iZombie Season 4 Episode 6 Review: My Really Fair Lady
Jasmine Blu
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Liv Moore has taken on a new cause.
The death of Mama Leone was felt on iZombie Season 4 Episode 6. The entire underground network came to a halt in her absence, and many of her contacts and assets jumped ship.
It's OK though because Liv is here to save the day!
If that read as a bit sarcastic, it's because I was being a sarcastic little sh!t.
From the standpoint of the series, yeah, our heroine would be selected as the one to run Mama Leone's operation and lead the charge. A mere few days since that shocking execution, Liv would want to step up. It's the expected direction this series would go in.
From the perspective of her new colleagues, it's ludicrous. Liv did one job smuggling that little kid. She knew Mama Leone all of 10 minutes.
Related: iZombie Season 4 Episode 5 Review: Goon Struck
Levon, Stan, Baron and the female zombie have been part of this operation for months. They know the ins and outs of everything, so what does it look like having some woman they barely know come wringing her hands in guilt talking about what Mama Leone would have wanted or done?
Liv: I am willing to take Mama's place. I am willing to do the scratching.
Zombie Coyote: Take mama's place?
What does Liv look like having the audacity and unabashed gall to fix her lips to say she could somehow replace Mama Leone?
Record scratch.
Liv, love ... Liv, no!
Liv was straight up coming from that self-righteous privileged savior place she comes from; I sat there, eyes squinted, head cocked to the side, scoffing and muttering a "biotch, please."
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Levon was there to play peacemaker and transition Liv into her not at all earned place as leader of the operation like some sort of hunky Canadian spirit guide, but the other zombies weren't having it. Team them!
I'm sending a shoutout to Francis Capra who guest-starred as Baron. Most fans were probably thrilled by the brief appearance of Rachel Bloom from Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.
Personally, I squealed with delight when the Veronica Mars alum appeared onscreen. Weevil was one of my favorite characters from the series!
It's great that Liv was able to prove herself, but it sucks that a group of experienced coyotes who have been at this for months under the constant tutelage of Mama Leone couldn't formulate a plan on their own.
It was like they had to be dumbed down or restrained to prop up Liv up, and that was irritating.
It makes sense that they would struggle in the aftermath of Renegade's execution and that many of the others would scatter. Chase's message was received, and Renegade's execution made the consequences of their actions real.
What we do right now determines whether or not she died in vain.
Liv
That doesn't change the fact that Levon should be running the operation. As the others pointed out to a short-sighted and frustratingly obtuse Liv, it's not about who does the scratching. It's so much more than that.
What would have been refreshing and realistic is if Liv had to prove herself to join the operation and someone more knowledgeable was at the helm. If it was good enough for Major, why isn't it good enough for her?
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The idea that Mama Leone would gift Liv her entire operation is cringeworthy. No wonder they inserted those flashbacks to add some layers to the Renegade/Liv relationship. Those were great when it was just about them bonding, but it's not enough for this development.
Don't even get me going on the constant references to this zombie version of the Underground Railroad and the fact that Mama Leone/ Renegade was like a modern-day zombie Harriet Tubman/Moses right down to the headwrap.
Liv had a great day. She came up with a plan that was very showy, guaranteed that they wouldn't be able to operate from that location again, and forced everyone to improvise because it got dicey more than once.
The operation was funny, Rose McIver busting out the natural Kiwi accent and seducing the geeky guard was aces, but Liv pulled that operation off by the skin of her teeth.
Related: iZombie: Why Season 4 is Poised to Be the Best Yet!
Let's refrain from dubbing her the new Renegade. No, really, she was referred to as Renegade. Couldn't they have called her something else?
Getting an up close and personal look at the underground situation and watching Liv, Levon and the others try to keep it going will be entertaining beyond measure. In fact, it was well worth the break from the case of the week just to get a peek into this world.
I wanted to help the living. I wanted in. Well, I'm in now.
Liv Voiceover
They may want to dial it back on Liv coming across like some sort of zombie Mother Teresa, though.
I have to wonder how long it will be before Levon's footage of their activities get into the wrong hands. As Levon pointed out, Liv is now on tape committing a capital offense. She'll be exposed eventually, right?
I can appreciate that Liv has gone into this accepting the risks, but it loses that intensity when we know she can be spared. Chase would grapple with punishing her, but he would still do it. Major, on the other hand, would finally be forced into action if Liv is at risk. No way he would stand idly by and watch her get executed.
Speaking of Major, I'm disappointed in how they glossed over his part in the execution. Does no one else run hot in their world? I'm still seething.
Ravi was cracking jokes at the breakfast table like it was any other day. Peyton was aloof as usual, and Liv barely giving him the silent treatment was mitigated by the theater geek brain. Maybe we're supposed to appreciate the passive-aggressive approach she took by stealing his extra uniform. In that case, ugh.
While Mr. Major disappointment deserves to be on the sh!t list right now, Liv jeopardizing his position at Fillmore Graves and potentially getting him into an unknown trouble that could jeopardize his safety is childish and redundant.
Major did give us one of the best quotes of the hour, though. Don't you love it when they give us the Rajor feels with some sexual innuendo thrown it?
Major: I've got work and Ravi can't be alone.
Peyton: He can't?
Major: He already got in the medicine cabinet. I had to pry a bottle of cough syrup from him. He bit me. I think he stole my other work uniform, and he won't tell me where he put it. He offered to pleasure me for my car keys. Yeah, I think he was kidding, but I'm only 60% sure.
Peyton: I'm lost, what's wrong with Ravi?
Major: He ate some junkie brain. I thought he did it for you?
Major may have blown (pun intended) a perfect opportunity to get to know his roommate on a deeper level (it's like they write themselves), but he didn't blow the execution of that joke.
That was the funniest part of Ravi being on junkie's brain along with Major knowing it was Ravi's time of the month based on his behavior. Outside of that, it was dumb.
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Couldn't Peyton investigate the whereabouts of that dog the normal way? Clive was itching for something to do. He could have found the dog himself.
Ravi willingly using his monthly zombie cravings to consume junkie's brain reeked of desperation.
It looks like Peyton and Ravi are back on, and I couldn't have channeled Blaine more when he rolled his eyes at the lovebirds. Are there still Pavi shippers out there? If so, are you happy or convinced that this time it'll work?
Anyway, their presence in Blaine's office was a disaster.
Junkie Ravi was cognizant enough to keep the origins of his addiction a secret, but Peyton came running in with a tube of brain mash, and now Blaine has more information to use at his disposal. He probably didn't know anything about Ravi's successful zombie vaccination and on again off again zombie state, but he does now.
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Why would Blaine stop with the zombie cure? Why not suss out information on the zombie vaccination too? If he puts everything together and uses it to his advantage, he'll be more powerful than Fillmore Graves.
I suppose it's nice to see that cunning bastard hasn't completely lost his touch. It's insane that he never noticed Angus was out of that damn well. Blaine knew the zombie churchies were a thing, but he didn't look further into it enough to know Angus was running it?
How about the fact that he didn't notice that Dino has been MIA forever? Really, Blaine?
If Liv was channeling Mother Teresa, Angus was straight up going for the Messiah with the Last Supper display he and his flock had going on at Blaine's restaurant.
Angus is deplorable, but it's about time someone forces Blaine's hand with the luxury brains exclusively for high paying clients. The guy tossed out perfectly good brain scraps in the bin when the majority of New Seattle's zombie population is starving.
That is so low.
Angus: Son, I forgive you
Blaine: You forgive me? You forgive me? I will kill you! I will kill you, and I'd make it hurt. You keep smiling! You keep smiling you child abusing son of a bitch!
No one rattles Blaine the way that Angus does. Blaine's anger and hatred fueled by years of child abuse were palpable in that scene, as was the way he submitted to his father in the end.
Blaine is properly motivated to rid himself of Angus by any means necessary. The zombie cure and vaccination has to play a role in that because a standing luncheon for a zombie cult is not going to work for him.
Other Brain Bits
- I'm with Nellie, a zombie version of Rent sounds hella awesome, and that dude from NYC was a total killjoy.
- Clive is so sweet, and it was heartbreaking when he and Michelle connected, but it fell through when he told her the truth. Michelle is awesome, and it's commendable that she didn't judge his situation but still told him it isn't for her.
- Dale sees the flaws in their open relationship agreement. Not only does Clive not want it, but he can't pull it off as easily as her, so he ends up hurting more in the end.
- The sexual harassment seminar was a hoot. Johnny Frost didn't know what to do with Liv. It serves him right.
- Will Francis Capra guest star again? No way he and Jason Dohring are on the show during the same season and don't have at least one kick-ass scene together.
Over to you iZombie Fanatics, did you enjoy the episode? Sound off below! Don't forget, 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.
