Zoo – Once Upon a Time in the Nest

By: Patience Kapfer

After discovering an entirely new nest of hybrid eggs in the stressful conclusion of last week’s episode, Logan (Josh Salatin) is in Seoul explaining to a group of hybrid hunters how to deal with this new nest. He says that the scientists think the eggs are closer to hatching and they have no idea what will happen when they do. It’s likely that they will release toxic spores and in such an enclosed area that could be catastrophic, but he says they hope the new enzyme will neutralize the spores. He explains to a group of other hybrid hunters that their toximeters will alert them to if they are in danger-green is ideal, yellow is bad and red means they are probably dead.

Back on the plane once again, Jackson (James Wolk) rushes to figure out a way to save Abigail’s (Athena Karkanis) life, while Jamie (Kristen Connolly) continues discreetly pointing the gun at Mitch/Mr. Duncan (Billy Burke). In the lab with Clementine (Gracie Dzienny), Sam (Delon de Metz) pushes Abe (Nonso Anozie) to hurry because Clementine’s heart rate is dropping, to which Abe quickly corrects him that it’s the babies heart rate that is dropping so quickly. Sam is quick to place blame on Abe that he said the blood transfusion would save the baby while Abe now says the only solution is to use the hybrid DNA to accelerate the pregnancy and induce labor RIGHT NOW. As soon as Abe moves to inject the hybrid DNA, Sam grabs a gun and tells Abe to get Clementine out of the stasis tank immediately. Abe tries to explain to Sam that he needs to inject the serum into the tank or she will die, but Sam insists that he can’t let that happen. He doesn’t trust Abe because he put her in a tank like some experiment, but at the last minute Jackson bursts in and distracts Sam enough for Abe to knock the gun from him and inject the serum. As soon as the serum is injected, Clementine stabilizes.

Jackson is clearly displeased that Sam is on board the plane and especially in the same room with Clementine and Abe. Abe explains that they found him tied up pretending to be a prisoner. Jackson plans to put Sam in the cage so they can question him later once Clem is completely stable, but until then Jackson requires Abe’s help. Jackson takes Abe, who obviously protests, to help save Abigail. Once Jackson explains that Abigail is the final hybrid that they’ve been searching for Max (Robin Thomas) is less against letting her just die, but Abe still doesn’t agree with saving a terrorist. Abe argues that maybe the world is better off without Abigail in it; she has already caused enough destruction, and what will she do if they save her?

Jamie takes Mitch upstairs and finally explains why she needs him as Mr. Duncan rather than Mitch. She wants him to kill Abigail, which is something that Mitch would never do. Since everyone thinks that Mitch has been restored to his normal self, Jamie realizes that they will expect him to help save her since he is a doctor. However, rather than save her, he is going to kill her. Mr. Duncan is less than willing to kill that one person he was designed to work for so Jamie tells him that she will make him free. Free from Abigail, from herself, he will have his own agency-she will let him have the device that switches him from Mr. Duncan to Mitch. Jamie needs Mr. Duncan to kill Abigail because she knows her friends will fight, but in the end show mercy and every single time it comes back to bite them. She understands that Jackson’s huge heart is putting them all at risk.

Though Dariela (Alyssa Diaz) thought she was getting out of the daily life-risking business, she doesn’t seem to be nearly that lucky. The older gentleman who paid Logan a visit mere days ago is at the door of her hotel room with a box of bear claws (these seem to be his pastry of choice). Probably against her better judgment, Dariela invites him in, but tells him she cannot accept his offer with the IADG. However, he tells her that he can assure her son’s safety if she joins the IADG. When asked why he needs her, he tells her that she is one of the best minds when it comes to ground force tactical and has been at the front lines doing all her work with Jackson’s group. He tells her there are hundreds of thousands of children like Isaac (Jesse Muhoozi) that won’t have a world to call home if they don’t take a stand. After the meeting, Dariela calls Abe and he encourages her to take the position, it is time for her to become a soldier again.

When Sam wakes up he is locked inside a cage and Jackson attempts to question what he knows about Abigail’s plans. Sam merely repeats the lies that Abigail told him about Jackson and the beacons. Since Sam clearly isn’t going to be any help, Jackson returns to Abigail’s medical records looking for anything that can help them save her. Max brings Jackson and Abe Abigail’s MRI, but while he is there they receive a call from Dariela explaining the hybrid nests and how they are close to hatching. Max abruptly leaves to go hide the hybrid egg he has been carrying around (he is the epitome of suspicious). While Max is off being sketchy, Abe realizes what the true cost to saving Abigail really is. Since she has lost so much spinal fluid, Abe determines that they need to synthesize and combine all the hybrid spinal fluid samples they have obtained to save Abigail, but that would mean sacrificing the cure. So, now they have two options: save Abigail or save mankind. Jackson as always thinks of a third option-they will use the samples to inject Abigail and then go to a hybrid nest to gather more of all the samples that they need.

Abe goes to the lab to help Mitch do the surgery (much to Jamie and Mitch’s dismay) while Jackson goes with Logan to sift through thousands of hybrid eggs to find the six that they need. As Abe closes the incision, Mr. Duncan asks Jamie if she’s ever worked against her friends like this before as it is obvious that she has been struggling with the morality of killing Abigail and possibly even having second thoughts about killing her. But as Jamie says it needs to be done, Mr. Duncan informs her that Abe just gave her a lethal dose of epinephrine and not what he thought he was injecting her with so Abigail will be dead very soon. Just then Abigail’s heart stops and they begin CPR. Unfortunately, Abigail is dead…but what is that red blinking light in Abigail’s neck?! Just then a power anomaly shows up on the IADG computers in Tokyo and the eggs begin to fall and start to hatch.  As all of the creepy eggs fall, Jackson manages to get the last sample he needs and they make a break for the exit. Abe notices the device in Abigail’s neck and removes it, but not before more nests begin to hatch in Asia.

As can always be assured, this episode ends with even more suspense than it started with. After Abigail’s death, Mr. Duncan noticed Jamie’s sudden absence and follows her back to the safe where she put the device that controls Mr. Duncan. After opening the safe, Mr. Duncan puts a scalpel to his neck and threatens to kill Mitch if she takes the device, so she lets him have it. But when did Jamie ever not have a surprise up her sleeve? She uses voice activation on the lights to blind Mr. Duncan and attack him and yet another battle ensues as Max’s pet snake hatches and escapes from his bedroom and swallows the device. But at least someone finally got to shout about snakes on a plane and watch Jamie show off some killer (literally) knife skills. Right before Mr. Duncan is able to tell Jamie more about the plan (that death is just the beginning), Max grabs the device and smashes it. As Jamie comes to the conclusion that Mr. Duncan was referring to Abigail’s death we go back to Abe finally apologizing to Dariela, but what’s more important is a thought to be dead Abigail getting off of the table in the background. As Abe happily hangs up the phone, Abigail stabs him in the back and again as he turns around!! But she doesn’t stop there; Abigail makes her way off of the plane, but not before shooting all of our beloved characters. When we think things can’t get any worse, the final scene shows a very pregnant Clementine all alone outside of the stasis tank.