iZombie Season 4 Episode 2 Review: Blue Bloody
Jasmine Blu
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If the entire season is dedicated to exploring the intricacies and nuances of New Seattle, I, for one, cannot wait.
On iZombie Season 4 Episode 2, the case of the week initially felt standard and separate from everything else going on in New Seattle, but then it seamlessly slipped into a new unexplored aftereffect of the zombie reveal.
It also became the case that drove a wedge between Major and Liv and is the catalyst for the friction that they will undoubtedly face for the rest of the season.
Mrs. Brinks was godawful. She was the prime example of someone who felt it was OK to treat people any kind of way while she was living because she would make it worth their while with money after she was dead.
After the minute we spent with her before she was killed, a golf ball to the eye socket was a brutal justice.
Mrs. Brinks was a rude, condescending, horny old biddy who treated everyone around her like they were beneath her.
Poor Clive about lost his mind when Liv was on that old bat's brain. Clive's distaste for the upper class never ceases to amuse.
He was done the second she got in the backseat and expected him to drive her around like she was Miss Daisy.
This was without a doubt one of the most obnoxious brains that Liv has been on, and it brought up the question of why does Liv allow some brains to completely consume her compared to others?
It was something that frequently happened throughout iZombie Season 3, and it was a question raised when she cheated on Justin while on Katty brain.
There were moments where it felt like Liv wasn't accustomed to working with Clive at all. She had very little to offer towards the investigation. She wasn't Liv; she was completely Mrs. Brinks.
Don't be coy, Clive. He gave her sex. Sex for money, and you know what that makes him? A whore.
Liv
While it made for a few funny moments, that scene in the interrogation room where she unwrapped and ate a hard candy was unexpectedly hilarious, Liv's callousness via Mrs. Brinks was terrible.
Mrs. Brinks sexually harassed, abused, and exploited her married driver. Her reneging on writing a college recommendation for her gardener's daughter prevented the girl from heading east before the city was walled off, and now, she's a zombie.
Related: iZombie Round Table: Ravi's Zombie Tendencies, Yay or Nay?
But the worst of it was that she teased the idea of giving her cook money to send her sick son out of Seattle, but then she didn't. She was indifferent to the kid potentially dying.
A mother would do anything for her child, and that included murder. I loved that this case is what introduced us to the underground network of coyotes.
Thank God, Liv came down from that snob's brain in time for her conscience to get to her. Plus, Ravioli comfort scenes are my drug of choice.
The Liv and Ravi we know wouldn't hesitate to crossover into the anti-zombie unsanctioned part of town to traffic the sick kid off to his father in Seattle.
But was it a blessing or a curse that Major was the soldier in charge at the border? It benefited them because he let them through.
Alex was safely handed off to Renegade and her crew of coyotes. Right off the bat, she's an intriguing character. I can't wait for us to spend more time with her.
Unfortunately, it left things tense between Major and Liv. They may not be coming back from this for a bit.
Related: iZombie Season 4 Episode 1 Review: Are You Ready For Some Zombies?
There are a few things to examine here. Are we supposed to believe that Liv and Major started up a friend's with benefits relationship in the three months since Natalie was killed and Justin dumped Liv?
Last night, the Loni Anderson? That was a next level maneuver!
Major
Was it just a one-time thing because Liv was on dowager's brain? What about Justin in all of this? Aren't he and Major still friends?
Major and Liv have a history, but knowing how Liv cheated on Justin, it feels odd that Major would insert himself (um, pardon the pun) into the Liv messiness. Also, it would be nice if there was a dialogue on sexual consent issues while on brains.
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Major finally addressed a feeling he has been harboring for a while. He's tired of Liv thinking she has a monopoly on being the good zombie. He laid into her about being self- righteous.
Major: God, you're holier than thou! You think you're the only good zombie. The only zombie trying to make things right!
Liv: Oh, I'm sorry. Maybe it's that I remember a Major Lilywhite who would stick by a sick child.
Major: This thing we've been doing, sleeping with each other because we can -- because it's easy -- we can't do it anymore. Not when I know my life choices so offend you.
Liv: Agreed. Goodbye Major.
His statements were difficult to hear, and the natural reaction was to be defensive on Liv's behalf, but he isn't wrong.
Major effs up a great deal, and he has aligned himself with someone who is questionable, but he is doing good in ways that he can.
I'm not a fan of the militarized zombie police, and Major has done some things I don't support while working for Fillmore Graves, but their world is full of grey now, and that can't be ignored.
Liv made the right call with that kid, but she was so smug and failed to consider the consequences it could have on Major if anyone found out or told on him for letting her and Ravi through.
There's a guillotine in the middle of the city for heaven's sake! Major has enough work trying to make sure Jordan isn't the first zombie to be executed in it.
Teen zombie soldiers are going about as well as to be expected. Captain Seattle is a natural, but Jordan is behaving like a typical teen.
Related: iZombie: Why Season 4 is Poised to be the Best Yet!
She's a hothead with limited self-control. She already welcomed the advantage over humans that she has as a zombie, and now, she has an authoritative title, a gun, and a badge.
Everyone knows how deadly of a combination that can be. Hence the problem with sending poorly trained individuals with low impulse control out to "peacekeeping" when even the people they're protecting are making thoughtless comments like "just shoot them."
Hey! Touch me again, and we'll see how tough you are with a bullet in your head.
Jordan
Major has his work cut out for him keeping his kids on the straight and narrow and safe.
This is refreshing drama compared to the relationship drama. So, as painful as it is, the chasm between Liv and Major is somewhat welcome for now. The one between Dale and Clive is not.
They're so adorable together, and it took a bit for them to find their way back to one another.
Now zombiesm is tearing them apart. The Liv and Ravi partnership and the Clive and Liv partnership are awesome. You know what else is awesome? Clive and Ravi!
An area where iZombie thrives is in throwing any combination of their characters together and striking gold every time.
Fortunately, Clive and Ravi have had the chance to interact more and on deeper levels since Clive was initiated into Z-Club.
They have reached a milestone in their friendship. Clive already saw Ravi naked, and now, they were able to talk about Clive's sex life or lack thereof.
Clive: Dale and I, everything is great between us ...
Ravi: But?
Clive: But for obvious reasons, we can't be intimate with each other, and it's becoming a problem.
Ravi: Have you tried mutual masturbation? It's like taking separate cars to the same fireworks show.
It's amazing how Ravi, a medical examiner, has become a leading expert in all things zombie. He patches them up, helps them out, and plays therapist on the regular. Ravi is incredible, you guys.
Poor Clive and Dale. They can't have sex with each other, and it's driving Clive crazy.
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The man is willing to take anti-anxiety meds just because the side effects will decrease his libido. Physical intimacy is the only issue the pair is struggling with so far, but there's no solution in the foreseeable future.
The hour was strong in part because it was so tight. Blaine, Don E, Peyton, and Chase were nowhere to be found, but it allowed the other characters and stories to breathe.
Angus' development is a mixed bag. What it can lead to in the future is what makes it interesting. Other than that, the religious fanaticism is a touch too much. It's difficult to pinpoint what Angus is angling for here. His motivations are unclear.
He's taking black market brains from sleazeballs like Roach, and he's using them to curry favor with the disillusioned zombie faction. The odd thing is he seems to buy into his own hype like a true cult leader.
The Lord is calling for a new world order; a world ruled by the righteous undead.
Angus
I don't know what to make of this storyline. Do you?
But brownie points for excellent use of Hozier's "Take Me to Church" during Angus' sermon.
Are you bummed about Major and Liv falling out? What do you think of the coyote underground network? Hit the comments.
If you missed it, you can watch iZombie online here via TV Fanatic.
Jasmine Blu is a senior staff writer for TV Fanatic. She is an insomniac who spends late nights and early mornings binge-watching way too many shows and binge-drinking way too much tea. Her eclectic taste makes her an unpredictable viewer with an appreciation for complex characters, diverse representation, dynamic duos, compelling stories, and guilty pleasures. You'll definitely find her obsessively live-tweeting, waxing poetic, and chatting up fellow Fanatics and readers. Follow her on X.
