I would have been OK with the mystery of the two Clementines lasting a little bit longer.

Admittedly, the excitement of the two of them converging on Zoo Season 3 Episode 2 got my brain whirling, but I never lost my love for Clementine Specimen Number One, despite the brave attempts to try to sway my attention otherwise.

There were some fun filming techniques used to get as much leverage out of the situation as possible, and it's hard not to wonder what else they may have come up with if given maybe one more hour to string it along.

Time jumps can be very effective for scenarios such as the two Clementines. 

My favorite moment showcasing the two featured both girls simultaneously sharing the same tanked photo of Mitch. Clem #1 was giving her speech to Jamie while Clem #2 was attempting to persuade Mitch in an almost identical fashion how the stumbled upon their knowledge of his whereabouts.

Mitch even appeared to be battling with himself whether or now the girl in front of him was his Clementine.

When he wasn't browbeating himself not being there for her early life by way of his own mistakes, he was clearly feeling responsible for getting tanked and missing out on the last ten years. That was hardly something he could claim as his doing.

Yet even when Clem #2 made a convincing argument, it never quite reached her eyes. She gave a poor response to his story about her birth and seemed to placate his returning memory all in an effort to get information on Blue Diaspora. 

If Mitch knows what it is, he wasn't ready to share it with his new friends. 

And I'm fairly certain if there is something know, he firmly grasps what it is at this point. Mitch has a keen ability to act a lot dumber than he looks, and in his current getup, that's not too overwhelmingly difficult.

We got "our" Clementine in the end, though, even if it was quite the risk. When Clem #1 walked in and addressed Mitch as Dad, that was all she wrote. The real Clem wouldn't hesitate to call out for her dad. They're the real Zoo love story.

It's still rather odd the Shepherds kept him for ten years and only now wanted to find out what he can contribute to a world gone bonkers, though. Given his mind and it's amazing capabilities, it would have been far more useful active than passive. 

Maybe his body was so far gone that long in a tank of water was required to zip itself back together. I'm not expecting to discover that answer, merely talking out loud.

As much as I look forward to him getting back into the thick of it with his friends and cannot wait for more of the signature Billy Burke sarcastic wit, I'm not so sure I'm ready for a full on romantic adventure between him and Jamie.

Jamie has always been a tough nut for me to crack. There's little I like more than a ball-busting, tough-talking female character who can get the beat on the bad guys, but something about Jamie has never clicked. 

Instead of bravery and courage, I read bravado from the character. Jamie swaggers and puffs up her chest in defiance rather than leading confidently and with authority. At least that's how I read her in the past.

Perhaps Jamie has grown in the last ten years. Her "characterization" of herself on Zoo Season 3 Episode 1 as the daring millionaire authoress didn't lead me in that direction, though. Nor did the way she spoke about making the Shepherds pay for keeping Mitch from her and the world.

In another part of the country, Dariela made an offhand comment she's going to come to regret.

Dariela: With all we've been through together, ridin' the bench ain't easy.
Abraham: We're not riding the bench, we're raising a son.

• Permalink: With all we've been through together, ridin' the bench ain't easy. Abraham" We're not riding...

It's unclear what Dariela has been doing other than raising Isaac the last ten years, but it's pretty clear Abe has been brushing up on his scientific skills.

Not only is all that mucking around with the hybrids pretty important stuff, but we also learned his research into some protein is leading the march into continuing life on earth. The only catch is Reiden Global is at the heart of it.

The nasty woman who bombed the hybrid (killing over 96 people, mind you) must be with Reiden in some capacity. Did she ever say?

Regardless, she's in contact with Jackson, who has been found by Logan. All of the above are swirling in the hybrid stuff Abe's been working with and somehow connected to the next phase of life on earth thanks to Abe and his research. I think.

We didn't get word on whether or not a lot of embryos are cultivating on the street where the 96 were killed, but where they weren't smashed with footprints, you'd have to think it's happening.

Abe doesn't have the egg anymore because the razorback plucked it gingerly from Abe's hand after pushing him onto his ass. Didn't you love the way the hybrid sauntered slowly away with a quick snap at Isaac after he had what he wanted?

Why am I assuming the hybrid is a he? Oh well. 

The little eggy called for any mommy to come rescue it. Can you even imagine the implications if this thing came into play with regard to human fertility? Yikes.

Reiden Global!! Thank God, right? What would we have done without the big bad? Even better, whatever it is they're doing with the children rests partly on Abe's shoulders. He will go nuts if he finds out.

What a rotten trick to mollify the parents with a video while acting like a razorback and making off with their children. Abe will likely cut a deal with Reiden to get Isaac back by sharing what he knows about the latest hybrids and their capacity to spawn without a uterus. Or sperm.

I'm not sure I'd want a world filled with hybrid children, but maybe that's Zoo Season 4. Rapidly growing hybrid kids. Abe and Dariela as Great, great, great grandparents. And eggys screaming through their undeveloped minds for either of them to respond.

Seriously. Why take children for their fertility experiments? Surely there were some people Clementine's age Reiden could have kidnapped for their nefarious purposes. After all, she IS pregnant!!

That was a bit of a surprise. No doubt we're going to meet the baby daddy. Mitch is not going to like his little girl raising a baby in this cruel world without a partner. That will be an exciting storyline. What's the backstory there? Bring it on!

And because there weren't enough surprises already, the remaining outlier from the premiere was why Tessa and Jackson weren't shown whispering sweet nothings into each other's ears or anything like that.

I get why you want to track down Jackson Oz. He and his father are the crazy bastards who started this all. But YOU can't solve all the world's problems. The Shepherd hunters will find Oz. They'll make him pay.

Tessa

• Permalink: I get why you want to track down Jackson Oz. He and his father are the crazy bastards who...

It's always worrisome when your girlfriend talks about you in the third person. But paranoia isn't paranoia when you're really being hunted, either.

Tessa: You, Dylan Green, are a wonderful, caring, compassionate man. You have saved hundred if not thousands of lives out here, and that's enough. Do you believe me?
Jackson: Yeah.
Tessa: You're a terrible liar, Dylan.

• Permalink: You're a terrible liar, Dylan.

Dylan is a nice name. It works for Jackson just as well as Jackson Oz. Unfortunately, a name doesn't make a person, and he cannot erase his history.

Who is the poor bastard masquerading as Jackson Oz? Does Jackson have an in with the worldwide press, so they always print photos of the same dude when they speak of "him"? 

Ten years is a long time to be pulling off a con in which another man's face is being plastered all over the news in a worldwide manhunt. It's one more layer of the mystery that's been playing out for the ten years we missed, and I want to catch up!

And who is Abigail Westbrook, other than a bomber and Jackson's sister who has a gigantic chip on her shoulder she's begging for her bro' to knock off? That was a surprise. We can surmise daddy had another secret because it's a lot harder to cover up a pregnancy than a sperm donation.

It hasn't taken very long for some of the parties to come together again. It's funny, but I lost track of the trip to Siberia so reconnecting is a lot easier than I remember. Having such a large space to interact in between legs of the trip is so very helpful.

My expectation is Jamie will put aside her feelings about payback for Mitch's absence while she sets her sights on freeing Isaac if it means she can rough it up with Reiden Global again. 

What do you think? What did you think of "Diaspora"? 

Was the Clementine showdown all you had hoped? Did you pick the right Clem? 

What kind of interesting storyline are we going to find connecting the dots between Abigail and Jackson? 

And how did they ever choose the last name Duchovny for a Reiden Global rep?

Will the wonders never cease to impress on Zoo???? Why can't all TV series be this darned titillating?? 

Hit the comments and share your thoughts and don't forget, you can watch Zoo online if you're late to the party!

Carissa Pavlica is the managing editor and a staff writer and critic for TV Fanatic. She's a member of the Critic's Choice Association, enjoys mentoring writers, conversing with cats, and passionately discussing the nuances of television and film with anyone who will listen. Follow her on X and email her here at TV Fanatic.