iZombie Season 1 Episode 3 Review: The Exterminator
Lindsay MacDonald
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What's worse than a hungry zombie? A hungry zombie who has zero conscience.
This week, iZombie Season 1 Episode 3 hit a more serious note, which worked surprisingly well on the normally upbeat show.
Liv's tentative alliance with Blaine seems to be short-lived, and I can't help but think that's for the best. After seeing him butcher two drug dealers, turn an innocent socialite into a zombie, and now nab two adorable teenagers? Yeah, I'm not feeling like Blaine is a great guy.
My instincts tell me it's all in service of his greater zombie-dealer life dream, but Blaine rocks the evil vibe a little too well.
Think for a second what you would do to get into a skull if you didn't work here. How would you do it? An ice pick's no good, you have to stab it a hundred times, and a handsaw works, but it takes forever. The best thing I've found is a rock.
Blaine
Liv found herself rocking the evil vibe this week, as her weekly meal turned out to be a hitman.
This twist was a fun new way to incorporate Peyton into the mix, as she was starting to feel a little sidelined. We got another peek into how close and supportive Peyton's relationship with Liv used to be and still can be. I love some good girl bonding, so watching Liv help Peyton prepare for her trial hit the spot.
Unfortunately for Liv, Peyton's murder victim sparked a vision, leading her to tear the case apart when she realized that the real murderer was laying on a slab in her morgue. And he wasn't exactly cuddly.
Son of a bitch, I ate the brains of a sociopath
Liv
The episode used Liv's temporary sociopathy to hit a more serious note, and it paid off.
All of her relationships on the show so far have seemed just a tad hollow, but surprisingly, hollowing out Liv shone a light on how real her relationships actually are. She truly does love Major, Peyton really does know her better than anyone else, and even her burgeoning partnership with Ravi has blossomed into a strong friendship.
Ravi: I hate to pry...
Liv: Said the man who keeps asking me for my urine samples.
Now that we're three episodes in, I feel like I can make a sort of bold statement. This show doesn't need the crime solving. Sure the occasional brain that Liv eats provides for new layers to her personality and lots of shenanigans, but wouldn't she be eating them anyway?
I understand the creators not wanting to stray too far from the original comic book premise, but I'm finding it harder and harder to care about the murder of the week with so many other cool things going on. Blaine's mysterious activities, Ravi's search for the cure, and Liv's zombie adventures all seem far more interesting.
Speaking of which, the undead mythology continues to build, as we meet Marcy.
Remember Marcy? The cute resident who invited Liv to that horrific boat party in the first place? Yeah, she got zombified and not in the cute pixie cut way. I think we all hoped Ravi was right and some brains would fix her right up, but sadly, Marcy was no more. She was more like a melted monster right out of The Walking Dead.
Liv's internal battle between the brain she ate and the person she knows herself to be was hands down the best part of the hour.
Struggling with the sociopath inside was huge battle for her, made clear by her continued efforts to act normal, even though she couldn't empathize with anyone or anything. Her hesitation to save Ravi from a starving Marcy was the height of tension, until the real Liv broke through and came to the rescue, proving that it really is mind over matter. Kind of...
You saved me. All that sociopath swimming through your system, and you still found your way through. This brain... it's not who you are.
Ravi
Can I also take this opportunity to mention that Ravi looks good in casual wear? Especially when he's doling out touching life advice. Just saying.
Next week on iZombie Season 1 Episode 4, we focus on Clive's past, so be sure to catch up on any missed episodes and watch iZombie online via TV Fanatic.
