I only started watching the show recently, but I started with season 1 and immediately began to adore Zack, and especially Zack and Hodgin’s frienship. When I saw season 4 episodes, and noticed Zack wasn’t in them, I immediately hunted down all the Gormogon arc episodes and watched them straight through, in total denial that the writers could actually make him a believable serial killer. I was extremely upset at what I then thought was an illogical, poorly written plot device.

However, having taken those 50 or so breaths you mentioned, I myself came to a similar conclusion as you (though yours is much better articulated!). What we adored about Zack as a character was in part what lead to his downfall – in fact, the proposal of him as a security risk in the face of irrefutable logic comes up in the Season 1 episode “The Woman in the Car.”

So, though I can’t help wishing they figure out a way to bring him back, I’m finally at peace with Zack’s departure from the show. Thanks for writing this post so that similarly fuming fans can reach the same conclusion as me.