Parents' Guide to

Z Nation

By Joyce Slaton, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 18+

Constant violence, gore in dark zombie drama.

TV Syfy Drama 2014
Z Nation Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.

Community Reviews

See all
age 15+

Based on 12 parent reviews

Actual_Adult69
Actual_Adult69 Adult
November 17, 2020
age 11+

Great show but my children enjoy TWD much better.

As some of us know, children are actually starting to mature at younger ages every generation. I would allow my 11 year old to watch this show as there’s only sexually suggestive content rather than actual you know what.
1 person found this helpful.
Adam_09
Adam_09 Adult
May 20, 2020
age 12+

It's a great show for preteens and teenagers!

When I saw that this was rated +18, I was baffled! On this same sight I saw that the Walking Dead was rated +16! I know for a fact that the Walking is rated TVMA! (TVMature) I've seen the Walking Dead, and it has adult scenes . The Walking Dead's violence is actually stomach churning . I know this is not a review for The Walking Dead so let's get back on track. This have gore, but what do you expect it's a zombie TV show? My daughter is hooked on the show and it makes me happy to see how much she enjoys it.

This title has:

Great role models
1 person found this helpful.
See all 12 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Three years ago, a zombie virus decimated the United States, turning it into a Z NATION overrun by the living dead. Only a few ragtag human survivors remain, crowded tightly in armed refugee camps or roaming the countryside, hiding when necessary and picking off zombies when they can. Through this perilous landscape, Lieutenant Mark Hammond (Harold Perrineau), the last surviving member of his Delta Force squad, is attempting to carry out the last order he was ever issued: Carry the only known human being to ever survive a zombie attack (Keith Allan) to California, where his blood just might be able to produce a vaccination. From a remote radio post, disaffected former military communications professional Citizen Z (DJ Qualls) watches and comments on the action as Hammond slowly makes his trek.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (12):
Kids say (16):

It's not that zombies aren't cool or that the idea of a zombie show isn't a natural for the Syfy network. It's just that Z Nation is so trope-ish as to be laughable. You've got your zombie virus that destroyed Life As We Know It -- ho hum -- and then your survivors with a (pointless?) mission and your shambling zombies that break into the action approximately every 2.5 minutes, or twice between each commercial break, with a big meaningless battle royale at the end. Feh.

Even things that would be cool are rendered blah by the flat writing. Harold Perrineau, who was sadly underused on Lost (his main function was to shout, "Waaaaaaalt!"), is a terrific actor. Does he get meaty lines and heroic action? Sadly, no. DJ Qualls, a predictably quirky presence in film, is stuck playing Radar O'Reilly on a communications system, given little to do. It all comes off as a limp imitation of The Walking Dead, itself a rather predictable (if wildly popular) show.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • The zombie genre appears to have heated up in recent years, with numerous TV shows and movies about the living dead. What shows and movies can you name? How does Z Nation distinguish itself from these other adaptations, if it does at all?

  • Are all on-screen zombies slow-moving, brainless kill-bots as they are in Z Nation? Can you name any other depictions of zombies that are different? How? Does this make them more or less scary?

  • Look up a few recipes for stage blood. Now that you know what's in it, does the blood in Z Nation look more or less realistic?

TV Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

See all recommended tv lists

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate