Black Summer: 6 most WTF moments from Season 1

What were the most WTF moments from Netflix’s new zombie series, Black Summer? Who died? Who lived? What happened in the end? Find out here.

Zombie fatigue has not struck Netflix as they commission the Z Nation prequel series, Black Summer. However, I give the streaming giant credit for taking a unique approach to the genre. Black Summer is a well-shot, extremely realistic, story of survival. It puts action first and character second. For some people that will be a welcome change, for others, not so much.

I appreciated the intensity of the show and the alternating timelines. We get to see many scenarios from alternating perspective. It’s also worth pointing out the direction of the series, there are some technically brilliant long-shots, the entire eight-episode season is full of them. It adds to the grounded terror of the show. This feels like it could happen.

Let’s recap the 6 most WTF moments of the first season.

6. Barbara forgets to wear her seat-belt.

Black Summer establishes its “anyone can die” rule early on in the season. Despite being introduced to Barbara in her own vignette during the opening episode, she dies in spectacular fashion during the second. Velez, Sun, and Barbara are driving towards sanctuary when they’re run off the road by a crazy trucker.

Velez inadvertently crashes his car and Barbara FLIES through the windshield! She dies instantly and turns into a zombie, then presumes to attack the truck driver (who totally deserved it) creating another zombie in the process! The survivors are forced into a nearby diner to hide out from the sudden influx of starving monsters.

5. The school death trap.

More from Netflix

• Bridgerton season 3: All the details to know about Penelope and Colin’s love story
• It’s a slow week on Netflix with only three new releases (Nov. 20)
• Exploding Kittens: From card game to Netflix animated series starring Tom Ellis
• The Crown and more Netflix shows and movies to stream this week (November 13)
• Escaping Twin Flames and more harrowing love-centered documentaries to watch on Netflix

Early on the survivors stumble on a seemingly abandoned school to bunker down in for a while. Except it doesn’t take long for them to realize they aren’t alone. There are creepy children running around playing pranks on the group with megaphones and trying to separate them from each other.

As if the entire scenario that plays out involving Ryan wasn’t bad enough, the final shot of the school episode is one of the children placing a door jam in the main doorway, proving these people purposefully lure in shelter-seekers so they can terrorize them and then they lock the doors so they can’t escape.

4. Ryan’s death.

Speaking of the horror show going on inside the school, poor Ryan! He gets kidnapped, handcuffed, and has an old t-shirt shoved over his head as he gets taken away from Rose. Then when the hostage exchange is set up, Ryan winds up getting shot and killed by one of those demented children of the corn wannabes.

Ryan’s death made me particularly angry because it was avoidable! He was deaf, so obviously he wasn’t going to hear the orders “if he moves, kill him.” Why didn’t Rose or Spears say something before they let Ryan go? They might have killed him anyways but they could have at least tried! To make matters worse, he zombies out and tries to kill Rose and Spears while the crazed feral school locals watch in amusement.