Okay, now we’ve definitely finally hit our stride as not only is this one a fun adventure into zombie wedding season, but this mid-season episode also ends on a good cliffhanger. All for some actual progress.
Cam’s story was oddly really good in this episode. There’s a lot of growth seen here, about a boy being forced to grow up and challenge his world. Thus far, Cam’s really been the voice of goodness and righteousness in the series, and though he talks big, this episode finally sees him walk big. His is the only main plot amongst the series that feels like it’s actually going somewhere.
Meanwhile, Jai’s story was awesome in that it was a lot of what audiences have been wanting to see (zombie outbreak in a unique location, like his wedding). It was also a beautiful sendoff, in that we see him finally step up against his in-law, ask for what he wants, and play the hero by saving his wife. Likewise, I think Natalie Malaika, who plays Lauren Howell, has thus far been fantastic. The only issue is that she really isn’t given much to work with in the scripts as it’s so far been a throwaway, don’t do drugs, reference hit over our heads again-and-again.
The issue still remains the same though. That it’s obvious to me, that this series is more comedy than dramatic zombies. It’s really a lot like Z-Nation, which makes me more than anything, actually, just miss Z-Nation. Which I think is a problem. I think more than anything though, this story feels slightly hampered by the fact that there are too many people and too many parallel storylines. Honestly, the two most interesting plots thus far to me are mostly Jai’s and the Bowman trio. Both of which, have little to do with the A-Plot of the story, and a lot to do with the fact that their storylines have been pretty funny. Though I am curious to see how it all pulls together.
To recap:
Day of The Dead Episode 5: Til The Dead Do Us Part
Cutoff at both ends of the bridge, Luke is about to be overrun by zombies before his father, Trey Bowman, shows up with a pickup truck. He splatters the surrounding zombies to a pulp. When Trey’s car stalls, Luke finds his own, then picks up his dad. The two drive away. Later, Trey reveals that he cares a lot about Luke (not knowing that he’s not his son). Luke thinks that Paula doesn’t care about either of them. Trey reveals to Luke that he was going to leave his mother for Nicole, the campaign manager, who was very sweet and open and sexually into weird things. Trey then shares that Paula was once like that much to Luke’s disgust about hearing his parents’ sex lives. Trey admits that he feels like he’s done nothing with his life but Luke reassures him that he just saved his.
Back at the lower zombie research levels, a shootout begins at point-blank range between Sarah Blackwood, McDermott, Logan, and the guards. Miraculously, nobody gets shot at first and even Rhodes arrives to join in to help Doctor Logan. After a long and drawn-out gunfight, eventually, McDermott gets shot. Sarah leaves him behind as per his request to deliver a message and find help. Logan re-captures McDermott and then orders Rhodes to find Blackwood…again. When McDermott wakes, he’s locked in a cage for experimentation with the original zombie that bit him, who is revealed to be alive since the 1700s. McDermott screams to Rhodes that the Doctor is playing mad scientist. Doctor Logan, who is obsessed with curing death, reanimates a rat.
Still there this whole time, Sarah arrives and holds Rhodes hostage at knifepoint, takes his gun, and aims it at the doctor. They release McDermott, who while looking at his severed finger and the wedding ring of his deceased wife, reminds Logan that dead-is-dead. Suddenly, the zombie breaks free of its tethers and attacks McDermott. Sarah reveals she was special forces and attacks Rhodes, who gets the jump on her yet again. McDermott gets a chunk bitten out of him by the zombie. Sarah gets the zombie off of him and McDermott then throws a chemical at him and lights him on fire. Before dying of his wounds, McDermott tells Sarah to share everything they’ve learned with the Police Captain.
At the police station, Mayor Bowman calls Trey and Luke to no avail. Cam talks with her and we learn that he and Luke, who were former best friends, have been fighting for over a year. Mayor Bowman tells him whatever they’re arguing over won’t last forever. Cam later radios his dad and tells apologizes about their fighting, saying that he’s willing to stay. Now crying, Cam reveals that he hopes McDermott is okay. Luke and Trey get to the police station. Using the CCTV, Paula checks the streets and sees that the zombies are everywhere except the Paymart. The group and the now fully together Bowman family load up on guns to organize a holdout at the Paymart for anyone, not safely locked away at home.
At Jai and Amy’s wedding, we see Amy’s mother gets her heel stuck on the extravagant deck. She hears something from below the floorboards and sees a zombie. Inside the bathroom, Amy is still crying, though exits and talks to Jai when she learns that her dad forced a prenup. Zombies begin eating the guests. Amy’s mom tries to hide amongst the chaos, as Jai leaves to help everyone escape. When Amy’s distraught mom tries to for some reason, save the wedding cake, she is pulled underneath by a zombie and eaten as Amy’s left with nothing but her mother’s arms in her hands. When things worsen, Jay carries Amy away in his arms, and they escape with Shawn and his father-in-law. Inside the reception hall, now surrounded by zombies, Shawn confesses his love for Amy. He tries to defend them, only to get his eyes gauged out immediately. Fighting back desperately, Lauren arrives with a cleaver revealing that she hasn’t skipped town yet. She helps them escape and they get a notification about the emergency shelter in the Paymart.
At the end of the episode, McDermott dies but is soon reanimated as a zombie.
