Category: Television

Doc Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest opens with Doc wandering around the woods. He’s unable to find Team Warren after taking a potty break. As he looks for his friends he gets bashed over the head by Elvis and wakes up in a straight jacket. Welcome to the Serenity Falls Institution for the Criminally Insane.

Doc or Doctor?

The head nurse wants to make sure Doc is a real Doc. She heard him say his name while complaining out in the woods. After Doc passes the test of diagnosing the other hospital patients, the nurse lets Doc out of his straight jacket so he can help her with another new guest she’s got locked up. The other new guest keeps talking about blue men and a mission to planet Zona.

Doc has found 10K, but 10K doesn’t look like he’s in good shape. He appears to be suffering from Murphy withdrawal? Bad news for 10K, the nurse wants to give him a lobotomy to help calm him down.

When 10K starts to have seizures the nurse wants to do and emergency lobotomy. Doc challenges decision and wants to try meds first. This leads to Doc and Elvis going on a mission into the Zombie controlled area of the hospital to get to the pharmacy.

Pharmacy Mission

Elvis takes out the first Zombie and Doc takes out the second by plugging his shock treatment helmet into a light fixture.

Doc and Elvis just barely make it out of the psyche ward as the nurse is prepping 10K for his lobotomy. When Doc makes it to the surgical suit the nurse is covered in blood.

Lucky for 10K, she was practicing on another patient first. Doc is able to convince the nurse that he’ll take care of 10K. Thanks to Doc’s pharmaceutical skills 10K wakes up, at least long enough to confirm he can communicate again. Afterwards Doc uses his pharmacy knowledge to treat the rest of the patients. The other patients are getting real meds for the first time in ages.

The good vibes don’t last long. When Doc and 10K try to make their escape they are caught. Both of them end up in straight jackets again. Things are about to go very badly for Doc when the lobotomy test subject saves the day.

As Doc leads the surviving patients through the psyche ward to reach the hospital bus, the Zombies at the front of the hospital have made it through the make shift barricade. With a small horde approaching the psyche patients drive away, leaving Doc and 10K behind.

As Doc is trying to move 10K he finds the bite, and realizes exactly what is wrong with 10K.

Doc Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest ends with Doc leading 10K to safety as the sun sets. Thankfully 10k is in good hands with Doc.

Doc Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest Scoring

Doc Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest scored a 73/100. The insane asylum was fun and had some amusing scenes but I tend to like the episodes with a bit more violence in them.

Escorpion and the Red Hand finds themselves greeted by disemboweled Zombies, their bodies hanging off an overpass in warning.

The ropes holding the Zombies up are cut just as Team Warren is staring up at the Zombies. Don’t worry, it gave us an awesome Zombie Kill.

With the Zombies taken care of Team Warren is ambushed. The attackers mistake Team Warren for the “Red Hand” gang who came into town and murdered people. The newcomers are going to get get revenge on the “Red Hand” and their leader Escorpion. Only Hector is right there with Warren, so who is pretending to be him?

Back in Spokane Murphy has expanded his compound and his followers, but at a cost. Murphy is weak from giving blood so his doctor can try and find a cure, and he’s impatient. As Murphy is leaving in a huff his doctor gives 10K the cure. 10k immediately drops, foaming at the mouth.

Lucky for 10K, the doctor was just breaking Murphy’s hold over him, and wants 10K to help her escape.

While 10K is suffering, Team Warren is on the hunt for the “Red Hand”. While Warren and Hector are being threated that Escorpion is going to kill them by a wounded “Red Hand” soldier, Addy is in pain, an infected tooth poisoning her blood. Dr. Sun Mei wants to pull her teeth, but Addy isn’t happy about potentially having a gap in her smile.

After questioning their wounded “Red Hand” soldier Warren realizes that the “Red Hand” is overly motivated to kill the other group of survivors and we find out from the prisoner that the other group of survivors killed members of the “Red Hand” in order to steal food.

While Warren & Hector are fighting in the front of the warehouse, Dr. Sun Mei and Doc are playing emergency dentist, holding Addy down to pull her infected tooth.

I have to be honest, this is one of my worst fears in the Apocalypse. I can take a lot of pain, but I hate having dental issues, and the thought of having to do novice dentistry just sends s chill down my spine.

While Addy is being worked on, the “Red Hand” is sending bomb Zombies at the front door. Warren is able to distract one, but the second puts a huge hole in the building and sends Warren flying to the floor, knocked unconscious as a small horde comes rolling in. Warren and Hector barely survive the fight, but in the process one of the other survivors sees the tattoo on Hector’s arm and realizes who he is.

Back at Murphy’s compound 10K is ready to make his escape but when he goes back for the doctor, he finds that Murphy has found them out. 10K does the only thing he can do, which is jump out a window and run. 10K escapes as Murphy and his doctor vaccinate Murphy’s people.

With the survivors thinking that Hector is the acting leader of the “Red Hand” they attack, and lose. For some reason the “Red Hand” then decides to move on, leaving Team Warren to leave.

Escorpion and the Red Hand ends with Dr. Merch ignoring Murphy’s commands and escaping the only way she has left, by walking into the Zombie moat and putting a scalpel in her neck.

Escorpion and the Red Hand Score

Escorpion and the Red Hand was an interesting episode but it had some plot holes with the way the “Red Hand” just up and leaves after they have essentially won. Why do that? Which is why Escorpion and the Red Hand scored a 70/100.

Murphy’s Miracle picks up right where A New Mission left off. Team Murphy is on the road, and get stuck behind the only other car in a thousand miles. Murphy is ticked at first, at least until he sees why the other vehicle is moving so slow. There is a sick kid who is about to turn in the other car. What does Murphy do? I guess he saves her? Is it really saving her if she ends up like Cassandra?

While Murphy is playing god, Team Warren thinks they are hot on his tracks. At least until they realize that Murphy outsmarted them. Murphy was lead them on a wild goose chase by hiding Warren’s tracker on a Zombie. As Team Warren is looking for a vehicle they come across a food truck that is surrounded by Zombies. Oddly, the town’s mailman is inside and doesn’t want the Zombies hurt.

The Artic

Up in the arctic Kaya is pepping Citizen Z up, trying to get him to understand how important he is. His transmitter is dead, and without it he’s just Simon, but Kaya doesn’t buy it. People need to hear the voice of hope, to know that everything isn’t lost. I love Kaya’s attitude! A little bit later Kaya reveals her softer side. Shes breaks down when Citizen Z tells her there is no one left to hear him anyway. They are just about to smooch when the radio distracts them. A little bit later at dinner Citizen Z discovers that Kaya and her family are almost out of food. Lucky for them, Citizen Z knows where there is more food.

While Team Murphy is exploring Spokane, Team Warren is helping the Postman in exchange for gas and supplies. As they are helping him they realize something is very odd in town. The Zombies in town are very focused on the Postman, and it doesn’t seem natural. They corner the Postman, thinking maybe he’s been bit by Murphy or has some other power. They go so far as to make sure he’s not doing, well, other things, with the undead.

The Postman

With the heat on, The Postman just wants Team Warren gone, so he agrees to take them into the basement shelter to get supplies. There are multiple dead mail carriers who’ve been shot in the head. That is just about when the Postman opens a door, leaving Team Warren to fight for their lives in the near dark. This leads to what I think is the Best Zombie Kill of the episode. Hector goes to town with a Cancelled stamp.

When the fighting is done Team Warren finds the real Postmaster among the dead zombies, confirming their suspicions that something wasn’t right.

While Warren, Doc, Addy, and Hector are locked in the basement the Postman goes back upstairs and takes Dr. Sun Mei prisoner at gunpoint, leading her to his torture dungeon.

Once in the Dungeon, the Postman reveals his true nature. He killed his townsfolk because he was angry at how they treated him, and was jealous of their lives. The townspeople aren’t following him because he feeds them, or love him. They are following him because he was the last thing they say before dying.

Dr. Sun Mei is able to save herself long enough to open the dungeon door so the Zombie townspeople can take their revenge.

Murphy’s Miracle ends with Murphy sitting on his self proclaimed throne as 10K struggles with being under Murphy’s influence when the family from the opening scenes shows up, wanting to thank Murphy for saving their daughter, who is not longer scared.

Not only do they want to thank him, but the husband wants Murphy to bite his wife. Murphy is smiling as Murphy’s Miracle comes to an end.

Murphy’s Miracle Score

Murphy’s Miracle scored an 80/100. I really liked the twist with the postman and loved the progression of Citizen Z’s story, which is why this episode is Worth Your Time.

A New Mission begins with Citizen Z, nearly frozen to death, stranded out in the snow in the far north. We then see someone put him on a sled and begin to pull him away.

We then cut over to Warren just as Murphy is approaching from the sub. We have apparently fallen back in time from Episode 1. A group Asian special forces have Warren, Doc, Addy, and Escorpion. Murphy has decided to set out on his own.

Ambush

Murphy, 10K and Murphy’s Zombie Slaves don’t make it far before two of their four wheelers blow tires. This leads to an attack by a group of very barbarian like newcomers. Murphy tries to stop them, but they aren’t Zombies, and his power doesn’t hold sway over them.

The special forces have air support, including an air drop of supplies. Unfortunately, everyone for miles around can see the supplies falling from the sky. This results in a mad rush to get to the supplies first.

Back in the north Citizen Z is slowly coming to, waking up next to a young lady. He doesn’t know where he is, but Pup is okay and he’s warm. That seems like a good reason to lie back down and rest. In the end it does make sense. If they wanted to harm him, he wouldn’t be waking up at all.

Back on the race to the supplies, the special forces holding Team Warren show just how much firepower they have. A small group of Zombies approach, and is rapidly taken out by a laser grenade.

The special forces, being overly confident, almost fall pray to a Zombie straggler. Luckily for them, Warren and Escorpion take care of the Zombie even though they are in handcuffs. Warren and Escorpion get their zip tied cut off as a reward.

Back over on the Team Murphy side 10K is trying to break away from whatever hold Murphy has on him. As 10k struggles they hear something approaching. A massive ball of Zombies is rolling along, tearing into itself as the starving Zombies eat each other.

Out on the hunt for the air drop, the special forces have decided to give Team Warren their weapons back, with some small modifications. Addy gets a new Z-Whacker and this time its electrified.

Kaya

Back in the cold North Citizen Z has woken up, literally, on every front, and we get introduced to Kaya. Kaya is a huge fan of Citizen Z. Kaya has a flat affect, but I love the way she approaches life, and her affection that is already apparent for Citizen Z.

Back on the hunt for the supply drop the special forces go down after one poorly timed laser grenade. A zombie throws the laser grenade back and all but one soldier gets their heads popped off. The survivor is bleeding though, and he doesn’t last long when the smell brings a hungry Zombie his way. The mission has been a total bust. The female leader of the special forces is still alive, but her team is dead, and the supplies have been destroyed.

Warren takes control the situation. Their new mission is to get Murphy, and help save the world. Because no one else is going to do it. This is just about when Murphy rolls up in an armored vehicle. Murphy wants Warren to join his mission, and he has no desire to save anyone.

As Team Warren is struggling with their next step to bring Murphy back into their fold, Citizen Z is watching the northern lights with Kaya.

The episode ends with The man showing the name on his paper, and no surprises here, he’s after Murphy.

A New Mission Score

A New Mission had some great scenes and I loved seeing Citizen Z made it after nearly freezing to death. Overall I’m giving A New Mission  a 77/100, making it Worth Your Time.