The Day of the Beast

The Day of the Beast is the first and debut episode of Season 2 of CBS's Zoo. It originally aired on June 28th, 2016.

Synopsis
In DC, Abe, Mitch, Jackson, and Chloe are heading towards the harbor, to get on a boat to rescue Jamie. A concerned Mitch notices a wound on Jackson's arm, but Jackson says that it a dog bite. Animals block the road ahead, and Abe throws the truck into reverse as the animals charge at the truck. A rhino slams into their hummer, and the animal goes down from the impact. The hummer spins to a halt, and Jackson warns that the captain at the harbor won't wait long. Jackson tells the others that he'll lead the animals away, and tells them to meet him at Amelia's office. As Jackson drives away, Abe starts a spark, and the trail of gasoline follows Jackson, leaving a wall behind to cut off the animals. Chloe refuses to leave Jackson but Mitch and Abe say that their best chance is to get to Amelia's office.

The hummer brakes fail, and Jackson loses control. He leaps out as the truck slams into a building. A wounded Jackson lays on the ground as a Tiger approaches him. Hornets attack Chloe, Abe, and Mitch. As Chloe runs ahead, she hears a baby crying and goes to a nearby car. A mother is protecting her baby from the hornets, and begs Chloe to take the child. Chloe takes the baby as the woman dies, and she runs into the IADG.

Mitch and Abe get to the IADG and ask to see Amelia, but they don't see Chloe or Jackson anywhere. Meanwhile the news reports on the attacks around the city, and gives an update on the number of casualties and fatalities. Chloe arrives with the baby, and she tells Abe and Mitch what happened to the baby's mother. Jackson staggers in, and says that he's fine, and claims that he didn't see any animals after the explosion despite Chloe thinking overwhise. In a flashback it's revealed that the tiger sniffed at Jackson's wounded arm, and then walks away. In the present Jackson says that he must have got lucky.

In New Brunswick, Canada Jamie tells the caged leopard that her friends are coming to get them. She then tells Anik that people will write books about how he helped save the world. Anik goes outside, and the leopard growls at a cat hat made its way in. The owner stumbles back in and falls to the floor, dead, his throat ripped out by wolves. Jamie slams the door shut, and tries to pull the crate holding the leopard down into the basement. It slides down the stairs and shatters, and the leopard climbs out. Jamie has no choice but to close the cellar door behind her.

At the IADG, a doctor gives Jackson a blood transfusion, and assures him that the animals can't pass on their infliction with a bite. Once the doctor leaves, Jackson insists that he's fine, and once they get the leopard they'll have the cure. Chloe points out that the mutation has spread to insects, and they need a permanent cure. She admits that the Noah Objective may be their only chance. Jackson objects, insisting that it's murder.

Mitch tells Jackson and Chloethat someone from Amelia's office will talk to them. The group meets Eleanor Lewis, and she tells them that Amelia was killed when the animals attacked her motorcade. Mitch tells the group that there are five species known to be essential to human survival. They've already lost insects, bats, and primates. Their only shot is the leopard. Eleanor tells them that they're sending choppers and a team to New Brunswick to get Jamie and the leopard. Mitch demands to go, warning that the leopard needs to be properly sedated, and he is needed on the mission for that reason. Eleanor agrees, and Jackson and Abe insist on going as well. Chloe says that she will stay behind to get the baby to her father. Abe tells her that he can help her find the baby's father.

As Jackson, Abe, and Mitch head to the choppers, the President declares a state of emergency and orders evacuations. The government is setting up safe zones, for people to come come to for safety. The Team meet with the Seal team, and Mitch tells the leader that once they get the leopard, they'll use its DNA to create a cure.

In the cellar, Jamie tries to keep the leopard calm. She ties a rope to a shelf and then climbs out through a window, as the chopper aproches Jamie ties the other end of the rope to a tree and then unlocks the gate. She lights a flare and attracts the wolves' attention, and then turns to find a Buffalo facing her. It charges at her and she runs into the forest.

As the Seal team prepares to land, Jamie continues running as the wolves chase after her. Once they land Abe spots the rope, and follows it to the basement window, and sees the leopard inside. Mitch spots Jamie's footprint, and realizes that she was there, and runs into the forest. The Seals say that they have to go, but Mitch refuses to abandon their friend. Mitch sits down and Abe tries to drag him to the helicopter as Jamie hides beneath a fallen tree. Abe and a soldier manage to pick Mitch up and get him into the helicopter. They assure Mitch that they'll come back for Jamie, and the helicopter takes off. Jamie sees the helicopter overhead, and tries to come out. However she sees the wolves, and hides again.

Back at IADG headquarters Chloe has tracked down the baby's father from the transport vehicle the mother was driving, and reunites the baby with her father. Once he leaves Chloe asks the doctor for Jackson's blood sample results, claiming that she's his wife. She studies it, surprised, she has the doctor confirm that the tests are right. Chloe gets a call, and she joins her friends as they go with the doctors to the lab. Back in New Brunswick Jamie hides beneath the trees as the wolves howl.

Jackson tells Chloe why they were forced to abandon Jamie. Chloe tells Jackson that she saw his blood test, and tells him his blood type has changed recently. Jackson insists that the mutation isn't contagious, but Chloe isn't convinced. The doctors administer the cure to the test dog, but nothing happens. Mitch figures that they're doing it wrong, and goes into the lab. The doctor insists that they did everything right, but Mitch shoves him away and goes to work. He administers the new antidote, and checks the readings. They show that the dog is still mutating, and Mitch realizes that they're too late. Mitch angrily says that they won't find another cure, and says he's done.

Jackson and Chloe meet with Eleanor, and Jackson insists that the cure didn't change. He suggests that the mutation in the animals has moved past the Mother Cell, and he and Chloe want more time to find a solution. Eleanor warns that the Noah Objective is unstoppable, and Jackson warns that everything they've seen is just the beginning. Eleanor says that the doctor she's working with, Mark Vickers, has said much the same thing. He's on a research mission in Argentina looking for an animal in phase mutation, and Chloe says that they're heading to Argentina.

In Argentina Vickers and his team are moving through the jungle, and the Rangers try to guess the name's a fellow ranger picked for his future daughter. They find several bodies on the trail ahead, and Vickers warns that the animal they're tracking did it. He takes swabs of the killer's saliva, and confirms that the animal had phase two mutation. Vickers tells the Rangers that they can't use live ammo, and insists that the tranqs will take it down. The team leader reluctantly agrees and his team moves out.

Jackson, Abe, and Chloe drive to the airport, and board the jet that is equipped with countermeasures against animal attacks. Eleanor introduces them to their pilot, Greg Trotter, and shows them around the plane. She says that an interested third party gave them the plane. Mitch joins them, and admits that he made a deal with Eleanor. She's going to send teams to find Jamie until they locate her. Mitch admits that they're family now, and they're stuck together. Eleanor says that their job is to stop the mutation. Reiden Global has lobbed to have a vote on the Noah Objective in six weeks. Jackson insists that the Objective is murder, but Eleanor warns that if they can't present an alternative then they won't convince anyone.

In Argentina, the Ranger team takes refuge in a hospital. The team leader warns Vickers that the rain has wiped out the trail and there's nothing they can do until morning.

As the jet heads for Argentina, Jackson and Abe watch the news reports about the evacuation. Meanwhile, Mitch talks to his daughter Clementine via webcam and she assures her father that they all got to the camp. Clementine says that the people put her dog Henry in quarantine with the other pets, and Mitch assures her that they'll take good care of the dog. She wonders when it will be over, and Mitch says soon and he's the one who is going to end it. He shows Clementine his new lab and says that he has everything he needs to fix the animals.

As Jackson pours himself a drink, Chloe tells him that she pulled some strings and changed his medical records. Jackson wonders what he's changing into. At the same time Outside the hostel, a mutated human watches Vickersteam.

The next morning, the ranger team receives word from Eleanor that a team is en route to join them. When they complain that their tour has been extended, Vickers says that if they don't find the animal then all of their families will be wiped out. The mutated human creature grabs him and drags him away. At the same time the jet lands, and the team takes two SUVs to join Vickers team at the hostel.

The Rangers go after the creature, which stays to the shadows and attacks them from the shadows. It takes out the Rangers one by one until only two are left. It kills the male Ranger, Ward, and the woman Dariela Marzan takes cover beneath a table when she runs out of ammo.

As the team drive to the hostel, Jackson tells Mitch to resolve things with Abe. Mitch turns on the radio and ignores him. Dariela reloads and the creature charges at her. It throws her across the room next to Ward's corpse. As it leaps at her, she manages to grab a taser and stuns it. Dariela then grabs a poker and kills the creature. The team arrives and Dariela tells them that they're a little late. They realize that the creature is still alive.

Co Stars

 * Elizabeth Marleau as Dying Mother (Amy)
 * Fanta Sesay as Nurse
 * Donald Sales as Seal Team Leader/Co-Pilot
 * Darien Martin as Seal #1
 * Lee Tichon as Seal #2
 * Aaron Brooks as Father of Crying Baby
 * Michael Bean as Government Scientist
 * Garfield Wilson as Team Leader
 * Warren Abbott as James Ward
 * Ryan Handley as Janos Kovacs
 * Guy Christie as News Anchor
 * Mathew Toma Yanagiya as Ranger #1
 * Gaston Morrison as Ranger #2
 * Doug Chapman as Ranger #3
 * Arran Henn as News Reporter
 * Marc Anthony Williams as Security Guard

Trivia

 * First Appearance of Dariela Marzan
 * First Appearance of Eleanor Lewis
 * First Appearance of Grg Trotter
 * First Appearance of Janos Kovacs
 * First (and last Appearance of James Ward (Alive)
 * First (and last) appearance of Dr. Mark Vickers
 * Last appearance of Anik
 * The title of this episode comes from the newscaster saying people are referring to the various animal attacks around the world as the day of the beast.
 * Madison Wolf (Clementine) is now listed as guest starring, after previously being listed as a Co Stars in season 1.