I’ve enjoyed Z Nation this season, being pleasantly surprised at its willingness to kill off or otherwise get rid of main characters with abandon.

Losing Harold Perrineau in the season premiere surprised me (of course, he was headed to Constantine, but now might wonder if he shouldn’t have stayed with the underdog show), and there have been multiple deaths since.

And leaving off with the future completely unclear – nukes headed not only toward where our intrepid survivors of Delta Xray Delta were scattered, but also straight at Citizen Z’s North Pole compound – well, you’ve got to admit, you didn’t see that coming.

The Package himself? Shed his skin and took off for parts unknown. Cassandra turned into a super-strong non-zombie-zombie. The evil Dr. Kurian running off trying to escape the nuclear holocaust that just might end the zombie apocalypse he started. Doc on the verge of death (while I don’t want to see him die, I really appreciate this show’s willingness to kill off people you don’t expect or want it to, so I’d be OK with it).

I was kind of annoyed that we didn’t get to see Citizen Z’s doggie, though. Being a Siberian Husky owner, I suppose he’s part of why we like watching the show each week.

The thing about Z Nation, really, though, is that it’s like a faster, cheesier version of The Walking Dead. These guys made it from Manhattan to Colorado in one season. The folks in TWD haven’t really made it out of Georgia yet. I’m not saying Z Nation is better than TWD – if Z Nation moved at the same pace, it would probably be unbearable. But I’m willing to stick with it because it moves quickly and without favor for those along for the ride.

I’m glad Z Nation is coming back. I can’t imagine how they’ll survive the oncoming nukes. I’d put my money on Citizen Z, who probably has some blast doors or fallout shelter that will help him survive the attack. Maybe the Russians will knock the nukes out of the sky? Aliens will come down? Zombies will swarm? Who knows?

Whatever happens, it’s probably gonna be a little crazy. But we’re already watching a show about the zombie apocalypse. I feel a bit ridiculous offering criticism about how “unrealistic” a plot convention might be.

While we didn’t get the actual “bang” in the season finale, the episode packed a bit of a punch. I’m looking forward to Z Nation’s return. Glad I have The Walking Dead returning in February to help tide me over between seasons, eh?

Photo courtesy Syfy.com.