Common Sense Media Review
By Joyce Slaton
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Constant violence, gore in dark zombie drama.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 18+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Z Nation
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 10 parent reviews
Based on 16 kid reviews
Kids say that the show has a special appeal for preteens and teenagers, with many emphasizing it as suitable for ages 12 and up despite its TV-MA rating due to violence. While some viewers oppose the ratings and contend that it is less inappropriate than other popular shows, others caution that it includes elements of violence and mild language that may not be suitable for all younger audiences.
- suitable for teens
- not overly violent
- good plot
- parental caution advised
- mixed ratings
Summarized with AI
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?
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 ...
Families can talk about how 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
- Premiere date : September 12, 2014
- Cast : Harold Perrineau , Tom Everett Scott , DJ Qualls
- Network : Syfy
- Genre : Drama
- TV rating :
- Last updated : December 10, 2025
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