How to watch

Z Nation premiered on Syfy in 2014 and follows a ragtag group of survivors tasked with escorting Murphy, the only known person to survive a zombie bite, across a ruined America to a lab in California. Produced by The Asylum, it embraced campy humor and wild ideas over its five seasons. Netflix later released Black Summer, a gritty prequel starring Jaime King that depicts the terrifying first weeks of the outbreak.

🕐 Release Order

Release order starts with the main series and then moves to its prequel spin-off.

1. Z Nation (2014)
2. Black Summer (2019)

Black Summer is set in the early days of the outbreak, long before the events of Z Nation, and it shares almost nothing with its parent show in tone.

📖 Story Chronology

In story order, Black Summer comes first, showing the chaos and panic of the initial collapse, before Z Nation picks up years into the apocalypse.

1. Black Summer (2019)
2. Z Nation (2014)

Which Order Should You Choose?

Because the two shows have no overlapping characters and wildly different styles, you can watch them in either order. If you want a fun, irreverent zombie road trip, start with Z Nation. If you prefer intense, realistic survival horror, start with Black Summer. For a chronological experience, watching Black Summer first sets the scene nicely. Zombie fans should also explore The Walking Dead, Zombieland, and Train to Busan.

🔗 Related Guides

• The Walking Dead Watch OrderGuide
• Zombieland Watch OrderGuide
• Train to Busan Watch OrderGuide

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