Corporate Retreat has one of the most awesome opening scenes ever. This is just a kick *ss few moments of Zombie Violence. I loved the segment where 10K covers Doc and a through and through shot bounces off Doc’s necklace to kill another zombie.
Outside the smoke is thick and so are the Z’s. Once Team Murphy makes it to the hotel they find themselves in the midst of a work retreat. The survivors left in the hotel were there for a conference. They’ve been stuck in the hotel with a self help corporate guru since the Zombie Apocalypse started.
Team Murphy
Shortly after Team Murphy has joined the survivors in the hotel there is a shooting. Murphy and another hotel guest have been shot. To make things worse, the bullet went through Murphy. This means the wounded hotel guest is now on the same path as Cassandra.
This leads to a crazy “trust circle” scene. The hotel guests and Team Murphy pass along a didgeridoo to decide who gets to talk.
After the initial “trust circle” kicks out one of the hotel guests to face the Z’s in the smoke, Doc explains how he’s been feeding the wounded man Murphy’s blood. You have to love Doc.
As Warren discusses the situation with the Corporate Retreat Leader they wander down to the kitchen to find that there is a Z in the deep freezer.
Know what happens when Z’s are around? People get bit, and then you have more Z’s. Good thing 10K and Vasquez are both good shots. Otherwise the Corporate Retreat Guests may have lost more than they did.
Shots
Shots are heard close by and the team rushes in to find that Doc has been shot at while he cared for Murphy. The stash of food was stolen.
The team splits up to search the hotel. This leads to Addy and one of the female guests, Dana, being alone together. The woman seems to know something about what’s going on. She’s anxious and begs Addy to take her with her when they leave. As the two are hiding, Warren and Vasquez come in and clear the room.
As Dana and Addy spill out of the closet I love Warren’s “Everything all right?” comment. There is just something about the drawl that says so much more than the words.
The moment is then shattered as whoever stole the food makes some noise. All the attention gets drawn back to the main lobby. Vasquez and Warren charge in and find themselves face to face with the Corporate Retreat Leader. He asks them if they caught the thief?
Yes, I thought his sudden appearance was suspicious as well.
As the survivors sit in lobby, trying to make sense of everything that’s happening we get a moment where Addy and Dana are looking at each other across the room. Clearly they have a connection.
Glory Hole
Out in the lobby the situation isn’t so good. The horde seems attracted to the hotel, and some of them are starting to break through. This leads to a wonderful Glory Hole kill.
Lots of bad things happen after that. The Z’s already trapped in the hotel break free of their quarantine wing. Then the glass in the lobby shatters. Everyone flees into the kitchen where Doc is performing medical experiments with his two patients. The stress and anxiety turns the survivors into a bickering mass of name calling until Warren puts her foot down.
It’s time to find out who the killer is.
Doc has been giving the wounded hotel guest Murphy blood, all so he can ask the now Zombie Guest who shot him. It wasn’t the Corporate Retreat Leader after all, but Dana’s hotel beau instead, who wants Dana to leave with them. The look on Addy’s face is shock and pain. At least Dana had the good grace to say she never wanted anyone to get hurt. Well Dana, Addy got hurt! (And some people where shot and killed, but Addy got hurt!!!)
Revenge is taken however as the Zombie Guest takes Doc’s gun and kills the grocery thief, then gets shot in return.
Wrap Up
This is just about when Murphy wakes up from his concussion and the story quickly wrap up. With Murphy awake the zombies are released from whatever was pulling them to the hotel, and Ziggy ends up back at the door, covered in gore. They thought he was the killer originally and exiled him, but he did just fine with his hammer.
The Corporate Retreat Leader pays for his decision by getting his head crushed with his talking stick. Good for you Iggy!
Corporate Retreat ends with a little bit of a heartache.
There is clearly longing here for Addy, but she doesn’t really trust Dana for good reason, but still, you can’t just force a feeling to stop. They say their goodbyes, and they both hope they get to see each other again. Sadly, there was no kiss. Come on, be brave, show a peck on the lips or a hug, right? Then Addy climbs into the van to find all eyes on her.
Corporate Retreat Scoring
Corporate Retreat scored an 85/100. It opened with some solid action and then kept the pace and mystery up throughout, making it Worth Your Time.
| Season | Episode | Episode Name | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Puppies and Kittens | 95 |
| 1 | 2 | Fracking Zombies | 80 |
| 1 | 3 | Philly Feast | 80 |
| 1 | 4 | Full Metal Zombie | 81 |
| 1 | 5 | Home Sweet Zombie | 75 |
| 1 | 6 | Resurrection Z | 81 |
| 1 | 7 | Welcome to the Fu-Bar | 83 |
| 1 | 8 | Zunami | 64 |
| 1 | 9 | Die Zombie Die… Again | 29 |
| 1 | 10 | Going Nuclear | 79 |
| 1 | 11 | Sisters Of Mercy | 82 |
| 1 | 12 | Murphy's Law | 80 |
| 1 | 13 | Doctor of the Dead | 91 |
| 2 | 1 | The Murphy | 90 |
| 2 | 2 | White Light | 81 |
| 2 | 3 | Zombie Road | 90 |
| 2 | 4 | Batch 47 | 60 |
| 2 | 5 | Zombaby | 85 |
| 2 | 6 | Zombie Baby Daddy | 86 |
| 2 | 7 | Down The Mississippi | 87 |
| 2 | 8 | The Collector | 63 |
| 2 | 9 | Rozwell | 69 |
| 2 | 10 | We Were Nowhere Near the Grand Canyon | 72 |
| 2 | 11 | Corporate Retreat | 85 |
| 2 | 12 | Party with the Zeros | 64 |
| 2 | 13 | Adiós, Muchachos | 69 |
| 2 | 14 | Day 1 | 90 |
| 2 | 15 | All Good Things Must Come to an End | 94 |
| 3 | 1 | No Mercy | 90 |
| 3 | 2 | A New Mission | 77 |
| 3 | 3 | Murphy's Miracle | 80 |
| 3 | 4 | Escorpion and the Red Hand | 70 |
| 3 | 5 | Little Red and the Wolfz | 79 |
| 3 | 6 | Doc Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest | 73 |
| 3 | 7 | Welcome to Murphytown | 67 |
| 3 | 8 | Election Day | 80 |
| 3 | 9 | Heart of Darkness | 70 |
| 3 | 10 | They Grow Up So Quickly | 85 |
| 3 | 11 | Doc’s Angels | 70 |
| 3 | 12 | The Siege of Murphytown | 70 |
| 3 | 13 | Duel | 90 |
| 3 | 14 | Everybody Dies in the End | 70 |
