Z Nation (TV Series 2014–2018) Poster

(2014–2018)

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7/10
More like "Fun Nation"
tenlegdragon20 September 2014
You can tell exactly what this show is about when Harold goes "God, I hate moral dilemmas." Not that I don't like Walking Dead and their special episodes, but by God, it's just refreshing to have people killing zombies without constantly wondering about the meaning of life and the universe and God and nihilism and every damn thing under the sun.

I was skeptical at first by the bad reviews, but this is Syfy doing what it does best. Cheap, good, pointless, meaningless fun.

I was like "Guy from Lost!"(Harold) "Aunt Wanda!" (from the Bernie Mac Show) "Russell!" (from Southland), and even the other actors who I have never seen before, had my interest from the jump. There's no frowdy-dowdy old woman, no rambling kindly farmer grandad with six semi-suicidal daughters. None of all that baggage. Everybody's in the now. There are people like "girl with spiked baseball bat", "old meth dealer", "emo-looking sniper boy", "Jon Hamm looking vagrant-convict-zombie-zombie cure".

Another thing it has going for it is the pacing. The events of the single pilot episode would take maybe a season and a half in TWD time. I don't see Z Nation wasting time on all the nonsense that TWD drags on over and over. No soul searching here, people! Just good ole zombie killing fun.

It's like 28 Days Later, meets Dawn and Shaun of the Dead, meets maybe From Dusk Till Dawn. I just frakking love it. It's like someone was watching TWD and thought, "You know what, this is nice and all, but what if it wasn't boring as all fvck? Like if maybe zombies were fun? You think maybe we could do that?"
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7/10
Cheesy, silly and fun
antsquires7420 September 2014
This is not a TWD replacement or competition, certainly in its current state. Not that TWD is the epitome of excellence but the apparent lack of budget and mostly unknown actors give Z Nation a less professional finish.

Coming at a time when we are over saturated by all things Zombie, Z Nation seems to know that its not going to break any records or do anything groundbreaking and so doesn't try. Instead, what we have is a show where the makers are giving us a bunch of characters ( I cant even remember their names) who are knee deep in Guts and supremely confident in cracking the skulls of the Zombies and the whole thing is a 45 minute long gore fest with a bit of a back story.

I personally didn't want to get involved in another series where you have to love or loath a character, get involved in their love lives and generally care about them especially in another Zombie world so its quite refreshing to know that it doesn't matter who lives and who dies and judging by the carnage the producers don't care who lives or dies either.

After the first two episodes, I can say that it was fun and I will watch the third episode. Why? cos its a laugh in a visceral,gory and silly way.

Just don't expect a serious, well written and high budget TWD experience and you might have a bit of fun with it...
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7/10
Very good show until season 5
RobLuvsTheMountains27 October 2018
Seasons 1-4 get a rating of 9 stars from me. I rate season 5 with 3 stars. This show has been funny and highly entertaining until season 5. One of the things that made this show so good was that the writers managed to find a good balance,keeping the political stuff to a minimum and there wasn't a lot of deep diving into emotional dilemmas. This season the writing is sappy and feels forced with lame lines about "who we want to become" and "not acting out of fear" blah blah blah. As if having legitimate concern about someone eating your brains is some sort of silly fear that should be scorned. The writing this season is terrible! The "Talkers" won't eat you if they get enough biscuits that contain human brains. The viewer seems to be expected to just accept this premise no questions asked. Who makes the biscuits and where are they getting brains from? And why aren't our characters having a moral dilemma with THAT?! In previous seasons anything that seemed stupid in the writing wasn't a problem b/c the show was so fun to watch. This season is nothing but a lame lecture.
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10/10
PAY ATTENTION PEOPLE - unfair rating
KatherynVenus19 September 2014
-I don't reveal anything that wasn't in previews-

Firstly, no I don't believe this show deserves a 10 but it certainly does NOT deserve a 4.9! Notice how pretty much every commenter compares Z Nation to TWD? Well, that's unfair. TWD is brilliant and if you honestly expected it to compare, you're an idiot.

It's entertaining. It's FUNNY. It is a great way to spend 40 minutes of your week if you're a zombie fan - like me. Love zombies so another zombie show on TV, um YAY! Gosh, people.

THEY ARE NOT SUPER FAST ZOMBIES Man, you people don't pay attention. FRESH zombies are fast. She says in the first episode, "that must have been a fresh one." Which makes complete sense.... the body hasn't deteriorated yet and after a turn they get some sort of boost (the baby)... All other zombies are slow and sloppy.

I actually like the characters.

If people would stop comparing this and just watch it for what it is... a light, fun zombie show with a not-bad story... it deserves at least a 7.5! I also think it will get better, if you give it a chance.

Sigh!
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Bloody fantastic
taffy-574857 September 2017
Honestly have to leave 10 out of 10 for this.

This show does not try to be anything it's not. It's got character development, shocks and twists with who lives (and dies)

It's got humour, you can often relate to people in your own life - so and so would be exactly like that in that position....

Is it award winning? No

Is it entertaining? Absolutely

Am I currently reaching all 3 seasons ready for season 4? As I write this now

Comparing this to TWD, is like comparing Got with Vikings. Both fantastic in their own right, but 2 totally different shows
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10/10
Fresh and fun
mertaan23 September 2014
This show delivers what fans of the zombie genre want to see and it doesn't pretend to hide it; -Quick action. -Lots of zombies. -Constant danger. -No safe hideouts. -Having some FUN in the apocalypse.

This show keeps the survivors active and running. Stories take up an episode, instead of a season, meaning they may lack in depth, but give more satisfaction per episode. With challenging obstacles, the characters are smart as you would expect of survivors of a zombie apocalypse.

The acting is solid, with some more-known names like DJ Qualls and Harold Perrineau (1), together with a lot of fresh blood. In this show we see better dialogue between a guy and a dog than other shows create between a father and son.

Characters are diverse to keep interest, but aren't forced. They get enough screen time as their own, instead of supporting roles.

The show pokes a bit of fun at the zombie genre by creating zombie- babies, zombie-dogs, runners, and floaters, which keeps the blood pumping.

Top reasons to watch: -Zombies are just called zombies. -Survivors are not retarded. -Action, fun.
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6/10
Impressive (but cheesy) for an Asylum product
teslaman8 September 2019
I started watching this while on vacation i Thailand. I usually have SyFy on when it's available and I'm in my room. One night I watched this show and after a while I actually began to like it.

As it is an Asylum production I never have high expectations. But this is actually a good show, of course it's cheesy and campy, but hilarious. The characters are quirky and have distinct personality, sometimes played over the top. My favourite is Doc, hands down.

I enjoyed the ride the first four seasons. Episodes were a little up and down but overall I liked it and the story arches in later episodes worked ok. BUT! Then came season 5. This is when it went stright down into the toilet, because of, hrrm, the popular agenda nowadays. Sure there were a few good moments but most of it was just horrible.

So, save yourself some suffering and just watch the four first seasons.
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5/10
Horribly Good
captzero14 September 2014
This new zombie TV series Z-Nation.

I am struggling to decide if this is the worst written and acted show to ever make it to cable... or if the program is the product of a think-tank of insane genius. I genuinely found myself laughing out, half-a-dozen times, as I wait in anticipation of the next cliché, twist, stupid one-liner and dialogue. Time after time, I am not let down. And it gets funnier... and funnier. Like flipping a coin and getting heads 8 times in a row... each consecutive flip, getting more and more interesting as you know its bound to be tails.

The show is so horrible its good. 5 minutes into the first episode I knew it was junk, but I kept watching. By the end of the show I was surprised to find that I honestly enjoyed it.

I can't tell if they're intending it to be funny like Zombie Land, but the acting, dialogue and situations are so stupid it's great in a memorable Army of Darkness kind of way. If this show makes it, it will be because of how bad it is. I can see it gaining a cult following for these reasons.

Watch the show with a mind-set expecting an atrocity and to giggle at the absurdness and you will probably enjoy it, like me.
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10/10
Z Nation is tons of fun
chicagopoetry20 September 2014
The only reason I can think that people are so down on this show is that they are The Walking Dead fans and they're upset because now there is a much livelier, scarier, gorier and more violent version of it. Unlike TWD Z Nations has a keen sense of humor. Some of the one liners are simply hilarious. In the second episode, while entering a gas refinery that is swarming with the undead, one of the characters sighs, "Fracking Zombies." It's moments like this that gives Z Nation a certain energy that TWD doesn't have, since TWD takes itself all too seriously. Z Nation is to TWD what Sunny in Philadelphia is to Seinfeld. It's like TWD on crack. Just two episodes into it and already there has been some very memorable and horrific scenes, like the infant baby zombie in the first episode or the zombies covered in black oil in the second. Finally Asylum, known for such quirky low budget flicks as Sharknado, is doing something solid. I'm a fan. I will be watching it every week.
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6/10
It isn't as bad as people say
jonnithomas14 September 2014
It's not rubbish and it's not excellent either. What it lacks in characterisation does not make it unwatchable or unenjoyable.

If you expect a good version of the walking dead then you will be disappointed. For a start the zombies are fast moving and there are a lot of them.

If you watch it with an open mind and don't expect class science fiction with brilliant acting then you may find it's OK to watch and you won't be bored. Mind you I have only seen the first episode.

The people saying it's rubbish are eating a burger and expecting a fillet steak.
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4/10
Season 5 lost it completely!
marswe-120 February 2019
Good, silly and entertaining first 3 seasons. Season 4 was started getting hazy and season 5 completely lost it's way in the political PC, bash the white people fog.
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9/10
whats wrong with people? its entertaining!
alxandrbs20 September 2014
i don't know whats wrong with people here,have you ever watched an original old zombie movie? z-nation is much closer to the real deal than TWD. i liked it pretty much and i know i wasn't the only one. i don't know if people getting paid to write bad reviews , but i assume ,yes -- the acting is how it supposed to be,and again,just watch some old zombie movies to compare. its a good cast,too.It is easy to remember the characters. The story is funny and it has some new ideas ,which TWD couldn't pull of.i was surprised that is was a scyfy series,i thought it was fx. :-( overall a nice series,hope for many seasons despite that paid trolling.Just watch it instead of just writing bad reviews cause you think thats the wave to float with. :-)
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7/10
Used to be so good!
eric-wallis3 November 2018
The first couple of seasons were so good and so much fun that I used to look forward to Friday nights just to watch this show! Things started to get bad in season 4. The acting was really bad, the story line was boring. And the new characters were intolerable (Sarge). Season 5 is just unbearable! Terrible acting and a rotten premise. If I wanted to watch stupid politics, I would turn on the news. PLEASE make this show about killing zombies again!
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3/10
Started well and ended in our dystopia present
koofasa11 October 2019
Warning: Spoilers
TV shows about zombies can be made so that viewers question their place in the universe and measure how delicate life and humanity are. We can ask questions like what happens when we die or do we lose our humanity when we transform into something else? In the first season of Z Nation a team of live people are trying valiantly to move a man who is immune to the zombie virus to a lab across the country. The man the team is moving, Murphy, is very selfish and doesn't really care about humanity one way or another. He is not very cooperative and is very unlikable. Murphy never becomes a better person or zombie. The team who moves him changes a bit but the main people like Warren, Addie, doc and 10k stay the same until the end. By the last season zombies have morphed from scary dead monsters into a category of protected people. Just because someone is dead doesn't make them less and the implication is that you're a bad person if you don't want to share space with a zombie who is only animated by eating human brains. One episode is dedicated to reviewing the shortcomings of the US constitution because all people were not equally protected from the beginning. It is sadly a commentary on how the Hollywood writers of today must view themselves as marginalized. That was the only conclusion I could come to with the storyline in the last season. Their new leader to start a brave new world is a biological female named George who is about 25 years old. She has never seen the constitution before which is probably true for most 25 year-old Americans these days. So while story started somewhere on our future, it ended right here where we all live today. The political message ruined what had been a fun but campy show.
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9/10
Honestly a good show.
gaulinator23 September 2014
I think the problem here is that everyone is comparing this show to the Walking Dead, which in my opinion, has failed the zombie genre. The first two episodes of this show had me on the edge of my seat and the graphics were quite good (obviously not HBO good). The zombies in the show are terrifying and yes some of the acting is a bit stiff but its SYFY, they do have a budget, and they're spending it on the right thing, graphics. Almost non-stop action is what propels the show and a new "smart zombie" spin is whats going to keep me watching. Im tired of watching zombies get speared through the holes of a fence, it's time to let the humans be the hunted! I highly recommend you give this show a try because in my opinion they're doing almost everything right and it could be one of the most thrilling shows to grace the airwaves in a while.
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10/10
Epic fun.
twanster-9765526 August 2020
I was absolutely gutted that they cancelled this show. I rewatched them again recently and it's still good. They could have carried this on for a while. The characters are awesome. The plots are sometimes goofy and always gory. There was so many directions to take Murphy in but for whatever reason they've chosen to stop making it. A real shame as this show holds its own in a zombie filed market. The writers and cast should have carried on. Well worth watching if you haven't seen it. All round good fun.
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7/10
Don't compare it to The Walking Dead, enjoy it for what it is
bregund2 November 2014
Warning: Spoilers
Z Nation is one of the faster-paced zombie shows I've seen, they pack a lot of story into each episode. If you want a different take on a zombie apocalypse, this program is certainly an enjoyable diversion, and if you want something even more different, check out In The Flesh, which is just as fresh and funny as Z Nation. This program takes the time to develop the characters and give each one a background, and even more importantly they all have continuity. My hat is off to Keith Allan as Murphy, he plays the character with as many faults, regrets, indecisiveness, and human shortcomings as you might imagine. He is at once both funny and chilling as the human/zombie hybrid, switching from a kind of folksy relatability to an inhuman, focused precision from one scene to the next. This isn't the best program on television, but it's certainly non-stop entertainment.
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2/10
Good story bad direction
maxofact23 February 2021
This show has very interesting story that goes into the depths of types of zombie, vaccine creating, new world etc. But direction and the implementation of the show is really bad. like really bad. Stupid action sequences, bad acting and no connecting (explored) character. protagonist in the series is equal to some superhero and very stupidly unrealistic execution of the story.
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9/10
I really like Z Nation.
lknowlton24 September 2014
It's a great show. Trying to save the world by keeping a jerk alive and getting him to California.The jerk is really good at being a jerk... Some of the lines the actors are given are a bit cheesy and the timing is sometimes a bit off at times between guest characters speeches. I think the dialog writing could be a bit more natural. I really like D J Qualls. He's a doll. His scene looking for people from the bite mark project to get back to him was great. Being from Canada I love the Northern Light station scenes. I like the young couple and the older gentleman. They are pretty cool and good actors. The leaders of the band are very good as well. Since so far 10,000 hasn't been in much it's hard to tell. Over all I think this show is very entertaining and I'm hoping it continues to be so. There are some unexpected surprises in the show and that is good - like the oil tank. What did Citizen Z name the dog by the way?
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7/10
Funny in a crazy way and likeable
gbghykwg16 July 2021
Don't take the apocalypse too seriously. Break all taboos the genre has adhered to. Tell an insane story that gets completely out of hand, like Weeds once did. Include a handful of extremely likeable characters. Add trash. No, add Trash with a capital T.

Sounds good? Because it works for me!
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Run for your Life!
Dr_Sagan4 October 2014
I must confess I'm not a big fan of zombie movies. Well, I'm not even a fan of vampire movies where vampires look far more cool and charming! But in my spare time I played a game called "Walking Dead" (I understand there are also TV-series, comic etc.) and I liked it.

If you surpass an initial disgust about the looks and the sounds (thank God movies still won't reproduce the...smell!) you may find yourself intrigued by the struggle for survivor these movies have to offer.

I also saw World War Z with Brad Pitt. A very expensive movie with remarkable visuals.

This series, Z nation, tries to compete with some really good players in the specific genre.

Set in an alternate meta-apocalyptic earth 3 years after a virus keep turning people into zombies, a team of reluctant heroes must carry the only known survivor (and a possible cure for the virus), across the U.S. from N.Y. to L.A. where a medical lab is located. As you obviously expect in their long ride, they cross paths with hundreds of undead plus some more survivors who might be good or not.

The main complain for this series is about the visual fx (you can't just put some mud and ketchup on your clothes and pretend to be a zombie!). Also the acting is somehow wooden. But has some good points. Some (cheap) thrills and some unexpected moments.

Overall: Hardcore fans of the genre will be disappointed. For the casual viewer it may seem OK. Give it a chance and decide.
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1/10
spoiler- this is cheap on all levels
katana-890-29966114 September 2014
Warning: Spoilers
Seriously. So yeah, spoiler... the "Z's" is a snore fest...

The "z's" is a terrible name to keep throwing around in this show when there's a zombie to be mentioned.

Amateur direction, acting, predictable, bad delivery, bad lines. I don't know where to begin or end. If this were 1980, cool, but this level of overall acting and presentation is to be frowned upon. (wow that lock broke so easily on that cage)NO questions of who put you in that cage lady? Virus...but no concerns about blood splattering all over your face?

Love how these experienced killers have to unload all over his body, legs included, in the baby scene....after waiting like FOREVER to even open fire while the baby feast is occurring...

Oh, walkie talkies, ya know they're not cell phones- other people nearby can hear whats being said from the caller on the other end...The guy says "I need to speak to whoevers in charge" Yet standing right next to her...as she is using the walkie talkie, she feels compelled to say to mrs wannna-be commando "They wanna know whose in charge". Yeah- everyone around you can hear that, thanks...

Oh, love how they smash the walkie down on the road...because the battery died...nice. Ya know, you might be able to locate a battery somewhere a long the way- the frequency in that walkie...what was it exactly? Do you know???

Whats with the whole...um...Im having a wig out putting on my sunglasses and being some radio announcer of zombie NPR. Where did that 1950's looking microphone come from, is that US Gov. issued?

Im sad at this rushed attempt to be a walking dead rip off. Its hard to do a bad zombie movie or series- I mean come on, its dead people coming after you- how can you mess that up? Z Nation does a very good job of being a very bad zombie story. Sy Fy should stick to wrestling and ghost hunting shark filled tornadoes since thats apparently the mindset it creates to amuse.

:(

I like zombie stuff- this was ridiculous.
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10/10
Love this show!
blcornett14 March 2018
Warning: Spoilers
This show is funny and fun, pure and simple. I think that the way it doesn't take itself too seriously ( or sometimes seriously at all) is the best part of the show. I like that there's an "anything goes" kinda vibe to it as well. Who wouldn't love a scene in Springfield, Illinois were they walk into a bus load of Abraham Lincoln zombies or a gigantic wheel of cheese from Wisconsin that has perfect timing to help them out? There are just enough serious parts and plot stuck in there to get you involved with the main characters. It's a fun filled, action packed 40 minutes of good tv that makes you want more. Kinda like when you can't stop eating junk food. You know it's not good for you, but it's just so tasty you just can't help yourself!
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7/10
The future of the human race rests in the hands of The Murphy...
paul_haakonsen15 April 2016
Right, well with the sheer amount of baggage that both SyFy Channel and The Asylum comes with, in forms of questionable movies and TV series, then it was with a certain amount of skepticism that I sat down to watch "Z Nation".

However, now that I have gone through seasons 1 and 2 in a very short time, I must say that I am more than impressed with the outcome of "Z Nation". Fearing that this would be nothing more than just another mockbuster cash-in on "The Walking Dead", I had no particular high expectations for "Z Nation". But I will say that I am glad that I did sit down to watch it.

"Z Nation" breaks the traditional formula that both SyFy Channel and The Asylum tends to use, and it does offer up something unique to the zombie genre. Sure, there are massive similarities to "The Walking Dead", for example, then "Z Nation" does turn the table and prove to be innovative with new ideas and concepts to the genre.

The special effects in "Z Nation" is a massive step up from what both SyFy Channel and The Asylum previously has managed to muster in their previous productions. And that was really a massive improvement, especially because it worked out quite well. And the effects are great and that really works in favor of the series.

What really blew me away and had me riveted to the screen was the characters and the story. The characters are nicely detailed and fleshed out. Lots of really memorable characters in the series. I especially enjoy the Doc and Murphy characters, played by Russell Hodgkinson and Keith Allan respectively. These two characters are more than enough to sustain the series all by themselves.

"Z Nation" doesn't take itself as serious as "The Walking Dead" for instance, and that is result of SyFy Channel and The Asylum. But it works out well enough for the series, because it adds a good comedy element to the show, which is a colorful layer.

There are some very outrageous things happening throughout the series, which may actually not appeal to just everyone in the audience. I did, however, enjoy it.

All in all, then "Z Nation" is more than worth checking out. Just bear in mind that it is not "The Walking Dead" in seriousness and such. It is, though, a good addition to the zombie genre, especially if you enjoy something that breaks the traditional formulas used in the zombie genre.
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3/10
A good show gone bad
trademarcdesigns29 November 2018
Z Nation was initially a fairly entertaining show - not great, but a competent cast, competent writing, good plotting and fast pace. But after a few seasons - two, maybe three - it changed. The plots became bizarre (and not in a good way), the pacing slowed to an excruciating level, the constant cast changes shattered the original dynamic, and the only action was the same zombie-head-bashing fight scene repeated endlessly.

I would have given the first two seasons a rating of 8/10, but the show has been steadily losing traction and the 3/10 rating I give it now is actually generous.
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