Season 5 Speculation and Wish List: On the Lookout for the Zombie Cheese Wheel

[PrincessPurrsALot]

Starting this thread to talk about what we hope to see (and not see) in the next season and speculation for where the story is going.

My wish list so far:

• Random zombie cheese wheel sightings
• 10K continuing the count and showing off his more unique zombie killing methods
• Warren, alive and still bad ass, without going into weird fugue states in which she imagines hellfire and damnation.  There are people who need an ass kicking.  I want her to deliver it.
• The gang fully back together. 

[Ohwell]

• 10K having more speaking parts
• No more Warren visions
• 5K reappearing
• No more weirdo, unfunny groups like the zuggalos or whatever the hell their name was
• Yeah, bring the gang back together (although if Red comes back, what does 10K do about Lily?)  
• Yes, the cheese wheel!
• Update on Skeezy and Sketchy at the barbershop

Edited December 16, 2017 by Ohwell

[51Muses]

My wishlist is:

• With only 13 episodes in Season 5, I'd like more meaty stories and less filler or monster/weirdos of the week type stories.
• Have a clearly defined goal at the start. It could be getting to Newmerica or finding the MIAs - Warren, SunMei, Red and Addy. Zona is played out but there could be a new big bad out there like the ones running the maze setup. Or the season premieres with nearly everyone in Newmerica. It is safe and thriving. 10K is crushed because Red is not there. Addy is there and upset about Lucy and Warren. Murphy is itching to get out not liking the place or being around Addy who blames him for everything. Doc is doing his best to keep things together and civil. Northern Lights issues news on the disappearing people. The team heads out to rescue Red and SunMei amid many adventures.
• Keep the team together as much as possible. They work so well together and the audience is invested in them as a group. 
• Warren surviving the manta ship crash. Physically hurt but no longer mentally programmed. Maybe she sets out for Newmerica. Or hears Citizen Z's info and heads out herself. Or she wakes up back with the disappeared group and keeps trying to escape.
• Cheese wheel must whiz by onscreen.
• More involvement of 10K in the stories instead of being sidelined as sidekick or comic relief. Maybe start him on the road to becoming the leader that Warren is. 
• Put Doc in a serious situation for a change for a change of pace.

[10kfever]

Oh, yes, please, definitely more 10K! Not so fond of Doc and Murphy turning into one-liner buddies. Of course, I love Doc and 10K as the odd couple, and I also like Murphy as the jerk with a soft heart. He was great hiding behind the president and pretending to give orders while our three fighters did all the heavy lifting. Don't see him as a possible love interest for Warren, but I do enjoy the budding friendship and understanding between them.

Agree with those who want to see the end to stupid time fillers , but I don't object to the idea of them. Down the Mississippi was both a fun and serious balance, but didn't greatly move the overall story along. If we need fillers, let them be of this quality and not a bunch of stupid zuggelos, which took idiot writing and plot loopholes to a whole new low previously unseen in network television. It has my vote for worst episode of any tv series ever aired. I could probably come up with close seconds or thirds, but my brain might seize thinking of candidates.

Can do without any more Sketchy and Skeezy, unless it's a serous episode. I believe there's more to these characters than just slapstick nonsense. 

Doc's character lends him to comedy, but it's a shame to surround him with equally comedic situations. I enjoyed Doc Flew... very much, silly and funny with a serious note, but some of the other characters were pretty silly, too. Even 10K in peril had its funny moments. But I think this episode was far better than the terminally silly Doc's Angels.

And, a big YES to those who think the group together makes for a better episode. 10K may be my favorite, and I'm really grateful for Little Red..., but all the characters need equal time to satisfy all the viewers. The all Addy episode didn't do much for me, even though I like her as a character and am sad to see her go. Same with Warren or Murphy or Doc...too much of a good thing can't satisfy everyone. The group interacting is best.

Oh, and monster cheese wheel? Bring it on!!

Edited December 17, 2017 by 10kfever
Stupid computer typos?

[10kfever]

23 hours ago, Ohwell said:

• 10K having more speaking parts
• No more Warren visions
• 5K reappearing
• No more weirdo, unfunny groups like the zuggalos or whatever the hell their name was
• Yeah, bring the gang back together (although if Red comes back, what does 10K do about Lily?)  
• Yes, the cheese wheel!
• Update on Skeezy and Sketchy at the barbershop

Wow, the mind  boggles at the love triangle of Red, Sarge, and 10K. After a dearth of girlfriends in his teen years, he suddenly has two. I think he seriously loves both of them. With Red, part of it is their shared tragedy with 5K. He thought her dead, but she followed him hundreds of miles to save his life in Spokane. They've lived together for two years and have developed a good relationship from what we've seen.

Sarge started out as a friend, and I think he really admires her for being a Genuine Marine. I think his love for her has become one built on proximity, admiration, and shared interests. The sex isn't bad either. 

I'd go with either as a permanent partner, as long as the writers don't stoop to two bitches fighting over "their" man. Male writers seem to exaggerate the jealousy potential between two women going after one man. Teens may lack the maturity to cope with such a situation, and hurt is bound to affect anyone involved in such a triangle, but few truly mature women would resort to a catfight, murder, or other underhanded vengeance. In my version, Red and Sarge would sit down and discuss all of 10K's failings, and then make *him* choose. Or else all three would get along just fine..,?

Edited December 17, 2017 by 10kfever
I hate auto-correct...

[Ohwell]

I think that if 10K had to choose, it would be Red.  He made it clear to Sarge that Red was his girlfriend when they were walking to....wherever.  If they find Red and she and 10K get back together, I actually think that Sarge would understand that they just had a quick hookup because they thought they were going to die, and there was nothing more to it than that.  Plus, she jumped him.  I think he likes her a lot, but that's it.

This discussion had me thinking about another thing on my wishlist.  I have a feeling that next season might be the last and, if so, I'd like to see all of the main characters with love interests.  Of course, I'm assuming they find the "cure" and are free to rebuild their world.  I remember last season I was hoping that Warren would wind up with Matt Cedeno (plus, he's fine) but he turned out to be crazy.   So, I'd like to see Warren, Sarge, Doc, even Murphy, find mates. 

[10kfever]

Doc mentioned at the beginning of their return to Mercy Labs (I think) that he suspected Sarge and 10K had already hooked up when Murphy complained about missing the lack of casual sex when in Zona. I agree that Red has the strongest case and that Sarge may have some hurt feelings to deal with in the future. But we don't know either of the women as women, just as capable adults. Would Red resent 10K finding another sex partner so soon? That could really hurt after all their experiences together. And Sarge gave 10K those puppy dog eyes...maybe it's just a casual fling to her, in which case I think 10K might be a little hurt (in earlier seasons, he seems to have had crushes on the girls he's met...that whole puberty interruptus thing). But I'm putting too much psychology into this. After all, the writers dealt with 10K maturing by giving him a beard. That means every opinion has merit, so we just have to use our imaginations. And mine is very vivid! Fanfic!

I also saw the potential in Warren and Vasquez. Addy and Mack clearly had something going, but survival is tough in the Apocalypse. Doc's been married three times, and I think he'd enjoy having a woman who could appreciate his quirks, and possibly have a few of her own. To me, Murphy would be a stretch. He's too self centered to have a meaningful relationship, although he appears to enjoy the casual encounters. Warren's going to have to wait until she finds a man strong enough to deal with her forceful personality; maybe casual sex and a strong friendship would do well for her, too.

And more Zombie encounters, please. Both ZN and TWD have suffered because their main challenges lately have been other humans. It's time to get back to basics and for Z Nation to find those fine lines between action, humor, fright, and tears that keep us riding this crazy roller coaster. No pressure, guys.

[Nashville]

4 hours ago, 10kfever said:

Doc mentioned at the beginning of their return to Mercy Labs (I think) that he suspected Sarge and 10K had already hooked up when Murphy complained about missing the lack of casual sex when in Zona. 

I don’t think 10K and Sarge had hooked up at that point.  My impression was Sarge had previously held back on pursuing 10K out of respect for 10K’s feelings for Red, right up until the drone introduced our latest EOTWAWKI scenario - at which point Sarge decided “What the hell - gonna hit that at least once before I die.”  ;>

 

4 hours ago, 10kfever said:

Would Red resent 10K finding another sex partner so soon? That could really hurt after all their experiences together. 

Depends upon how soon is “soon”.  Since Red disappeared OBM has pretty much walked from California to DC - so she has been MIA for (probably) at least a couple of months, maybe more.

[51Muses]

I think Red and 10K are it for each other. Sarge had an impulse and gave into it. If you're about to die, why not? I think 10K accepts her as part of the team but nothing romantic.

4 hours ago, 10kfever said:

And more Zombie encounters, please. Both ZN and TWD have suffered because their main challenges lately have been other humans. It's time to get back to basics and for Z Nation to find those fine lines between action, humor, fright, and tears that keep us riding this crazy roller coaster. No pressure, guys.

I think ZNation has done better on the zombie end. It has more variety. They've been used much more creatively. Unlike TWD, the ZNation zombies are shown to still be real unpredictable dangers. I also agree that when the conflict is primarily with humans it lessens the entertainment value. It had the right balance in the earlier seasons. Fingers crossed for Season 5. 

[holly4755]

isthere any reality in time? walking from coast to coast and back again has taken how long? 

[Nashville]

1 hour ago, holly4755 said:

isthere any reality in time? walking from coast to coast and back again has taken how long? 

Way too many variables to pin down a specific rate/time (terrain, weather, rest breaks, food/water availability, hours of daylight, exhaustion levels, etc., etc.) but the generally accepted rate maintainable over extended periods of time is 30 miles a day.  Figure 3000 miles coast to coast, that works out to 100 days walking time - not counting side trips, of which this bunch has a LOT.  So my initial estimation of 2+ months was actually lowballing it quite a bit; 3+ months would be a better guess, 4 months probably better.  Doesn’t help that this show in particular gives us zero guesses about the elapsed time intervals between episodes, but there ya go.

Edited December 18, 2017 by Nashville

[ottoDbusdriver]

1 hour ago, 51Muses said:

I think Red and 10K are it for each other. Sarge had an impulse and gave into it. If you're about to die, why not? I think 10K accepts her as part of the team but nothing romantic.

Hey, it happened in the movie 'Spies Like Us' as well -- after the missile was launched and everyone at the mobile missile launcher hooked up.

[jhlipton]

On 12/16/2017 at 1:11 PM, Ohwell said:

• 10K having more speaking parts
• No more Warren visions
• 5K, Sun Mei, Addy and Red reappearing
• No more weirdo, unfunny groups like the zuggalos or whatever the hell their name was -- weird, FUNNY groups are OK!
• Yeah, bring the gang back together (although if Red comes back, what does 10K do about Lily?)  
• Yes, the cheese wheel!
• Update on Skeezy and Sketchy at the barbershop

My comments in bold.

On 12/17/2017 at 6:45 PM, holly4755 said:

isthere any reality in time? walking from coast to coast and back again has taken how long? 

We know they drive from time to time and you can get from coast to coast in two days, driving flat out.  So who knows how much they walked, and how much they grove?  All calculations are out the window (sorry, @Nashville...)

[Nashville]

2 hours ago, jhlipton said:

We know they drive from time to time and you can get from coast to coast in two days, driving flat out.  So who knows how much they walked, and how much they grove?  All calculations are out the window (sorry, @Nashville...)

Eh, I figure...

• Between the time they save driving, the time they waste dodging around abandoned-car traffic jams, and the time they spend on superfluous side trips, a car ain’t saving them that much in time
• OBM doesn’t appear to have the ability to keep the same car running past a single tank of gas.  
• Not to mention OBM isn’t traveling anywhere near in a straight line; they start out from the camp somewhere around San Diego, take Route 66 through ABQ to the Great Pile, then - half a dozen episodes later, they’re sucking down green foam in Chicago...?  Some get them a fucking road map, PLEASE.

...all of which means cars aren’t making that big of a dent in the travelogue - it’s probably a wash either way.

Edited December 19, 2017 by Nashville
Typos

[jhlipton]

What is OBM, pray?

I think they stayed on Route 66 all the way to Chicago -- see this:

[10kfever]

Wasn't there a side trip to Canada in there someplace? And then Wisconsin? I can't keep the order of events straight. Arrgh!

[ottoDbusdriver]

8 hours ago, 10kfever said:

Wasn't there a side trip to Canada in there someplace? And then Wisconsin? I can't keep the order of events straight. Arrgh!

Yes, and yes to Canada and Wisconsin.

[Nashville]

On 12/19/2017 at 4:05 AM, jhlipton said:

What is OBM, pray?

OBM = Operation Bite Mark - the collective label for Warren, Murphy, Doc and the rest.

 

On 12/19/2017 at 4:05 AM, jhlipton said:

I think they stayed on Route 66 all the way to Chicago -- see this:

Yup, and it’s a great drive - but hardly direct; the generally accepted width width figure for the continental United States is about 2700 miles, and detours THAT far off the median are going to push the trip well over 3,000 miles easy.

[jhlipton]

20 hours ago, Nashville said:

Yup, and it’s a great drive - but hardly direct; the generally accepted width width figure for the continental United States is about 2700 miles, and detours THAT far off the median are going to push the trip well over 3,000 miles easy.

If your leader is carrying a road sign for Route 66, that IS the most direct route!!!  LOL