‘Z Nation’ Is Back With Season 4: Fan Favorite Doc Points To New Mission And Confusing Visions

Z Nation is back with Season 4 on Friday night and if you’ve seen the previews, you’ve got a glimpse of Doc in all his hippie glory and Roberta as a platinum blond. When Z Nation first aired on the SyFy channel some thought it would be just another Walking Dead, but it didn’t take long for the viewers to realize it was far from it.

When Z Nation returns on Friday night folks are going to find they are tuning in for “an exciting season.” This is how Russell Hodgkinson, who plays the loveable Doc on the show, describes what’s about to unfold on Z Nation. Russell recently shared a few thoughts with the Inquisitr regarding the direction Season 4 is going in.

Fans of this SyFy Channel show will probably never forget the scene of Doc being stuck in an air duct and sharing a joint with a zombie. This is probably one of the most talked about scenes among Z Nation fans on the social media sites. Doc’s sense of humor is not only delivered in his words but with the vast array of facial expressions that he conveys with just the right timing.

Doc is one of the characters of Z Nation who became an instant hit among viewers. He is sort of an old hippie who is very informed on the use of chemicals for medicinal purposes. Russell Hodgkinson’s portrayal of Doc awards him much praise for his acting today among critics. Blogger Jamie Arpin-Ricci writes the following about Russell.

“One of the great appeals of the series, in addition to its campy charm, is the cast of genuinely likable characters. Chief among them, and most definitely my favorite character of the bunch, is Steven Beck, aka Doc, the pot-smoking former psychologist turned hippie-medic, played by the most excellent Russell Hodgkinson.”

Russell recently told the Inquisitr that when you tune into Z Nation on Friday night, two years have passed since you last saw the characters. He also shared that not only have they jumped ahead two years, but the remaining team members are on a new mission in this SyFy Channel show.

The man who plays the iconic Doc also tells the Inquisitr, “A lead character is plagued by visions and dreams they don’t understand, which becomes a conflict for the group.” He also dropped a few names of guest stars for Z Nation’s fourth season. You can look forward to seeing Henry Rollins and Michael Berryman grace the TV screen with the Z Nation team this season, according to Russell.

Doc is an old hippie, who happens to be so laid back that his genius often stays hidden behind his demeanor. In the middle of a chaotic scene, Doc’s level head often saves the day, which is done with such little effort on his part. In the middle of chaos and shooting, Doc will often make one small and non-violent move that somehow saves the day.

According to Bleeding Cool, Season 3 of the show had a more serious note, but after taking a look at the trailer for Season 4 of Z Nation, you will find they haven’t done away with all the humor in the new season.

The critics love this SyFy Channel show and some have found it more entertaining than the original zombie offering of The Walking Dead. The only thing Z Nation has in common with the AMC show is zombies, but even the zombies are groomed differently for Z Nation. They are not just walking around aimlessly, like the ones on The Walking Dead. Instead of using zombies like props, Z Nation has even incorporated some of these dead people in the storyline, like grandpa Zombie. They befriended one elderly zombie to help them find Lucy at one point last season.

The Zombie Research Society finds Z Nation better TV viewing than The Walking Dead, which was their critique of the show when the first season came to an end.

With The Walking Dead offering so many layers to their characters, Dave Marks from the Zombie Research Society feels the show has become “too bogged down.” He suggests that Z Nation is “anything but a soap opera,” which fulfills your need for zombie action and fast-moving storylines. As far as Marks is concerned, “In Z Nation, the characters are always doing something grand, in every episode. And that’s exactly why I watch it every week.”

When Marks posted his thoughts on the Zombie Research Society blog about liking Z Nation more so than The Walking Dead he said that he didn’t think this would be a popular thought. But the comments on his post were surprising. He actually had quite a few people agree with him, as you can see by the comments below.

• “Z Nation is a crazy, chaotic, gratuitously violent but just ridiculous enough to be a cheerfully upbeat episodic spectacle that follows the good ol’ tradition of the American Road Movie.”
• “Z nation is 100x better than the walking dead as Z nation knows that it’s not so serious whereas the walking dead tries too hard.”
• “I have to agree with you, I much prefer Z Nation to TWD. Z Nation might be less serious, it certainly has a lower budget and less in the way of character development, as mentioned in other comments here, but it triumphs over TWD in one major regard and that is that it’s entertaining.”
• “TWD is boring, Z Nation is fun. Bottom line.”
• “Love Z Nation has a lot of what you want from a zombie anything lots of zombies and making fun of zombies all at the same time.”
• “Z nation shows greater ideal than the walking dead. Zombies are more realistic & the situations & events get you out of your seat.Watching The Walking Dead is like watching Love & Restless …Another soap opera always predictable.”

You can watch the official trailer for Z Nation Season 4 below.

[Featured Image by Barry Brecheisen/AP Images]