At a Glance
- Cillian Murphy returns as Jim in the final scene, 28 years after 2002’s 28 Days Later
- Samson the alpha zombie regains human speech through an experimental drug cocktail
- The cure is partial – Samson still craves human flesh despite recovering his mind
- Why it matters: The third film will determine if humanity can reverse the infection or faces a hybrid species
The zombie franchise’s latest entry ends with two game-changing reveals that set up the trilogy’s finale. While marketing confirmed Jim’s return months ago, the bigger shock involves a potential cure that leaves the infected caught between human and monster.
The Return of Jim
Jim appears only in the final moments, living in a remote cottage with a teenage daughter. Their history lesson on European warfare gets interrupted when Spike and Erin Kellyman’s character arrive, fleeing zombies. Father and daughter decide to help, placing Jim back in the action after nearly three decades.
Key questions raised:
- What happened to original characters Selena and Hannah?
- Is Jim’s companion one of their daughters?
- How did he survive 28 years when most perished within weeks?
- Will Spike’s knowledge of a safe island change Jim’s isolated existence?
The Partial Cure Breakthrough
Dr. Kelson’s dying achievement transforms alpha zombie Samson using an unspecified drug combination. The treatment works partially – Samson speaks clearly when he returns to the Bone Temple, thanking the doctor who saved him from full zombification.
The cure’s limitations emerge quickly:
- Samson’s human moment triggers attacks from other zombies who sense his difference
- Multiple bites during the assault don’t kill him, suggesting enhanced resilience
- His final scene shows him preparing to eat a human, proving the hunger remains
What This Means for the Finale
The trilogy’s conclusion hinges on biology, not battle plans. Samson represents a middle ground – conscious enough to speak and reason, yet still driven to consume human flesh. Whether this hybrid state becomes humanity’s salvation or its final curse remains unresolved.
Critical unknowns heading into film three:
- Can Samson maintain his partial humanity without more drugs?
- Did Kelson document the formula before dying?
- Could the treatment be mass-produced if reverse-engineered?
- Will other infected follow Samson’s path toward hybrid status?
The franchise that began with sprinting infected has evolved into something more complex. Where 28 Days Later showed society’s collapse and 28 Weeks Later explored containment failure, the final chapter must now address whether the infected can be saved rather than simply destroyed.
Jim’s reintegration into the story provides emotional continuity, but Samson’s transformation offers the only real hope for ending the apocalypse. The drugs that restored his speech may have created something new – not quite human, no longer fully zombie, but potentially the key to both species’ survival.
