Episode Recap: Murphy's Miracle

The gang is hot on Murphy's trail as Sun Mei tracks his hijacked military vehicle (which Hector affectionately calls the 'Murphy Mobile'), though Murphy's since ditched the transponder in the belly of a Z. They have no idea where he is now, and here they are in McCloud, California, short on gas, food and supplies.

Luckily, they find an unlikely ally in the form of Barney Becker, a former postal worker who still drives around in a mail truck and hides out in the local post office. He seems lonely (he's been slowly going through everyone's undelivered and unopened Christmas cards) but harmless enough … though why does he seem to be attracting a particular group of Z's? They follow him wherever he goes, "because they remember me and love me," he says, but Roberta's more than a little suspicious.

Sun Mei tries to contact her lab via the two-way radio at the local motor pool, but all she's able to pick up is a piece of melancholy music. This is apparently a code to say that her mission has been aborted and her reinforcements are all dead. Addy then tries to use the radio to contact Citizen Z, who's still shacking up with Kaya and her family; he can hear her but she can't hear him. The radio goes dead, leaving both Sun Mei and Addy heartbroken and even Doc a bit disheartened.

Everyone meets up again at the post office, where Roberta takes Barney's gun and Sun Mei takes a blood sample. Barney hasn't been bitten and there's nothing unique about his blood, so why the heck does he have this Z entourage? Barney is offended at being poked and prodded and tells them to leave town as soon as he gives them food and supplies, to which Roberta agrees.

Sun Mei stays in the main office to do more blood tests as Barney leads everyone else to the basement, where there's supposedly a fully stocked civil defense emergency shelter for the entire county. What's actually down there are the bodies of several postal workers … and a zombie horde waiting to take them out. The treacherous Barney flees as Roberta and the gang fight the Z's in the obscured darkness.

Barney takes Sun Mei at gunpoint to his personal workshop, an abattoir filled with the remains of the unfortunate passers-by he feeds to his zombie horde. Barney had grown tired of 17 long years as a mailman, never getting his own greeting cards or love letters but instead being hated as the guy who's late with delivering a paycheck or unwanted catalog. On Day 1 of the zombie apocalypse, Barney went completely postal and killed his co-workers … and every single person in town. Since he was the last thing they saw before turning Z, they've now got something of a fixation.

Whatever, though. Sun Mei manages to get to the door and open it, letting a bunch of Z's into the room who quickly turn Barney into one of them. She reunites with the gang and they hightail it out of town, with Barney, now a Z, stumbling about the streets of McCloud.

Meanwhile, Team Murphy is stuck in traffic, which in the zombie apocalypse means there's a vehicle blocking an already impossibly narrow roadway. It's a young couple whose little girl is dying, so Murphy, genuinely moved, offers to help and gives her a Murphy bite.

Murphy and company arrive in Spokane, Washington, where a mighty waterfall seems to be key to Murphy's plan to populate the world with Blends. They set up shop at the long-looted Museum of Progress, where Murphy finds a space for Dr. Merch's lab, his own fancy inner sanctum and, of course, his throne room.

Oh, and a room for Lucy. Remember her? Murphy's zombie baby from Season 2? 10K is surprised to hear that she's still alive … and then discouraged when he's put on sweeping duty.

Murphy's lounging about on his throne when Dr. Merch says he has visitors: the young couple whose little girl he bit. The parents thank Murphy for not only curing their daughter but for making her not afraid anymore. The little girl jumps into Murphy's lap and gives him a hug as the husband asks, "Would you bite my wife?"

Murphy smiles. Oh, Murphy.

Meanwhile, up north, Kaya is encouraging Citizen Z to exercise and get his strength back so he can get back on the air, though Citizen Z wonders if there's anyone left to listen to his broadcasts. Kaya becomes discouraged when she's unable to get any signal on her radio … until suddenly the voice of Addy comes through. Citizen Z responds to Addy, but she doesn't seem to hear him.

Later, Citizen Z is shocked to see that he's been given by far the largest portion at dinner. Kaya, her Nana and her Uncle Kaskae are actually starving, and their already meager food supply is quickly dwindling. Citizen Z says he knows where they can get food and he, his trusty dog, Kaya and Uncle Kaskae get on a sled and brave the elements on the icy road back to the Northern Light listening station.