Zoo Season 3 Episode 12 Review: West Side Story
Carissa Pavlica
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I'm getting tired after Zoo Season 3 Episode 12.
The convenient plot devices used are becoming all too ridiculous, and I am all for the ridiculous.
I think it's because only half the characters on Zoo seem to be aware they're involved in a bit of a farce, and the other half are taking it too seriously. It's much more enjoyable when everyone seems to be in on the game.
Considering the importance of the barrier wall in Colorado, their security system sucks.
They apparently don't have the ability to tell what is out there crawling around on the prairie. At one point we were to believe that when a giant jet goes down right withing their view (you can see for miles on the Colorado prairie...miles), they can't even see THAT on their dingy systems.
We can't assume it only seeks heat, because a downed plane would certainly be giving off a gigantic heat signature.
Perhaps only biological tissue. Still, it would have to be able to track personnel inside vehicles, right? I'm still not over the plane. Anomaly and plot device. Moving on.
Why was Abigail setting up camp with her missiles? Maybe they thought she was any other gun-toting hybrid. But hybrids don't tote guns. Frustration!!!
Another convenience was how every single person in the rescue convoy was killed except Tessa and Dariela. The ridiculousness of that got laughter and a groan in this house. Couldn't just one other soul have survived to make it seem less comical?
Then again, I want comical. Maybe my wish was that Dariela would have run up to Tessa with a smart-ass remark instead of being so serious. The two of them surviving called for a Mitch-like retort of some kind, and when Dariela was first introduced, she didn't always look like she was sucking on lemons.
Where did the Dariela I enjoyed disappear to? Is that what motherhood does to you? Not my mother. We have always laughed. That's why we've remained so close throughout our lives.
Dariela needs to lighten up STAT. She's an utter bore, and if I learned she was replacement, it wouldn't surprise me in the least. She's all edge and no humor.
There was some seriousness to the episode, though, and it made sense.
Tessa laying eyes on the baby for the first time was touching, especially in light of what we've learned about her desires for a family pre-apocalypse. That was her biggest dream, and seeing an infant for the first time in 11 years was heavy.
There is nothing wrong with sharing impactful moments in the middle of an otherwise silly show as long as the silly moments are not treated with the same weight. It throws off the whole vibe.
How are you supposed to take two scenarios in equal measure when they clearly are not even in the same realm?
Abigail, Jackson and Mitch are three characters who are always gleefully straddling the middle rail between sanity and insanity.
You know just by looking at them they could break in either direction at any given moment. I once had a discussion with a terrific actor who portrayed a brilliant character on a not-to-distantly departed fellow summer CBS series, and he told me he used to look at the scripts, shake his head and play them as crazy as they sounded.
It's a wonderful idea, right? Just get into it with every ounce of your being. Athena Karkanis is masterful.
So it didn't surprise me that she'd pull out that baby blanket and tell Jackson she had raised his son.
Why didn't JACKSON stop to think Sam could have been his son? Why didn't he wonder where Abinormal got Connor's blanket? Hasn't he seen it before? Or were we the only ones who had seen Abigail with that blanket? I'm starting to lose track, you guys!!
Even more importantly, WHY DIDN'T HE SHOOT ABIGAIL BEFORE RUNNING OFF TO SAVE SAM/CONNOR??
Convenient plot device number 432 to keep the story alive. Personally, I want Abigail to stick around because she's fantastic. I'd rather get rid of Dariela and Abe, who have become boring dead weight of late, before we got rid of Abigail.
For Zoo to be as spectacular as it needs to be, flat out balls to the wall, folks. That's the requirement. Not everyone on the canvas is following the rules.
As much as I dislike Jamie, at least she kept Mitch as Mr. Duncan. Although why she was afraid to kill Abigail herself is still a mystery.
I know Jackson will survive. What about Sam? Once Sam wanted to name the baby Sam Jr., I thought he was a goner. It was the only way to name the baby, although I particularly loved Mitch's idea of Chris Cornell (RIP).
The baby is the connection between Mitch and Jackson. It makes them family. Sam Sr. was a bad seed. He couldn't let go of the anger and resentment. Jackson didn't know him anyway. And the baby? That's pretty much what Jackson lost, right? A do-over.
No, it's not that simple, but that's my take on whether we'll have two Sams if we move into a Zoo Season 4 or a baby in play.
What do you think we can expect from Zoo Season 1 Episode 13? Are you as fed up with Dariela and Abe as I've been this season? Do you see a line some characters won't cross into the farcical, leaving them cut off from the fun Zoo is supposed to be?
Hit the comments and watch Zoo online if you want to get some evidence of the characters as they used to be!
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.
