Z Nation: Die, Zombie, Die… Again (1×09)
Synopsis: Mack and Addy continue their quest to reunite with the rest of the group, but are sidelined by personal issues.
Rating: ★★★☆☆
This week’s episode gives us an update on Mack and Addy’s whereabouts after they split from the group two episodes ago. They’ve been in contact with Citizen Z, who has been steering them towards a meet-up with the main group once more, after Addy insisted that they continue on with the mission to get Murphy to California. Unfortunately, their tentative truce on the matter is wearing on them, as they’re having difficulties even speaking to each other.
They’ve stopped at a picturesque clearing that Addy wants to spend a little bit more time at, but Mack wants to push forward. He tries to address some of Addy’s recent issues, but she shuts him down. They end up leaving the creek, but the motorcycle runs out of gas near some warehouses and Mack admits his mistake as Addy zones out. She’s having some kind of flashback or premonition to a zombie and blood and the necklace she wears when he interrupts her daydreaming.
Unfortunately, by the time he sets up the best apocalypse date possible, Addy has already settled in for a nap. He soon follows her into sleep, only to be awoken later to find her gone and hear her yelling out for him. Exploring the area, he finds zombies bitten by a snake and then a giant zombie with Addy’s bat stuck in his chest chases him down. Cornered in one of the warehouses, a giant cinderblock slab falls from the ceiling, pinning him, and giving the zombie the chance to bite him.
He wakes up from his dream, shaken, only for the whole scenario to be achingly familiar – Addy is not sleeping in her spot and he hears her yelling out for him. Buckle up, kids, this is the worst, most stressful Groundhog Day of your life. Mack dies at the hands of the same giant zombie, who has Addy’s bat in his chest and her necklace in his teeth, over and over again. He continually jolts awake and starts the scenario over again every time he ‘dies.’ There’s a strangely familiar door in the warehouse that the zombie won’t let him get to in every scenario.
Once again, Addy’s not there, but this time, he leaves all of his weapons behind and runs straight for the door. Outside and around the door, it almost looks like someone’s living room. The giant zombie is near the door, but hasn’t attacked yet. As Mack stares it down, he opens the door and walks down the stairs into a basement. Hearing someone yell out for help, he rushes down the steps and finds someone injured. They’ve been bitten and Mack takes their knife as the giant zombie comes out of the shadows to attack him. He repeatedly stabbed it until it accidentally falls on his knife and dies. When it’s finished, he finds Addy’s necklace in his hand.
Suddenly, Addy wakes him up because he’s been talking in his sleep. He’s rattled from his nightmare, but gets up the courage to ask her about her necklace. Before she can answer, she startles awake and proclaims that she is not afraid, as she leaves Mack behind and runs for the same door. The same scenario repeats itself for her; only it’s an older woman that attacks her, rather than the Frankenzombie. She kills her in the same way that Mack had killed the giant zombie and sobs.