted Murphy as her Dad. They're tight. All the character development in these first episodes has to be for something. 

On Z Nation, character development is shown not just talked about. Much more entertaining IMO. And it's educational. I now know how it feels to be in a box being moved by a forklift, elevator or crane. We have more big bads to choose from - Zona Mad Scientist, Enders, Mad Zs and the Maze Master(s). We've had homages to Barbarella, Christine, Saw and it sounds like Bride of Frankenstein is next. 

Where are they going? What's next? When will the Cheese Wheel make an appearance?

Spoiler

Next episode shows a zombie monster that holds a clue to Warren's visions. Murphy is in mortal danger. Episode summaries on the web reveal a team member is lost permanently. The team is out for revenge. 

[Evie]

13 minutes ago, 51Muses said:

I like mysteries so I really liked this episode. It had suspense, action, humor and character development. Lots of good lines. My fav was Doc's "Kidnapped and enslaved for evil purposes. Again. I hate it when this happens." 

I loved that line, and I tend to love the episodes where the team is kidnapped and enslaved for evil purposes, and this was no exception. 

I kind of hope we find out the who and why's of that place. It seemed like the mysterious captors had a larger purpose, so maybe they will show up again. 

[ottoDbusdriver]

8 hours ago, Jordan61 said:

There were a lot of funny moments in this episode: Murphy eating the bird, Doc farting in the crate, 10k excitedly saying, "I love dog food!" But will we ever find out what was going on and who set that all up? And yes, that skin/scar tissue eating is SO GROSS.

I never really cared for Addy so I'm not missing her, but I would trade Sarge for her in a hot second.

Oh, me too! I think it's the first time in a long time that I wondered if they would actually kill off one of the core group. That said, I can't imagine that bite that Murphy got is going to be a death sentence. It'll be interesting to see where they go with it.

I love Murphy's Zona shirt!

Loved Doc farting in the crate.  I also thought Doc was a goner until 10K brought him back.

Somebody on the production crew went to a lot of work to draw that final map in the dog food, but no way that map was laid out by any of the gang -- it was way too detailed.

If the Unknowns were using the kidnapped humans to clear the Zs and repair the underground structure, how were the crates being transported around the underground if it wasn't secure ?  And where was Lucy when the gang made it to the surface the first time -- because there were 6 crates on the surface, meaning that the Unknowns expected 6 people to get out.

Still no sign of Citizen Z or Uncle.  And no word from Kaya in the Skya or Nana or the baby.  And no sign of Addie, Red or Sun Mei.  I wonder if Kaya finally gave pup a name (it has been 2+ years).

That one scene with Murphy and Warren where it was flashing like a strobe was really irritating.

 

Edited October 28, 2017 by ottoDbusdriver

[rmontro]

13 hours ago, 51Muses said:

Lots of good lines. My fav was Doc's "Kidnapped and enslaved for evil purposes. Again. I hate it when this happens." 

Don't forget Roberta chimed in "Me too", or whatever she said.  Unfortunately, I'm on hers and Doc's side here, I didn't care much for the episode.  Just a side turn in the road, not much happening in this episode aside from Murphy getting bitten.  I did think the raving over the dog food was kind of funny. 

[ottoDbusdriver]

6 hours ago, rmontro said:

Don't forget Roberta chimed in "Me too", or whatever she said.  Unfortunately, I'm on hers and Doc's side here, I didn't care much for the episode.  Just a side turn in the road, not much happening in this episode aside from Murphy getting bitten.  I did think the raving over the dog food was kind of funny. 

During the next cycle when Warren was talking to Murphy, Murphy said "Warren. Oh Thank God.  I thought you were all dead. Again."

Murphy: "What happened to you guys ?"
Doc: "I was just fixing the leaks in Hell's plumbing"

Zombie Carson O'Keefe FTW !!!

Sgt. Lily manages to survive the Z attack in the stairwell, only to be saved by a guy who's looking for a little "human kindness".  He deserved what he got.

When Doc and Murphy were clearing Zs in that hallway.
Murphy: "Well if we ever get out of here, and that's a big if, we're going to have to have a come-to-Zombie-Jesus moment with Warren"
Doc: "What does that mean ?"
Murphy: "First of all, she gets us lost in a not so great pile"
Doc: "Not so great"
Murphy: "And now we're slaves in the Zombie funhouse of death.  Might be time for new leadership."
Doc: "Can we get out of here first ?"

[nitrofishblue]

I found this episode extremely confusing. To be honest I had no clue what the point was for all the action. Who was doing this and why??

[ottoDbusdriver]

1 hour ago, nitrofishblue said:

I found this episode extremely confusing. To be honest I had no clue what the point was for all the action. Who was doing this and why??

It was confusing -- like why 10K and Doc ended up sharing a crate.  Was there a sudden crate shortage ?

[Bongo Fury]

Why did the Unknowns send Puppy Chow dude and the Red Shirt gal to stop the gang from leaving? If they really wanted to stop them they just had to activate the knock out siren like they did in the past.

18 hours ago, ottoDbusdriver said:

If the Unknowns were using the kidnapped humans to clear the Zs and repair the underground structure, ...
 

I don't think that was their motivation at all. Anyone with the resources to have a knock out siren, a possessed tractor trailer truck, and the ability to repeatedly box humans and put them in varying scenarios surely could clear out that dungeon themselves. I think they were gathering people and putting them through a series of tests so that they could get a group to serve some purpose. When our heroes passed all the tests they were allowed to leave. I'm sure the Unknowns are tracking them (they took the conveniently placed SUV left for them) and will utilize them at a future date. 

[ottoDbusdriver]

2 hours ago, Bongo Fury said:

Why did the Unknowns send Puppy Chow dude and the Red Shirt gal to stop the gang from leaving? If they really wanted to stop them they just had to activate the knock out siren like they did in the past.

I don't think that was their motivation at all. Anyone with the resources to have a knock out siren, a possessed tractor trailer truck, and the ability to repeatedly box humans and put them in varying scenarios surely could clear out that dungeon themselves. I think they were gathering people and putting them through a series of tests so that they could get a group to serve some purpose. When our heroes passed all the tests they were allowed to leave. I'm sure the Unknowns are tracking them (they took the conveniently placed SUV left for them) and will utilize them at a future date. 

I thought the SUV belonged to the so-called 'fresh meat' humans that were brought in after the gang was kidnapped.  They really had no idea how long they were trapped in that underground placce.

Edited October 29, 2017 by ottoDbusdriver

[Ohwell]

You know, the funny thing is, I don't think I understood 10% of whatever the hell was going on, yet by the end I still enjoyed it.  I think it's because I like the characters so much.

[rmontro]

6 hours ago, ottoDbusdriver said:

When Doc and Murphy were clearing Zs in that hallway.
Murphy: "Well if we ever get out of here, and that's a big if, we're going to have to have a come-to-Zombie-Jesus moment with Warren"
Doc: "What does that mean ?"
Murphy: "First of all, she gets us lost in a not so great pile"
Doc: "Not so great"
Murphy: "And now we're slaves in the Zombie funhouse of death.  Might be time for new leadership."
Doc: "Can we get out of here first ?"

They just had the intervention last episode and went back on it.  Everyone pretty much has decided Warren is crazy but to follow her anyway.  

The story arc with this vision is pretty silly, so far.  At least the Murphy mission made some sort of sense.

[51Muses]

This show has always teetered between parody and drama. That makes it unpredictable and lively. It does get confusing with plot holes and illogical details littering the landscape. I can't help thinking the writers were plotting and someone said "Hey, let's throw the viewers a twist by not letting them in on the plot too soon. Let's draw it out then drop a bomb. That's not done much. We can be different." Um, yeah, whatever. Onward to next week.

I agree with Bongo Fury. The maze and quest was a test. Whoever they are, they want to find a certain type of human. The zombie clearing tasks is just the front I think. There's the means to deliver food, weapons and rewards as well as watch all their actions. That whole place is rigged. Team Bite Mark got out by outsmarting them and outrunning that last sonic blast. 

The one about Warren feeling deja vu at certain times bugs me. She's mentioned it a few times already. Waiting impatiently for the pay off to come. Is it possible she was programmed during the coma?  She looks unhinged in the next episode sneak peak.

[Nashville]

12 hours ago, ottoDbusdriver said:

It was confusing -- like why 10K and Doc ended up sharing a crate.  Was there a sudden crate shortage ?

 

6 hours ago, 51Muses said:

The maze and quest was a test. Whoever they are, they want to find a certain type of human. The zombie clearing tasks is just the front I think.

I agree, and this is why I think Doc and 10K got boxed together.  

Remember the first two people Warren saw in the maze - the woman who'd been there a month, and the man the woman bashed in the head to get the only crowbar?  

Now contrast that with Doc and 10K; not only was their immediate reaction NOT to kill each other, each risked their own life to help the other.

It's entirely possible Doc and 10K were co-boxed because they were the first in the "test" to demonstrate the ability to work cooperatively.

[jhlipton]

On 10/28/2017 at 8:21 AM, Jordan61 said:

I never really cared for Addy so I'm not missing her, but I would trade Sarge for her in a hot second.

I like Addy and Sarge.

On 10/28/2017 at 4:47 PM, ottoDbusdriver said:

And no sign of Addie, Red or Sun Mei

Red, Sun Mei and the rest of the camp (as well as the soldiers in the convoy) were certainly taken by this same group.  I was a bit surprised no one even mentioned them.

20 hours ago, ottoDbusdriver said:

I thought the SUV belonged to the so-called 'fresh meat' humans that were brought in after the gang was kidnapped.  They really had no idea how long they were trapped in that underground placce.

That's what our heroes were led to believe (and may even be true).  That doesn't keep it from being tagged, though.

[Nashville]

1 hour ago, jhlipton said:

I like Addy and Sarge.

I've always liked Addy, but Sarge is growing on me as well; she reminds me of my youngest daughter's girlfriend. 

 

Quote

Red, Sun Mei and the rest of the camp (as well as the soldiers in the convoy) were certainly taken by this same group.  I was a bit surprised no one even mentioned them.

Are we sure they were taken by the same group?  Because we seem to be dealing with two differing phenomena:

1. The screeching knockout noise (SKN).
2. The invisible crashing-through-the-woods entity from back at the camp.

#1 was resolved (at least in terms of origin) in this episode; #2, however, has yet to be addressed.  

 

I'm not yet all that comfortable writing off the camp disappearances to the SKN, for several reasons:

1. Proximity effect (or lack thereof).  Sun Mei dozed off in the middle of a full camp, and awoke to find herself alone.  Think anybody would be capable of sleeping through the raucous noise of the SKN, or the screams of an entire campful of awake people getting hit by it?
2. Level of effect.  Hiding-in-the-locker dude appeared to be traumatized with horror, to a level well beyond what you'd expect from simple exposure to an unsourced noise.  No matter how extremely loud and painful the SKN might be, I don't see how reactions to it would rise to the level of absolute horror; we saw none of that in Operation Bitemark's reactions to repeated SKN exposures in the crates, for example.  Locker Dude was so horrified by something, however, he couldn't even bring himself to voice the nature or source of his trauma.  His reaction was more like a monster from his childhood closet had sprung to life and tried to take a bite out of his ass.
3. Location.  Operation Bitemark didn't encounter the SKN until they ran across the semi in the road - at least a few days' hike east from the camp, and on the opposite side of the Great Pile.  Now despite whatever we don't know about the SKN, we DO know it's a big fucking noise - and big fucking noises mean LOTS of wattage/power to generate them, and lots of BIG apparatus (speakers and such) for any significantly effective dispersal across broad spaces.  How portable does that rig sound to you?  Walking through the Great Pile was a major pain in the ass - enough so I don't see anybody driving a couple of flat beds full of sound-generating equipment through the same mess.

[piequinn35]

On 10/29/2017 at 0:19 PM, Ohwell said:

You know, the funny thing is, I don't think I understood 10% of whatever the hell was going on, yet by the end I still enjoyed it.  I think it's because I like the characters so much.

Yeah me too, it was confusing, some lines were funny though and I was just waiting for them to get out of there.

[51Muses]

Quote

Are we sure they were taken by the same group?  Because we seem to be dealing with two differing phenomena:

The screeching knockout noise (SKN).

The invisible crashing-through-the-woods entity from back at the camp.

I think they are two different things. SKN is definitely man-made. The invisible one makes me think it's more natural like a mutation.

Besides, the SKN are control freaks and mostly underground. They are very deliberate in everything they do. They have a goal even though we don't know it yet.  The Invisible One seems more random and vague (at least so far). The do have one thing in common - disappearing people either through kidnapping, coercion or something else. 

Next episode, I'm ready for ... answers!

[jhlipton]

On 10/30/2017 at 10:17 AM, Nashville said:

big fucking noises mean LOTS of wattage/power to generate them, and lots of BIG apparatus (speakers and such) for any significantly effective dispersal across broad spaces.

You had me until here.  This is Z Nation, produced be The [Sharknado] Asylum.  I wouldn't be surprised by any plot point they pull out of their ass.

I do think that you're right -- I suppose we'll find Red, Sun Mei and the rest of the camp later in the season.

On 10/30/2017 at 5:43 PM, 51Muses said:

The do have one thing in common - disappearing people either through kidnapping, coercion or something else.

This is what got me confused.

[10kfever]

Much to think about. I think the weird noises in the woods might be hallucinogenic (dang, I wish this thing had spellcheck). Notice how they stop as soon as someone's attention is diverted: Lucy emerging from the tent startled everyone into looking at her instead of the woods, and the noise stops.

And I still don't agree that the map the prisoners in the underground network created is feasible. Someone gets beamed into a tunnel, they have no idea what's at either end or behind the walls; they fix the problem, and are immediately knocked out again. Someone in a hall walks through a doorway and sees a flight of stairs with sunshine above; they have no idea where the hall leads, but steps apparently lead outside, then they're knocked out again. Where are these two points in reference to each other? Where is the elevator in reference to the other points, or the ladder 10K was crossing? Even if he could draw the ladder and what was on either side of it, how does it fit into the schematic unless someone from some other point also saw the ladder? I know, I know, just deal with it. Sadly, we seem to have to "deal with it" too many times this season without any sort of payoff. I'll stop beating this dead horse.

Looking forward to tonight's episode. Maybe we'll finally get directed to some sort of plot beyond "Go east and find the black rainbow".

[10kfever]

Sorry, just had to add that I'm not totally opposed to these episodic snippets. There was some great dialogue, already mentioned by others, and some really funny moments, also mentioned. I just wish something coherent would start to take shape. The storyline needs to get cracking, or I fear this will be the last season of my newest fave show.

[Dizzychickstar]

This episode reminded me of a book I read as a middle schooler—House Made of Stairs, I think. Teens are kidnapped by an unknown force. They, however, must commit violent acts towards each other in order to be fed dog food like pellets. I dug the book as I liked this episode—kind of uses a motif of resets too, like the overall theme of the episode. Each time they almost make it out...boom-reset.