Reality Z (Netflix Brazil) S01: B-

You all know by now that I cannot help it when it comes to guilty pleasures. Zombie series are by default guilty pleasure, with a couple of dramatic exceptions and a couple of totally ridiculous ones. I also have a soft spot for Brazilian series 3%, Samatha!, Nobody's Watching just to name a few. Reality Z is both from Brazil and a zombie themed comedy / horror / gore series. All the ingredients needed for a guilty pleasure.

For me it didn't disappoint, overall the series got me hooked and laughing. They sort of sell it as a very sexy series, but is not, that did disappointed me a little bit, the cast includes some hot actors and actresses. Hey! I wouldn't have complained if Gabriel Canella had more shirtless and sexy scenes. This is after all a B-series the whole gratuitous nudity doesn't apply here.

A key rule when it comes to a guilty pleasure is that they must not take themselves very seriously. This story knows perfectly how ridiculous the premise sounds and they play along.

Is night of expulsion at Olympus. A reality show with a greek mythology theme. The cast is as ready as they can be to know which one of them has to say good bye. The fans are ready to welcome out another expelled contestant. Little they know outside in the real world a zombie outbreak is spreading like wild fire, taking over the city.

Jessica (played by Hanna Romanazzi) is being expelled from the show, just as the zombie attack starts spreading around the audience that gathered outside Olympus. Inside Nina (played by Anna Hartmann) a production assistant of the show, manages to survive the night and fights her way into the set The contestants that are still inside think that Nina is a new cast member or maybe another test for them to pass. They have noticed that Zeus (played by Guilherme Weber) hasn't talk to them all morning. Marcos (played by Gabriel Canella) thinks that he must open the door and go outside to pass the test, not believing Nina's warnings. When he opens the door a zombie burst in after some struggle Nina gives them another lesson "you have to hit their head". Now is not about winning Olympus grand prize, is about to stay alive.

Olympus is the perfect zombie proof refugee. It is solar powered and other sustainable technology resources like water supply. Built like a fortress, a fence surrounding the studio, another fence protecting the entrance to the production area, that surrounds the main set, which has a central patio that can also be isolated by metal shutters. Of course the director's cabin is equipped with state of the art audio and video from all over Olympus and a satellite connection to the outside world.

I am obsessed with visualizing the perfect zombie proof hideout and trust me this reality series set is in fact the perfect zombie proof hideout. With amazing greek mythology attire to go with it.

Yes this series or mini series is flawed. I'm not quite sure if there is going to be a second season or if its not meant to have a second season. The first three episodes had me going and cheering for our Gods. But the fifth episode is a game changer, and then by episode eight again another game changer. It kinda looked like three seasons of Reality Z resumed into one.

It had its bad episodes and some others more enjoyable, but in the end it was a very decent production from Brazil. Some of its series aim really high in terms of production and they find creative ways to avoid expensive VFX scenes. With this one they don't avoid the make up, it is actually good, but they managed to avoid those large crowds of zombies in favor of having less but better zombies.

It also has the basic message from most of the zombie series, be more afraid of the living than of the dead.

I hope there is going to be more of this series and that next time they do take their time to introduce us the characters and this scary new world after the zombie apocalypse.