The Cold just dropped! It is finally here, I’ve been waiting since Netflix announced Season 2!!! Black Summer has returned.
Black Summer Season 2
Scene 1 Luke And Sophie
The Cold opens with a brutal reminder of just how deadly the Black Summer world is. A lone survivor is siphoning gas, a Zombie in the distance as he takes what he can get, using a KFC bucket to collect some fuel. He makes it back into his car and starts to drive off when life goes sideways. It is an awesome, in your face reminder of how harsh this world is.
Scene 2 Four Months Later
The view shifts to a snowy landscape, and we see an aircraft drop supplies to someone waiting below.
The Plane
Who is dropping the supplies? We don’t know yet. Who is going to pick them up? Don’t know that yet either – but we do quickly get introduced to a man fleeing across the snow, a Zombie in slow pursuit behind him. It is a cruel world, and when our fleeing man thinks he’s been saved, well, he finds out that he isn’t.
Dead Men
Scene 3 Ambush
Time jumps backwards to the next scene…
We then get introduced to a new band of survivors, or two bands of survivors who are duking it out. Things are chaotic. As men and woman die they quickly turn into the Undead and get back on their feet, attacking anyone nearby.
When the more heavily armed group flees in vehicles we find those left behind are a ragged group of cold, starving people who just want a chance at survival.
Scene 4 Prisoners
Time jumps backwards to the next scene…
The well armed group is interrogating a man. He just happens to be the Zombie from Scene 2. We then see the beginning of the battle, mostly from the viewpoint of a young Asian woman. I think that is Sun? It’s so hard to tell because they don’t say a lot of names and everyone has aged/weathered since Season 1. We then loop back to the airdrop. The well armed group didn’t flee, they appear to look up and try to chase it? Which leads them to the sniper house.
Scene 5 The Dead
Are we back in current time? I don’t know, but we see a man stuck in a tree. When he gets a chance he picks up some firewood and flees to the house entry, begging to be let in. He did get the firewood after all.
Rose greets him with a shotgun, and she struggles with whether she should let him in or not. He promises that “what’s done is done” before she relends, agreeing to let him stay to help build a fire and remove the bodies.
As Rose enters the room we get introduced to our sniper:
Rosey The Sniper
Even better, we find out that Rose found her daughter. Rose then gives the Freddie a very important speech. Look at Anna (Rose’s daughter) and you die. We don’t know exactly what happened before, but it’s clear Rose had some interactions with Freddie and his group. Rose was the one doing the sniping, or at least its implied. We also hear the plane again, making me uncertain as to whether this is all occurring before Scene 2?
Scene 6 Ditched
A man wakes up on the floor of the woods. He’s hurt and struggling, a bullet wound in his side as he climbs up a ravine to the street. We see a mountain in the distance as he starts to stumble towards it. Is that Spears? I think that is Spears!
Scene 7 Lemons
We jump back to Scene 1, with the driver who betrayed our original car owner waking up after his collision with a cop car. He’s hurt and when he sees a door close nearby he begs for whoever is inside to let him in. He’s persistent, at least until he hears a shotgun rack. and he flees, scavenging the local cop cars until he meets his final fate.
The Cold Scoring
Overall I’m giving The Cold a 95/100. The brutality of the whole episode was just awesome. I took five points off for the reverse chronology of the scenes giving me a headache. Even so, this is definitely Worth Your Time.
Rick hasn’t forgotten about his promise to Morgan, and before they flee Atlanta, Rick is talking into his walkie, trying to let Morgan know that the CDC in Atlanta was a dead end, they are trying to move on to Fort Benning.
Path to Fort Benning
If there weren’t Zombies and abandoned cars, that is just a two hour drive, it’s even walkable at just under forty hours, even if you were only going to hike eight hours a day for a week. If you pushed yourself this could easily be done in just three days. But of course during the Zombie Apocalypse, nothing is going to be easy.
Traffic
Spoilers Below
Team Rick hasn’t made it far when they run into a massive traffic snarl, which is made worse when the RV radiator blows, bringing the survivors convoy to a complete halt.
With little option, the group spreads out to scavenge. They need gas, water, supplies, and of course a radiator hose. The survivors are scavenging when Rick sees a walker in the distance.
Target Aquired
And then the horde that is rapidly approaching.
The scavengers do their best to hide under cars and get out of site but T-Dog cuts hi arm pretty badly and everyone else is freaking out as the horde filters between the cars they are hiding under. Andrea gets stuck in the RV, trying to put together her pistol as a walker stumbles around inside the cabin.
We then get two awesome Zombie Kills in rapid succession. The first is Daryl saving T-Dog with a nice stealth kill:
Stealth Kill
Followed up very quickly by Andrea also discovering what an awesome tool a screwdriver is to kill the Undead. Its perfect for eye socket to brain damage.
Andrea in Action
Andrea of course isn’t quite as calm and composed as Daryl is, but she gets the job done.
Sophia Goes Missing
Outside the group thinks they’ve survived, but just when they were about to start coming out from under the cars Sophia is chased out from under her car and flees into the woods. Rick follows her and is able to find her, but there are walkers everywhere. He stashes her in a hole in the bank of a stream and leads the group of walkers away from here, trying to save her.
When Rick loops back after losing the horde, Sophia isn’t there. Team Rick spreads out in the woods, searching for Sophia.
As Daryl tracks Sophia and Rick follows, we get introduced to the first of many mistakes Carl will make when he decides to scavenge a bag of edged weapons without any backup.
Out in the wood Rick & Daryl take down a walker and when Rick finds what looks like skin under its nails, they have no choice but to gut it to see if its got Sophia in its guts.
Thankfully the walker only has some woodchuck in her belly.
When Rick and Daryl come back as night is falling Carol is heartbroken. Her little girl is out in the woods, in the dark.
The next morning the survivors distribute the edged weapons Carl scavenged and head out to search for Sophia again. Dale is worried about Andrea having a firearm, and Shane agrees that they should restrict who has firearms to help save everyone. Andrea wanted to die back at the CDC, and only came out because she didn’t want Dale’s blood on her hands – and she let’s him know she’s not happy about it.
Out in the woods the searchers discover a tent, and there is a brief moment of hope that Sophia may have found it and spent the night, but when Daryl goes to search the only thing inside is a suicide.
The team is still in the woods when they hear bells ringing in the distance and head for the sound. Could Sophia of found a church?
T-Dog & Dale
As the searchers march for the church T-Dog and Dale have a wonderful conversation. Dale already fixed the RV’s radiator, but didn’t tell anyone because he doesn’t want to give the group a reason to stop searching for Sophia too soon, or as he puts it, to weigh the benefits of the many against the one. Jeffrey DeMunn, who plays Dale, is just a phenomenal actor.
After the searchers clear the church Shane and Lori argue outside. Shane’s planning on running, and he’s not willing to talk to Rick. He pretty much leaves it up to Lori to tell Rick whatever she wants.
Rick takes a moment alone inside the church to beg a higher power to give him a sign. He feels responsible for Sophia being lost, and he’s struggling with guilt. He feels responsible.
Rick, Shane, and Carl end up out in the woods and come upon a deer. There is a magical moment as Carl walks up to the wild creature, and then a shot comes out of nowhere, taking down the deer and hitting Carl with a through and through shot.
What Lies Ahead ends with Carl hitting the ground, a gunshot wound to his chest. Now we have to wait until next week to see if he survives!
What Lies Ahead Scoring
What Lies Ahead scored a 95/100, making it Worth Your Time. The episode starts out strong and ends strong. There was a small lull in the 3rd quarter that cost it just a few points.
Carl’s Questionable Decisions
Season 2, Episode 1, What Lies Ahead (29:15) – Carl scavenges a bag of edged weapons from a car without any adult supervision. Sure it turned out to be someone who was dead dead, but he had no idea.
Season 2, Episode 6, Secrets(7:45) – Carl gets caught with a revolver he stole from the RV. I get the motivation, but he should have asked first.
Wildfire opens at the break of dawn. Rick calls out to Morgan on the radio, warning him that Atlanta is overrun. Thankfully he did find his family though.
Catching Morgan Up
While Rick is trying to catch up with Morgan the rest of the crew is busy. They are cleaning up the dead from the zombie attack. I really appreciate the fact that Daryl is spiking heads with a pick axe. Because you don’t want to be picking up a zombie to find out its only mostly dead, know what I mean?
The clean up is mostly done when the survivors turn to focus on Andrea. She refuses to leave her sister’s side. Even going so far as to pull a gun on Rick and reminding him she now knows how the safety works. Daryl wants to put a bullet in Amy’s head from a distance. He stalks away in disgust when the others disagree.
Bitten
As the clean up crew is working Jacqui sees blood on Jim’s shirt and panics. He starts yelling out to the others that Jim was bit. T-Dog grabs Jim’s arms so Daryl can lift up Jim’s shirt as he begs that he’s okay.
Jim’s Been Bitten
Daryl is proposing direct action. Pick axe blows to heads, and Dale regretfully agrees. Rick hasn’t lived through people turning from bites yet. He naively thinks there is maybe help to be had at the CDC. Shane would rather go to Fort Benning. He believes the military would be their best hope of finding other survivors and safety. Fort Benning is a lot further away than the CDC in Atlanta though.
After Rick takes Jim someplace safe Dale goes to talk to Andrea. He tells her about his wife, and how mad he was when his wife died of cancer. He tells Andrea that her and her sister were the first people that he dared to care about. Andrea pulls out Amy’s birthday present, feeling guilty for all the missed birthdays in the past. Glenn leaves her to her mourning as Andrea puts the mermaid necklace around her sister’s neck.
We then get to see Carol take out years of abuse on her husbands corpse. She swings Daryl’s pick axe with enough fervor to make even Daryl raise an eyebrow.
Letting Go
Andrea is still beside Amy when she turns. Amy’s eyes twitch slowly before her eyes open, slowly turning to stare at her sister. Andrea apologizes as Amy lifts her head, trying to take a bite of her sister. The others turn, realizing what’s happening, afraid Andrea isn’t going to be strong enough to do what is needed.
Andrea Saying Goodbye To Amy
In the end Andrea does the needful and puts a bullet into her sister’s head. If you watch the shot closely it looks like she would have put a bullet through her other hand in the process though. That would have 100% infected hers in the process.
As Shane and Rick are burying the dead Shane blames Rick for taking half their manpower to go look for Merle. Rick pushes back that without the guns they would have been in even more trouble. While they are arguing Daryl piles in saying they need a leader. That the camp needs to know the rules. This is when Lori chimes in, telling Daryl they need to bury their dead, because its what people do.
Not far off Jim is suffering from a fever. He’s seeing flashes of walkers as the virus eats away at his brain. Rick comes to talk to Jim, but Jim’s in a fever dream, not fully aware of where he is. While Rick is talking to Jim, Lori and Shane are talking outside. This almost leads to Rick finding out just how well Shane was taking care of his wife while he was almost dying in the hospital bed. Shane short circuits the conversation after Lori chimes in to support Rick’s CDC plan. This leads the two old friends to head out into the woods to do their security sweep.
In Shane’s Sights
Rick And Shane Alone In The Woods
This leads to a very nerve wracking moment where Shane is clearly tempted to kill his old partner.
Shane Views Rick From Behind Is Shotgun
When Shane lowers the weapon, Dale is there, having seen the whole thing.
Dale Takes The Lord’s Name In Shane
Shane tries to play it off, pretending he thought Rick was a walker. Shane comments that they might have to start wearing reflective vests, but Dale’s face says it all. He doesn’t believe Shane any further than he could throw him.
When they get back to camp everyone groups around the fire. Shane says that he thinks they should all stay together. That means agreeing with Rick’s plan to head for the CDC. Rick shares the news with Morgan on the following dawn, telling him he left a map behind if he wants to follow.
Not Safe
The caravan has formed up, and everyone except for Morales and his family are going to head for the CDC. Rick and Shane gives Morales a revolver and half a box of shells as a farewell present.
Roll Out
The caravan rolls out, on their way to the CDC as Jim burns with fever in the back of the RV. They don’t get far before the RV blows its radiator hose. Shane goes to find parts when Jacqui comes out to get Rick, Jim isn’t doing well. Jim has a moment of clarity, and begs Rick to leave him behind. He’s in pain and every bump in the road is an agony.
In the end the group agrees to let Jim make the decision and leave him propped up against a tree as they roll away.
Dr. Jenner
We are then introduced to Jenner, the sole survivor at the CDC facility. He is alone and his affect seems off.
Dr. Jenner
Jenner is recording his updates and we learn that he’s concerned about saving power. Jenner is also having trouble sleeping due to being underground. We then see him working in a biohazard lab in a space suite when there is a small accident. This shows us how any breach in protocol leads to his experiments being burnt in a decontamination cycle.
This leads to Jenner voicing his loneliness and desperation, which ends in him admitting he’s considering suicide.
Jenner Admitting He’s Suicidal
Back on the surface the survivors have made it to the CDC. There is evidence of a fierce, last ditch effort to defend the installation outside its walls.
CDC Battleground
There are bodies everywhere, as well as what’s left of defensive positions. As the group approaches Jenner is pulled to monitors by motion alarms. We see the team get to the doors of the CDC. The doors are closed and sealed with protective shutters.
The CDC Is Shuttered
The team is just about to flee in a panic when the camera moves. They can’t be in the city when night falls. Rick bangs on the shutters and begs to be let in, they are out of gas and supplies. Jenner watches as Rick begs, and opens the doors just before the team is forced to flee the city before nightfall.
CDC Doors Open
The episode ends with the survivors looking into the CDC as the doors open, flooding light out into the coming darkness.
Wildfire Scoring
Wildfire is Worth Your Time and scored a 95/100. There is so much depth to every scene and the acting and writing is just top notch. The only thing that would have pushed this amazing episode up to a 100/100 would have been getting to see some flashbacks or security footage of the CDC compound being overrun.
Tell It to the Frogs opens with Merle on the roof, rambling, nearly delirious, remembering time he spent in the stockade. The reality of his situation has set in. All the noise Merle is making brings the walkers up to the doorway. The only thing holding them back is the chain T-Dog secured the door with.
Merge, Abandoned On The Roof
The more noise Merle makes, the harder the walkers push to get get through, but as Merle climbs under the pipes, trying to hide, he sees the tools that T-Dog dropped as he fled. Merle takes off his belt to try to reach the tool which is just out of his reach.
Back in the box van Morales tells Rick not to feel bad. No one is going to miss Merle, except for maybe his brother Daryl. This is the first time we get introduced to Daryl. Daryl is one of the all time best characters in the series. Comment below if you disagree!
The Introduction of Daryl
As Rick steers the box van back to camp Glenn flies by, the alarm still going off, whooping in joy as he drives the Charger.
Camp
Back in camp Lori, Carl, and Shane are sitting in a circle. Lori is cutting Carl’s hair as Shane cleans a firearm, telling Carl he’s going to teach him how to catch frogs.
Glenn shows up first, the car alarm still going off. Shane is angry. Glenn just rang the dinner bell all the way back to their camp!
Andrea is the first one out of the truck. Her sister Amy runs and gives her a hug, relieved her sister made it out alive.
Andrea & Amy Reunite
Morales and his family are next and there are hugs all around as the scavengers celebrate making it back to camp. Shane asks how they got out, the last thing he heard on the radio was that they were surrounded and in trouble. Glenn tells Shane the new guy got them out. Morales call out to “Hey, helicopter boy!” and Rick comes walking into frame. I think the look on Shane’s face says just about everything we need to know.
Shane’s Reaction When He Sees Rick
Rick Is Back
Rick and Shane stare at each other but then Rick sees Lori and Carl just behind him and the world narrows down. For Rick, all he sees is his family. The other survivors are in shock, not expecting the newcomer to have ties to their band. Rick clutches Carl to his chest, both of them crying as he carries his son towards Lori.
Lori’s Suprised? And Scared? Reaction To Ricks Return
Lori’s initial reaction appears to be fear? Or maybe guilt? Guilt that she’s already jumped into bed with her not long dead husbands patrol partner? Rick and Lori were having issues before the apocalypse started. Maybe it started before the walkers started biting?
Lori recovers and hugs Rick, but her face is still more shock than joy. She looks over at Shane who just nods quietly, not knowing what to say or do. Is Lori crying tears of relief? Or are they guilt and surprise?
Campfire
In the next scene its night and Rick is sitting around the fire with his family and the other survivors, telling them what it was like to wake up in their new world.
Grimes Family By The Fire
The worst part is when Rick is thanking Shane for taking care of his family while he wasn’t there. Clearly Rick doesn’t realize just how much “taking care” of his wife Shane was doing.
We are then introduced to Ed, Carol, and Sophia Peletier. Ed built the fire up too high, and Shane makes him pull some wood off the fire so they can’t be seen. Or more correctly, Shane tells him to do it, and Ed makes his wife Carol do it.
Back at the fire the scavengers are discussing what to do about Daryl. Who is going to tell Daryl they left Merle behind? Dale warns them that when Daryl gets back its going to be a rough conversation. This is when T-Dog tells them he chained the door shut and Merle is probably still alive.
Rick puts Carl to bed before going to Lori, kissing her before lying down behind her.
Rick And Lori Spooning
Shook
Lori still looks more shocked than happy that Rick survived. This really annoys me. As they lay there Rick tells her he knew he’d find her. That he knew she was alive the moment he went to their house and saw that pictures and family albums were gone. Lori tells him she really didn’t think she’d ever see him again, and apologizes, telling him she wants to take back the anger and the mistakes. Rick tells her its okay, they got a second chance, which not many people get. We then find out the ring on her necklace is Rick’s wedding band, and she asks if he wants it back. Lori turns out the lantern, leading Rick to look over at Carl. Lori tell him Carl won’t wake up, which really creeped me out even further. How many times has she banged Shane with her son a few feet away? How else could she be so sure? It’s not like Rick was gone for year! How long could Rick possibly have been gone at this point? Two weeks? Three weeks? And she’s already jumped right into bed with Shane?
Outside, Shane is standing watch, but he’s really just watching Lori’s tent, knowing what’s likely going on.
Morning
When Rick gets up the camp is already in full gear. Carol has washed Rick’s clothing while Dale and team are stripping the Charger for parts, much to Glen’s dismay. Rick and Lori are discussing if it makes sense to go back for Merle when Carl starts screaming. There is a walker just outside camp, eating a deer that had been wounded by a hunter.
Walker Chowing Down On Deer
Rick and the others then go to town on the walker, beating it to death before Dale takes its head off with an axe.
We then get introduced to Daryl Dixon in the flesh for the first time!
Daryl Dixon’s Entrance Into The Walking Dead
Daryl is pissed that the walker got his deer and proceeds to kick the walker a few times. He is raw and hot headed, but he’s brought back some squirrel to eat, so he does put food on the table.
Where Is Merle?
As Daryl is calling for Merle to help him process his game, Shane tells him he needs to tell him something, which is when Rick steps up and just lays it out. Merle was a danger to them all and he handcuffed him to a roof. Daryl is not happy to say the least. He goes to take a swing at Rick but Shane stops him, putting him in a headlock which Daryl reminds him is illegal.
After Daryl calms down Rick agrees to go back to help Daryl save his brother. Shane doesn’t understand why Rick would go back for Merle. Rick twists Glenn’s arm to help. Glenn knows the way and has been in and out in the past. Shane is against anyone going, but Rick convinces Shane it’s worth it if they can get the guns Rick left behind.
Things get more emotional as Lori and Carl beg him not to, but Rick needs the bag not just for the guns, but for the walkie talkie he promised Morgan he’d connect on. Rick wants to warn Morgan that Atlanta isn’t safe.
Rick’s last stop is Dale’s RV where he bargains for a set of bolt cutters before heading out. As Rick is leaving Shane gives Rick his last 4 four rounds for Rick’s Colt Python.
Rescue Team
As Merle’s rescue team decides on their best course of action Andrea, Amy, Carol and Jacqui are scrubbing clothes, discussing the things they miss from the old days. Jacqui misses her coffee maker while Andrea and Carol miss their vibrators, which makes them all start laughing. Not far away the laughter draws Ed’s attention. Ed tells Carol to do her work and basically shut up, they aren’t in a comedy club. Andrea confronts Ed and things start to get ugly. Ed is completely willing to hit Andrea. Shane stops him. Violently. Shane is taking out his anger on the abusive husband.
Back in the main camp Lori is looking for Carl, which brings her down to the water to confront Shane.
Lori Confronts Shane
Lori is pissed and tells Shane to stay away from her, Carl, and her family. Shane is the one who told her that Rick was dead, and that somehow makes it all Shane’s fault that she started to bang her dead husband’s partner before the body was even cold? I get it, she thought Rick was dead and she needed emotional support, but still, she has to take some responsibility right?
As the drama is unfolding in the quarry Merle’s rescue team is making it to the roof of the department store in Atlanta which leads to one of the huge cliffhangers that won’t be resoled for multiple seasons.
Merle is gone, or at least most of Merle is gone. The only thing left on the roof is the hacksaw and his hand.
Merle’s Hand
Tell It to the Frogs Scoring
Tell It to the Frogs scored a 95/100, making it Worth Your Time. It was a strong, emotional filled episode with lots of revelations, but it only had a few scenes with walkers in it, which cost it a few points. Still, what other series is averaging a 98.3 in its first three episodes?
Puppies and Kittens is the start of something awesome. Z Nation honestly has one of the best first episodes ever. The world is overrun by the Undead and the people working on a vaccine are about to get overrun. This single event drives the next five seasons. Murphy has been bitten, and he hasn’t turned.
Murphy’s Bites
Puppies and Kittens kicks of the series, and the season with non stop action, while setting the groundwork for the next five seasons. The initial zombie horde scenes are first class, and one of my all time favorite scenes of any zombie show is when the dead wash up along the riverbank, and the survivors at the camp don’t quite realize how bad that is going to end up for them, for about 30 seconds:
Puppies and Kittens Zombie Flood
Episode 1 introduces us to the heart of the Z Nation cast as well. It is the apocalypse, and some people will come and go, but all the major players are introduced in Puppies and Kittens. Yes, there are other players in the game, but these are my favorites:
Murphy:
Murphy is the convict turned successful zombie vaccine survivor. The nations, even the worlds, chances of long term survival are flowing through is veins…maybe.
Keith Allan as “Murphy”
Keith Allan plays Murphy like an expert at a piano, always striking the right note at the perfect moment. Murphy is a very flawed man, and while he has moments of redemption and growth, he is who he is.
Doc:
Russell Hodgkinson, if you’re reading this, you are my all time favorite character of the series. You bring the fun, funny, and awesome to every scene you’re in.
Russell Hodgkinson as “Doc”
Doc always has just a little more story to tell, shedding a bit more light on what has been an interesting, complicated life. I hope I bump into you at an airport someday so I can thank you for how many times you’ve made me smile and laugh.
Lt. Roberta Warren:
Lt. Roberta Warren is the rock of the survivor group. She’s smart, hard as nails, and knows how to mercy the undead while never losing her compassion.
Kellita Smith as “Lt. Roberta Warren”
Lt. Warren is what we all want and need in our survivor group. She is a utility player who thinks on her feet and can shift from strategy to hand to hand combat without breaking a sweat.
Citizen Z:
Citizen Z is my second favorite character of the series. I’m sure it has nothing to do with him being a computer geek fighting the good fight from behind his keyboard, and I somehow identify with that.
DJ Qualls as “Citizen Z”
Citizen Z is the lone survivor of an NSA/Military communications base in the far north. He stays behind to make sure that Murphy is in transit, only to find that his comrades leave him behind, and save his life in the process. Citizen Z has the full capability of the United States intelligence systems at his fingertips, and he uses it to full effect to help the survivors try to get Murphy to safety.
10K:
What does a sniper do when his unit has been devoured and he’s all alone? He goes on a target hunt to try to get his number to 10,000 kills, that’s what he does.
Nat Zang as “10K”
Puppies and Kittens Scoring
Puppies and Kittens kicks off an awesome series and scores 95/100. If you are not watching Z Nation yet, you need to be!
