I Am Not a Used Car Salesman

"*I'm not a used-car salesman. I've never been a used-car salesman. I'm here for one reason. So that when this day came, you wouldn't be alone.*"
—Zumbado to Naomi
**I Am Not a Used Car Salesman** is the seventh episode of the first season of The CW's superhero drama *Naomi*. It aired on March 8, 2022.

## Synopsis

**SHOCKING TRUTHS** - When Naomi finds herself in dire circumstances, she's forced to seek help from Zumbado who knows more than Naomi could have imagined.

## Plot

Naomi regains consciousness as Zumbado fends off several S.T.A.R. Labs security guards. He then helps Naomi to her feet and guides her to safety. They hide in the electrical room, where Zumbado reveals that the building has dampening technology that suppresses their abilities. Naomi is still a bit weak, as Dr. Bell's machine depleted her energy. She was attempting to repurpose Naomi's abilities. But the reason why remains a mystery. Naomi then asks why Zumbado is helping her. He explains that S.T.A.R. Labs is dangerous and that he was simply trying to warn her to stay away. Naomi disregarded his advice in search of answers. Ever since the Superman incident, she's been confused. So, Naomi asks Zumbado to tell her everything he knows. He's reluctant, but uses his powers nonetheless to show her through an ability of his called mental teleportation, which establishes a connection between them, allowing Naomi to feel and experience Zumbado's memories. Zumbado was different back then. He had friends, a life, and a home on Earth-29. Through this connection, Naomi can even smell the chocolate aroma of the nebula flowers on the last good night Zumbado had on Earth-29, before everything changed. Naomi is in disbelief and mentions the fact that the planet has two moons. Zumbado retorts that many earths do. One moon is actually rare, making this earth quite unusual. Also, on Earth-29, the plants are red because they absorb light differently.

Naomi reveals to Zumbado that the disk led her to Akira in Portland, who said that Zumbado ruined earth-29. Zumbado tells Naomi to learn to think for herself, but she finds that hard to do when no one will tell her anything. Zumbado replies that some truths are too much to bear. The lights begin to flicker, and Zumbado decides that it's time to go. They escape through a ventilation duct. However, S.T.A.R. Labs is powered by plasma physics, meaning if they get stuck in the ducts, they'll drown in burning plasma. Fortunately, they have a 30-minute window before the next ventilation.

Annabelle arrives at Naomi's to find her parents making pineapple pizza. They invite her over for dinner, but she turns them down, revealing that she came to find Naomi, who Greg and Jennifer thought was at the game with Annabelle. Realizing that Naomi's missing, Annabelle covers for her and claims that they were supposed to meet up to study.

Back at S.T.A.R. Labs, Naomi and Zumbado continue to crawl through the ventilation duct, where he shares more of his past with Naomi: when he was younger, he used to be scared all the time, of almost everything, but without fear, there could be no courage, he tells Naomi, recalling back to the day that everything changed on Earth-29. While on a lift at work, a purple meteor shower came hurtling down into earth's atmosphere, knocking Zumbado off the lift. As he fell to what seemed to be his death, Zumbado suddenly began hovering just a few feet above the ground. For a long time, no one had any answers, but they learned that it was the result of an environmental disaster. Zumbado was among the select few to receive powers that night, but it wasn't until he was approached by Akira one night that he learned he was not alone. She took the fire from the candle and manipulated it in her hand, explaining to Zumbado that while fire could be destructive, it could also be a new beginning and fresh start. They proceeded to get to know each other better. Akira was a mineralogist, who specialized in the composition of rare particles, which allowed her access to real time discrepancies on the planet. Much like Zumbado, she couldn't explain her powers either. Akira noted that their evolutionary mutations were sudden and precise, leading her to suspect that this was all part of destiny's plan. Naomi and Zumbado continue crawling through the duct and pick up the pace when it begins to fill with plasma. They fortunately exit the ventilation duct, narrowly avoiding the plasma.

Meanwhile, Annabelle has sneaked into Dee's shop in search of Naomi. Instead, she's confronted by Dee, who suspects that Annabelle is lying to him. After a bit of pressure from Dee, Annabelle reveals that Naomi is missing. She asks if he can find her with his wings, but his powers don't work that way. While Annabelle doesn't know where Naomi went, she does know that Naomi had another run in with Zumbado.

Naomi and Zumbado intend to escape S.T.A.R. Labs by making their way to the lower level, but first they have to get past the guards. When Naomi asks about those affected by the meteor shower, Zumbado reveals that there were 29 of them, as in The Twenty-Nine, the phrase Naomi saw inscribed on the disk. Zumbado then proceeds to show Naomi how he and Akira used their abilities to save people. They were a symbol of hope, but no matter how hard they worked, the planet was dying. Somehow, through her exceptional abilities, Naomi manages to make Zumbado's memories come to life and fill the room with red leaves from Earth-29. Powers like theirs are dangerous, and not everyone liked what they were doing. For this, Zumbado and the others were hunted by a man named Brutus, although he wasn't exactly a man. No one even knew where he came from, and he resented the Twenty-Nine, but it was manageable. But then one day he came for them. Suddenly, an alarm sounds, forcing Naomi and Zumbado to continue their escape as Dr. Bell speaks to them over the intercom. She admits that mistakes were made and that she only needs one of them for her experiment. However, Naomi and Zumbado are sticking together. And while Zumbado can't see in the dark, Naomi can. Through her thermal vision, she sees that they're surrounded by guards.

Naomi and Zumbado duck down behind a desk as the guards come searching the area. Once the coast is clear, they run into the stairwell and down to the lower level, though they take a break to catch their breath. Zumbado came to save Naomi despite knowing that S.T.A.R. Labs suppressed their powers. All this time, she thought he was her enemy, but he tells her not to believe everything she thinks and shows her another memory with Akira, who accused Zumbado of turning them into Brutus, as he told Akira that Zumbado gave him the disk and turned them over. Zumbado insists that wasn't true and that he would never betray them, but Akira didn't believe him and parted ways with Zumbado. Naomi asks who did actually betray the Twenty-Nine, but that remains a mystery to Zumbado, who fled Earth-29 soon thereafter.

Dee and Annabelle arrive at Zumbado's dealership in search of clues to his whereabouts. Dee finds a detailed blueprint of S.T.A.R. Labs, and Annabelle reveals that Naomi went there to meet with Dr. Bell, who Dee reveals is not an ally and that there is dangerous research being conducted at S.T.A.R. Labs.

Zumbado tells Naomi about the service door and how they may have to fight to escape. Fortunately, their powers will work better once they're closer to the exit. Of all the earths, Naomi wonders why Zumbado chose this earth. He reveals it was strange and difficult. He discovered that on this earth, people like them, were treated differently, and not just because of their powers. He had to adapt to this new world. And while it took him a long time, he eventually understood and became a used car salesman to blend in. As tears fill her eyes, Naomi apologizes for how she treated Zumbado in the past. The alarm sounds again, and they escape the stairwell, but Zumbado stays behind to buy Naomi enough time to escape.

Zumbado has been captured and restrained to a chair in Dr. Bell's lab. She intends to repurpose his powers to open a portal to all universes. Zumbado warns her that opening a portal could let in something dangerous, but Dr. Bell is willing to take the risk. If it works, he'll be sent through a portal to another dimension. However, before she can fulfil her "destiny," Naomi intervenes, shutting down the power and attacking Dr. Bell's machine head on, this time around, over powering the machine and helping Zumbado escape. She tells Dr. Bell to come with them, as her machine starts to malfunction and the lab becomes unstable, but she remains behind and intends to repair it.

Naomi and Zumbado reach the lower level, where they are joined by Dee and take out the guards before escaping. Zumbado finds his own way back, but Dee drives Naomi and Annabelle home, during which time, Annabelle discusses possible team names, but Dee tells Annabelle not to make a habit of it. However, he does tell her that if she ever needs him, that she knows where to find him and that she's a good friend, who Naomi is lucky to have.

Naomi joins her parents inside for pizza. They ask if Annabelle found Naomi after she came by looking for her and then ask if Naomi is feeling okay. She insists that she's fine and that she just needs more pizza.

Naomi joins Zumbado at his dealership the following day and even brings him a fresh cup of coffee. She asks what happened to Dr. Bell. Zumbado doesn't know, but he hopes she didn't open the portal. Zumbado then reveals to Naomi that Brutus found out that two members of the Twenty-Nine had a child. She was the first of her kind, and that child was Naomi. Brutus thought that her power would mean the end for him. Zumbado knew her parents well, and they were the only ones who believed he was innocent. Zumbado made her parents promise: that if anything were to happen to them, he would find Naomi and keep her safe. By the time he found her on this earth, she was safe with her adopted parents, the McDuffies, who loved her as if she was their flesh and blood. He then settled in Port Oswego to keep an eye on Naomi. He's been waiting for Naomi to be ready to unlock her powers within. All this time, she thought he was a used car salesman. Zumbado reveals that he's never been a used car salesman. He's there for one reason: so that when this day came, Naomi wouldn't be alone. Now that she knows the truth, it's time to get her ready. Her powers are a magnet and Brutus will send others, like the bounty hunter, who wasn't even the first to come after Naomi. She has a greater destiny, which Zumbado intends to help see her through.

## Cast

* Cranston Johnson as Zumbado
* Alexander Wraith as Dee
* Mary-Charles Jones as Annabelle Peters
* Mouzam Makkar as Jennifer McDuffie
* Daniel Puig as Nathan (credit only)
* Camila Moreno as Lourdes (credit only)
* Will Meyers as Anthony (credit only)
* Aidan Gemme as Jacob (credit only)
* Barry Watson as Greg McDuffie
* Jennifer Christa Palmer as Dr. Bell

Co-Starring* Melody Davis as Young Naomi
* Braian Rivera as Troy
* Jono Mitchell as Xander

## Trivia

* The episode title is in relation to Zumbado, who directly quotes the phrase when speaking to Naomi about his reasoning for being on earth.

## Gallery

### Videos

Naomi - Season 1 Episode 7 - I AM Not A Used Car Salesman Promo - The CWNaomi - Season 1 Episode 7 - Annabelle Goes To A TattooShop Scene - The CWNaomi - Season 1 Episode 7 - Naomi Saves Zumbado Scene - The CW

## References

1. ↑ Naomi: Season One Ratings - TV Series Finale
2. ↑ Naomi Episode Titles - SpoilerTV
3. ↑ Naomi Listing - The Futon Critic