Zoo – Oz is Oz

By: Patience Kapfer

So, where are the hybrids taking Abigail (Athena Karkanis) and can Jackson (James Wolk) really control lions with his mind? Those are just a few of the questions that come to mind after the crazy conclusion of last week’s episode of “Zoo.” Oh, and more importantly, how on earth is Clementine (Gracie Dzienny) going to get out of that bidding mess she has wound up in?

We don’t have to wait long for answers to these questions as Abigail is dragged further into the forest by her hybrid companions as she almost incoherently mutters Jackson’s name. They finally approach a structure and Abigail’s people run out to greet the hybrids and take her inside. Once inside, Abigail is insistent that she wants Jackson Oz. However, her people tell her that that is not part of the plan. Upon hearing this, we enter into a flashback to years earlier where she is scolded by her fellow scientists for working on Blue Diaspora when there are much more important things to worry about. She is promptly placed in a stasis tank similar to that we saw at the beginning of the season and we jump into yet another flashback. In this flashback, we see Abigail’s father come to tell her that they are ready to release the gas. It seems that she has known about Jackson the whole time as she rather jealously asks why her father brought him back to their labs. Robert Oz (Ken Olin) tells her that Jackson is sick and that Mitch (Billy Burke) could be a “match for her,” to which she asks if he could crack Blue Diaspora and takes Robert to a hybrid she created-baby Abendegos (Breanna Watkins). It’s clear from this flashback that all Abigail wants is her father’s approval.

Abigail flashes back to eavesdropping on Robert and Mitch and overhears that Jackson is going to die. When Robert catches Abigail following her bout of eavesdropping, he tells her that if Jackson cannot be saved she has his permission to go ahead with Blue Diaspora.

Clementine is left inside the room in which she received an ultrasound, as the gentlemen begin bidding on her and her unborn child at 80 million dollars. The men comment that this is the first pregnant woman in more than a decade and therefore she is an extremely hot commodity. Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately), Clementine has no idea that she is being auctioned off, but understandably doesn’t necessarily want to be in that room. Meanwhile, Mitch is seen sneaking around the compound neutralizing guards as he progresses. There is clearly nothing that will stop this determined father from rescuing his daughter. Mitch manages to stealthily (where did he learn to be so stealthy) break into the observation room where Clementine is being held captive. As the guards attempt to break into the room, Mitch shoots through the observation glass and sneaks Clementine out with him. The men are instructed not to shoot since they risk harming the baby and Clementine, always being one step ahead, grabs a gun and presses it to her stomach. She threatens that she will kill humanities last hope unless they let them go. Reluctantly, the gentlemen allow Clementine and Mitch to leave, but not without telling Mitch that “the word is out” and no matter where they go Mitch will not be able to protect her.

After escaping, Mitch is overly preoccupied with why and how she is pregnant (you can take the scientist out of the lab, but you can’t take the lab out of the scientist). Clementine just wants him to be excited and act like a grandfather. Clem doesn’t want to undergo all of the tests, saying she spent ninty percent of her life under a microscope and it made her feel like less than a person. She just wants her baby to have a normal life. But as can be expected, Mitch tells her that is impossible and all he wants to do is protect them. Mitch brings Clem back to the plane where Dariela apologizes profusely for having Clementine captured to trade for Isaac, but Clementine says now that she is pregnant she understands why Dariela did it. Mitch makes his way down to Abendegos’ cage, but as he walks past he makes eye contact with the hybrid and all of a sudden he is hit with a rapid onslaught of memories from the past ten years and passes out. He wakes up to Jamie’s concern that the biodrive made him pass out and gives him the surveillance photo they have of Mr. Duncan to research as the software works to brighten the image.

Jackson is right where we left him, seemingly controlling the lions with his mind as him and Tessa (Hilary Jardine) attempt to make their escape with Abendegoes in tow. Of course this is the moment Tessa determines that it is necessary to know if Jackson is able to control the lions with his mind, rather than you know, focusing on their assailants. Her quandary is quickly ignored as the witch and guards shoot at Tessa and Jackson while they make a break for it as the lions descend. Tessa is quick to ask if Jackson is responsible for the lion’s actions, to which he responds “no…maybe…I don’t know.” Could it be merely coincidence, or does Jackson really have some type of telepathic ability with these creatures?

Jackson, Tessa, Abe (Nonso Anozie) and Dariela (Alyssa Diaz) meet up to discuss the mysterious Mr. Duncan. They believe that Mr. Duncan might be Abigail’s partner and thus it is imperative that they locate him. Abe has also determined that hybrid stem cells along with Clementine’s baby might be the key to ending the sterility problem once and for all. Jackson finally explains to Tessa how he is able to communicate with the lions. He says that the gas that sterilized the human population might have activated something inside him from his father’s genetic experiments. After explaining his telepathic abilities the two of them, along with Abe and Dariela, devise a plan to extract a DNA sample from Abendegoes. As soon as they open the door to the cage, Abendegoes jumps on Jackson, but never fear, Dariela is still great with her firearms and tranquilizes the hybrid before he can do any damage.

Jamie (Kristen Connolly) is also right where we left her, telling Logan (Josh Salatin) for the millionth time that she did not kill Leanne Ducovney (Sophina Brown). She tells him that the ocular chip that Leanne was wearing was in her eye when she was murdered so it would prove her innocence. They both watch the footage from Leanne’s ocular chip which shows none other than Abigail enter the room and inform Leanne that she is no longer needed for Melvatox-B and then promptly shoots her. After consulting with Jackson and crew, Jamie unsurprisingly says she knows of Mr. Duncan. He is public enemy number one for the shepherds and could be the one who helped with Melvatox-B.

Much to Dariela and Abe’s horror, a SWAT team forces their way inside the Reiden children holding facility only to find that all of the children are gone. There are no signs of the children and Dariela bursts into tears. Dariela begins to understand that the candy Reiden was giving the children was actually Melvatox-B and luckily for the group the drug has a very distinctive radioactive footprint that will allow them to trace it to wherever the children are being held.

As this episode comes to an end, numerous pieces of the puzzle fall into place. Abe conducts an ultrasound of the baby and examines the DNA from Abendegoes. He discovers that all three of these new hybrids are related, which means that they need samples from all of the breeds of hybrids along with the baby to end the sterility problem. Not only that, but Abe also determines that there are six breeds of the new hybrids, which means they must go on a hunt to find the other three. In yet another flashback guards have been ordered to keep Abigail inside her lab, but she is able to watch as Robert helps Jackson live while he dies. Understandably angry and betrayed, Abigail begins to yell that her father chose Jackson over her and screaming Jackson’s name and little Abendegoes hears her and her distress. Then, as the guards and Abigail prepare to evacuate prior to releasing the gas, she saves Mitch and places him in the stasis tank. As Abigail is pulled out of the tank she is told that Abendegos has been taken by her brother, to which she responds “it’s a good thing Mr. Duncan is with my brother.” At this very moment the software brightens the security footage enough for Mitch to make out who is driving the van…the elusive Mr. Duncan is none other than Mitch Morgan himself