Masters of Horror/Homecoming

Homecoming
Season 1, Episode 6
Airdate	December 2, 2005
Written by	Sam Hamm
Directed by	Joe Dante
← 1x05 Chocolate	1x07 → Deer Woman
Masters of Horror — Season One

Homecoming is the sixth episode of the first season of Masters of Horror.

A political strategist unwittingly sets in motion an undead revival.

Cast: Jon Tenney (David Murch), Thea Gill (Jane Cleaver), Robert Picardo (Kurt Rand), Terry David Mulligan (Marty Clark), Beverly Breuer (Mrs. Hofstadter), J.W. Carroll (Reverend Clayton Poole), Wanda Cannon (Kathy Hobart), Karen Austin (Mom), Nathaniel DeVeaux (Mr. Baker), Candus Churchill (Mrs. Baker), Jason Emanuel (Michael), Sean Carey (Gordon Hofstadter), Ryan McDonnell (Philip Murch)

Plot Overview

Political consultant David Murch, who works for an unnamed administration which is promoting an unjust war, is on the political debate show Marty Clark Live!. Speaking out about anti-war protesters opposite political writer Jane Cleaver Murch is talking via satellite to Janet Mrs. Hofstadter, the mother of a slain soldier and outspoken anti-war activist. He makes a heartfelt comment that he wished that her son would come back because he would tell everyone how important the current war is. Jane Cleaver is so impressed with his showmanship that the two quickly start a sexual relationship.

The success of the 'one wish' speech is so solidly received that the President uses it at a rally. However, it also starts a chain reaction where soldiers start returning from the grave. The zombies come first from caskets fresh off the plane from the current war to those buried in cemeteries, although all of the dead are casualties only from the current war. The zombies, who shamble and have limited speech capability don't appear to be violent at all even when fired upon.

Murch observes this firsthand while visiting the grave of his brother, Philip. He sees a resurrected soldier busily digging down into a grave to release someone else and his car is quickly mobbed by several soldiers. He races out of the cemetery and talks with his colleague, Kurt Rand. Finding that the zombies are unkillable, they can't keep the news suppressed. Instead, they develop a strategy to use it to their benefit.

One reanimated soldier, Robert Bunton, shambles into an early voting office and indicates that he wants to vote. As soon as he emerges from the booth his body falls down lifeless again. Using them for their enormous political value, Cleaver and political icon Reverend Poole spin the story that the zombie return as holy justification for the Presidential agenda. When it is revealed that the zombie voting patterns are for the opposition, the two reverse their stance solidly and announce soldiers are a public health threat and are quarantined.

Worrying about the negative backlash about the vocal soldiers and the perception of the war brought home by the walking corpses, Murch suggests that they just let the soldiers vote as the war casualties have been low enough as to not matter in the grand scheme of the national population. Using the personal anecdote of his brother's death in Vietnam, Murch appears on the Marty Clark show and gives the administration's support of the zombie voting goals. Attempting to reverse the negative perception all of the animated soldiers, as the ones who don't have a negative comment on the war remain buried, Kurt Rand cooks up a scheme to coerce Janet Mrs. Hofstadter's dead son to sign a false endorsement. In response, Janet's dead son attacks and kills him.

Returning on the Marty Clark show, Murch is confronted with conflicting information about his brother's death. His brother did not die in Vietnam, but rather stateside. Finally recalling a long suppressed memory, Murch remembers finding his suicidal brother's gun and shooting him accidentally. Not understanding the seriousness of it all, he'd forgotten the circumstances of his death and his mother changed it to a death in the Vietnam war.

As the results of the early exit polling suggest, the dead soldier's presence has led to a defeat of the President's re-election. Making a call, they rig the results so the final tally goes in favor of the President. Claiming victory and replacing Murch with Cleaver, who has grown more politically savvy while working with him, they are faced with a new round of reanimated corpses. This time the corpses have 'called for reinforcements' and veterans from all wars come alive. Cornering Murch and Cleaver on a dark road, a squad of soldiers approach and Cleaver madly tries to fend them off with a shotgun before Murch decides to kill her himself. Running out of bullets to commit suicide, Murch is surrounded by zombies and one in particular: his reanimated brother Philip. Enlisting his aid, Philip kills Murch and adds him to their undead ranks. The undead then storm and seize Washington DC and proclaim that the exiled government will never again be allowed to send soldiers in to unjust war.

Notes

• Deaths and Gore: Many zombies are damaged, including beheading one with a car and lots of shotgun blasts. Marty shoots Jane Cleaver in the head as well as recalls shooting his brother twice. The zombies only kill two people, one by gouging out his eyes and slamming his head on a table repeatedly and Murch is killed by a quick broken neck.

Trivia

The Show

• In the cemetery, one of the headstones is labeled 'G.A. Romero'. This is in reference to George A. Romero, creator of the definitive zombie films Night, Dawn, Day, and Land of the Dead.

Behind the Scenes

• Director Joe Dante is best known for landmark horror entries The Howling and Gremlins.

• Writer Sam Hamm is famous for his involvement in the Batman comic book series and wrote the script for Batman (1989).

Quotes

• Murch: If I had one wish, I would wish for your son to come back. Because I know he would tell us all how important this struggle is. This important struggle for all for the safety and security of all Americans and how proud he is to have served his country.

• First reanimated soldier: (as a panicky MP is reloading) At ease, soldier.

• Murch: What if we just ignored them?
  Rand: Say what?
  Murch: Just treat them like regular vets.