What I Watched Today

(rambling, random thoughts & annoyingly detailed recaps from real time TV watching)

Z Nation

Doc opens his eyes to a talker tied up next to him. The talker complains about sores from sitting, and says, you’d think they could turn a guy once in a while. 10K and Doc are also tied up, and the talker grumbles some more about the constant decay. Doc tells 10K to wake up. The talker says, that’s what they do to saboteurs. That’s what he is, and he thinks it sounds rather continental. He says 10K is looking pale. Just transitioned, did he? 10K says he’s not a talker, and the talker asks why his hand fell off then. Doc asks, who did this? and the talker says, they’re quick as lightening. You don’t see them, but they see you, and the next thing you know, you’re shot with an arrow. He gets loud and weird. Roberta is suddenly there, and puts something in his mouth to shut him up, saying, enough out of him.

Doc has never been so glad to see her. She unties him and 10K, and they run, George joining them. Arrows fly at them, and George tells them to keep their heads down. She yells that they’re not here to fight. They’re not the enemy.

A boy whistles for zombies near a trap. A woman brings the group through, and tells him, good looking out, Little Foot. She says they killed some zombies, but what they have here is worse. Little Foot asks if they’re bombers, and she says, could be. She’s bringing them in. Roberta asks Little Foot if they’ve been bombed, and he says, lots of times. They also got hit by a zombie bomb. Roberta tells George to have patience. They need to wait and watch, and these people will see they’re not the enemy. They’re led into the grounds where the dam is. Doc tells them, hang in. He knows some natives that can sort it out. Hopefully they won’t get their asses kicked in the meantime.

A woman says, Steven, is that you? using Doc’s real name. It’s Kuruk, who got Doc high nowhere near the Grand Canyon two seasons ago. She kisses him. She also knows George, and Roberta asks if she can help them. Kuruk undoes their bonds, and says something tells her they’re not there by chance. George says, unfortunately not. Doc tells her they came about the water. George says they came about keeping the peace, and says Kuruk’s father knows her. Doc says Kuruk knows him, and knows he’s true to his word. She says, the apocalypse changes people, but he says, not that much. Roberta says, what George started was working. Kuruk says, it was working, before the bombing. George says the idea that they’re stronger together always works. They want to know why the water was shut off. Kuruk says they didn’t shut it off, and asks them to come with her

Ayalla – who met 10K when they were nowhere near the Grand Canyon – sees 10K, and asks what happened. He says, zombies. She asks if he wants help, and leads him forward. Kuruk shows the others a map, and says there have been zombie attacks; long-walkers from far away, but they’re just a distraction to divert their attention from more sophisticated sabotage talkers. Doc says, saboteurs, like the guy tied up next to them. Kuruk says, they’re lethal. They’ve lost their strongest warriors. Now the dam is failing, and it’s time to go; they can’t stay there. George says, then they won’t be able to control the water; their people are vital to Newmerica. George had an agreement with her father, making them friends and allies. Kuruk says they were. He keeps trying to fix the damage from the attacks, but they’re coming faster and faster. The next one comes before he fixes the last one. The whole dam could fail, and them with it. George says she’ll talk to the chief. He’s a reasonable man.

10K asks Ayalla what she just called him, and she says, it’s Navajo for ten thousand. He asks, what’s Navajo for girl who just led him in a circle? She tells him that she wanted to see if he trusted her or not. He says he did, and she led him in a circle. She says he followed her, so cool. It’s done, but don’t get a big head about it. She says his wound is looking better. He asks if she bandaged him. She says she did, and he says, but she didn’t untie him. She says, it’s been a while. She wanted to make sure he was still him. He asks if she shouldn’t be back at camp helping pack up, but she says, no. They should be helping her people not get run off their land for the billionth time in history.

Roberta and George approach some people fixing a dam wall. George introduces herself, and asks to speak to the chief. A man says, he’s busy, but George says he’ll want to hear what she has to say. He says if she knows him, then she knows his name. She says he told her to call him Eddy, and he says, everyone knows that. She says, he who goes to the water. He calls for the chief, who comes out asking, what’s with the racket? He’s trying to work. He sees George and asks why she came. She says because the water was cut off. She was told they’d been attacked, they’re leaving, and need to abandon the dam. He says, that’s fear. The young ones are afraid of everything; zombies, talkers, the power of the water. Roberta thinks those are healthy fears these days. He says you should have healthy respect for forces that can harm you, but you learn to work with them. Their ancestors are there. The land was flooded when they built the dam. Their ancestors there, and a new generation is out there; he’s not abandoning either one. Roberta asks if he wants to go down with the ship – or dam – and he says not if he can help it. There’s a huge noise, and he says the saboteurs stopped the turbines; the pressure is building up. He has to stop it while there’s still time. George says, if anyone can fix a dam, he can, but Roberta says, what if he can’t?

Ayalla tries to find something for 10K’s hand. She suggests an egg beater, but he says he’s not a cook. She holds up a garden gnome, and he says, maybe not such a good idea. She picks up a deer antler, saying, deer are known for intelligence, energy, and speed. He could use it to prop his gun, or as a slingshot, and it’s pretty sharp. She tells him that he doesn’t choose the hand. The hand must choose him first. He has to get naked to be free of attachment, and stand in the sun all day. If he’s still standing at nightfall, the hand is his. She does some hand motions and chanting, and looks to the sky. Then she tells him that she’s kidding. White boys are so gullible. She says, hold still, and takes out a drill.

Kuruk nurses Doc, who says she’s working her magic again. He wishes there was something he could do to help them stay. She does too, and he says maybe there’s something they haven’t thought of. She says he sounds like her father. He was in Minnesota when the apocalypse came, and they found him a year ago, and now it looks like they might lose him. Doc misses a simpler time, when they were just running away from zombie hordes, and sending them into the Grand Canyon. She says she thought he was nowhere near the Grand Canyon, and he says, right; it wasn’t them. It was kind of near there where he met a special lady. He thought they shared something kind of spiritual. She says they did. He says he never thought he’d see her again. He lost the necklace she gave him. He didn’t mean to, but zombies. Then the necklace found him. It was kind of a miracle, and got him thinking if found her again, they could… She says, what? Settle down, grow old together? He says, a man can dream. She asks where they settle in the dream, and he says, here seems nice. She says, it was before the attacks. Now they don’t have enough warriors to defend themselves and the dam. Doc asks her to let them help. It could be nice again. All of Newmerica can be, but not if they leave and let their enemies win. She says she’s not letting anyone win.

They hear a struggle outside. It’s the talker saboteur struggling with George. He goes after one of the women, and tears open her neck with his teeth. Kuruk says, hold her; help her. The others hold her down. She dies, and then wakes. Kuruk says, she’s changed. They know what they have to do. She’s led away, and Roberta asks where they’re taken. Kuruk says, every living thing has its place and purpose; every dead thing does too. Doc tells her, things will get better, but she says she’s not staying there and watching her people get wiped out for a pie in the sky idea. She tells everyone to pack up. They’re getting out of there, and leaving before nightfall. George asks if she’s leaving her father. It doesn’t look like he’s going anywhere. Kuruk says they’ll just have to change his mind.

In the woods, Ayalla tells 10K to try out his antler hand. They see an outsider, and 10K aims at him, but Ayalla says they want him alive to talk. She tells 10K to follow him, and she’ll alert the others.

10k follows the outsider, who goes through a fence and into the dam area.

Kuruk goes to see Chief Eddy. She tells the guard to let her father know she’s leaving. If he doesn’t come out, he might never see her again. The guard whistles for the chief, and they wait.

10K follows the outsider through the tunnels under the dam. He sees the outsider take out a paper. He reads it, and cuts open a lock.

Chief Eddy comes out and hugs Kuruk. She tells him leaving is the only way, and he says, may the Great Spirit watch over her on her journey. She asks him to come, but he says he’s not running anymore. His people have run enough. Their place is here. George joins them, and says they can help. Someone is trying to ruin Newmerica, and drive them apart; drive the tribe and their people apart too. Chief Eddy tells her what she says is true, but his people are choosing fear. Kuruk says they’re choosing to live. He says the only way their people will survive is to come together with all humans and their relatives. Everything starts to shake, and he says, not again.

Chief Eddy literally runs into the outsider, and kicks him down the stairs. He whacks at the outsider with a hammer, but the outsider dodges it. Chief Eddy throws it at him, but misses. The outsider laughs and kicks at him. Chief Eddy takes out a crowbar, but it falls over the railing. He takes out another hammer, but the outsider grabs it and pushes the chief over the railing. The pipes begin to shake.

Kuruk asks George what she’s supposed to do, tie her father up and drag him out? George says it doesn’t look like the talkers will let her. Kuruk says he’s her elder. She’s supposed to look to him for guidance, not the other way around. Roberta says maybe they can help. Ayalla tells them about 10K following the outsider, and Roberta says they have to get in. Kuruk says everything is guarded or locked. Doc suggests they do what they did before – spirit walk. Kuruk says what happened before was a fluke or a miracle, but Doc thinks it’s worth a try. He thinks he could do it again. He explains that Kuruk gave him some medicine, and he left his body. His spirit walked, killed a zombie, and saved 10K. Kuruk says he got really stoned and had a hallucination. Doc says, it worked, and Roberta asks if he thinks he can do it. He says, unless someone has a better idea. Kuruk wants to help, but her medicine isn’t that strong. She asks Little Foot where Ashki, their medicine man is, and he says, probably sleeping.

Ashki is snoring in a car. Kuruk tells him, wake up. He says he wasn’t sleeping; he was dreaming. His grandfather died before he could finish his training. How else is he supposed to talk to him? He asks who the new people are.

They sit around a fire. Ashki says they want him to betray his lineage and people, and send Doc on a vision quest he isn’t prepared for, or entitled to. Then guide him through the spirit world to protect the water for a nation that keeps breaking treaties with them. George says they want to get in so Kuruk can talk to her father. Ashki asks if she told them he can do this. She knows it’s crazy, but can’t think of another way. Doc says, last time, all it took was some good peyote, but Ashki says he doesn’t have any. Roberta says, it’s a new world. Maybe it’s time for a new ceremony. Ashki says, what then? and George says, save the dam, find out who’s behind the attacks, and stop them. Roberta tells him their people control the water. He asks if Kuruk believes them. She says she does, and he tells her, grandfather says give it a shot, but Roberta has to come too. He says he knows her from the spirit world.

Ashki gives Roberta something to drink, and says he won’t take her anywhere she’s not prepared to go. George says she’ll be there the whole time. Roberta, Doc, and Kuruk drink. They fall out, and Ashki brings out a defibrillator, just in case. The three spirit walkers look like they’re having seizures, and Ashki says, give it a minute. They relax again, and he says, it’s all good.

Kuruk appears under the dam, and calls for her father. Roberta appears and sees the outsider, but he runs past her without seeing her. Doc appears and sees 10K, but can’t touch him; his hand goes right through. He says he has to do it psychically, and concentrates. He tells 10K, wake up. Everything starts to shake and rattle. Kuruk tells the guards that she needs to find her father, but they can’t hear or see her. She touches one, saying her name, Wilma. Wilma says, something is here. Kuruk tells Wilma, listen, and says something that sounds like adavo. Wilma says, spirit, come this way. I was just thinking, Kuruk said everything was guarded, but they seem to be pretty useless, except for keeping the chief’s friends away.

George asks Ashki how long they leave them, but he doesn’t know. He’s never done this before.

Roberta follows the outsider. He shoots someone, and runs through her. She reacts, and George sees it in the real world. She tells Ashki that Roberta isn’t breathing. She does chest compression, and tells Ashki to give her the paddles. She shocks Roberta, who’s running after the outsider. She wakes up, and says she found the saboteur. She knows how he got in, and they need to save the dam.

Kuruk sees her father, who’s still alive. She tells him, keep breathing, and puts something under his nose. He asks if this is his daughter, and she tells him to see her. He says he’ll see her on the other side, but she says they need him there. She holds her hands over him, and sings in Navajo.

The dials on the machinery start going crazy. Doc says, oh no, and whatever he tries to touch, his hands go through. Alarms go off. He tries to wake 10K, but he’s suddenly back in the real world. He says he has to go back, and picks up the container of whatever Ashki had given them. Ashki tells him not to drink too much, but he gulps it all down, saying he doesn’t need to spirit walk; he needs to spirit fly. His spirit goes back to where 10K is, and he goes into 10K’s body. He pulls himself up, and shuts off a valve. Doc as 10K says, far out! It worked!

Roberta and George go through the gate and under the dam.

Chief Eddy is fine, and runs up the stairs. The building is shaking, and he says, too much pressure. The dam is failing. 10K shuts off another valve. He tells Chief Eddy that he’s trying to stop it, and the chief says he started it. Kuruk tells him that 10K is one of George’s people. 10K explains that he’s really Doc. 10K was unconscious, and he’s just borrowing his extremities; ah, to be twenty again. Chief Eddy says the saboteur must have gotten to the emergency panel.

Roberta and George pass a dead body on the steps. George tells Roberta that she never saw a talker kill their own kind. They see the outsider using a mini blowtorch on a panel, and Roberta yells, stop! She shoots at him, but misses, and he runs. 10K and Chief Eddy follow, and water starts to spray out from the wall.

Chief Eddy takes them back outside, telling the guard to lock the exit; don’t let him escape. 10K comes to, and says he feels old and kind of stoned. Doc says he’s awake, and 10K asks where Doc is. Doc says, sorry, and appears for a moment. He tells 10K that he’ll see him soon, and disappears again. 10K asks Chief Eddy what happened? and the chief tells him that Roberta and George went after the saboteur. 10K runs up the stairs, and Chief Eddy asks where he’s going. 10K says they need his help, and he needs his gun.

The saboteur/outsider waits by an upstairs door. George comes out, and he kicks her, but she gets it together, and they fight. Nice roundhouse kicking. She slams him up against the wall, and asks, who sent him? He head butts her, and is about to shoot her, but 10K shoots him from behind.

The water flows and the tribe celebrates. Kuruk says they have their warriors back. They are stronger together. George says they brought the talkers back into the tribe; now she needs to do the same. Kuruk says Ashki had a vision, and created a new ceremony derived from the ghost dance of their ancestors, to reunite the spirits with the living. They will be living with the spirits of the dead, who will fight on their behalf to make the white colonists leave. No offense. It’s meant to bring peace, unity, and prosperity, and includes everyone. George asks if that means they’ve changed their minds about Newmerica. Kuruk says they’ll come to congress and vote for a new colony, uniting everyone.

10K says he still feels weird. Doc says, good weird or bad weird? and 10K says, weird weird. Doc tells him it’s better than being dead. Chief Eddy thanks them for saving the dam and their home. Doc says, it feels like home. A place to settle down, if settling down ever comes back. Chief Eddy says he’ll always have a place there. Kuruk says, and here, and hugs him. He says he’ll meet her there whenever he can. She has something from Ashki for him, and he puts it in his pocket.

10K thanks Ayalla for his new hand, and she asks what he’s trading to keep it. She says, nothing is free. He’ll have to trade her another body part if he wants to keep his hand. She tells him that she’s kidding. Use it well. They hug. Ashki tells Roberta he has a message from his grandfather for her. The knowledge she seeks is buried under the past, but beware. It’s guarded by demons with sharp claws. Roberta asks what buried under the past means, and George asks if she heard the part about the demons. Doc says, sounds like another Tuesday in the apocalypse. Roberta asks Ashki to tells his grandfather thank you, and Ashki says she’s welcome.

They leave as the tribe continues to dance.

Next Friday, here comes the zombie-nator. Doc tells 10K, one man’s junk is another man’s treasure… That didn’t come out right.

🍟 Because Why Not?

Good times…