iZombie Round Table: An Explosive Finale!

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With a tear in our eye – and a long wait until fall – we bring you the last iZombie Round Table of the season. It's been an amazing run, chatting about our favorite zombies and hearing your thoughts! 

Now it's time to tackle iZombie Season 1 Episode 13, which was a game-changer to say the least! 

This week, TV Fanatics Stacy Glanzman, Whitney Evans, Amanda Steinmetz, Terri Clark, and Lindsay MacDonald dive into the newly cured Blaine, Liv's decision to turn Major, and where we'll pick up next season with Evan hanging between life and death. Wrapping it up, what grade would you give this season of iZombie?

Add your own answers in comments below!

This finale had about half a dozen plots going on at once. Which was your favorite/least favorite?

Stacy: The Liv/Ravi relationship is my favorite part of the show, so I loved the scene of them discussing the cure. Ravi wanted to be sensible and wait to see if the rat survived, but Liv's speech was so heartbreaking that he had to give her the vial and let her make the decision. I didn't really have a least favorite plot, but I would have liked to see Peyton in the finale.

Whitney: My favorite part of the finale (and possibly the whole first season) was Major's absolute badass take down of the zombies at Meat Cute. Let's just pretend it wasn't completely nonsensical that Major would suddenly be an expert shooter and instead just relish in Major finally getting a win! Unfortunately, that led up to my least favorite part which was Major's "death." I kept telling myself I'd be okay if Major died, but watching him bleed and slip away next to Liv was a sad, sad sight.

Amanda: Everything involving Major and Blaine was pure gold. Blaine – "You know what my mom always said?" Major – "Why'd I stop using birth control?" Major's Taxi Driver inspired massacre at Meat Cute had me cheering. The use of the song "Der Kommissar" was perfect. My least favorite plot of the episode was the lack of follow-through on Peyton finding out about Liv. Where was she? I had high hopes for Peyton's character after iZombie Season 1 Episode 12, so this was a total letdown.

Terri: I'm on board the Major train with Whitney and Amanda. I loved seeing him just go for it with no hesitation! But I also liked the moments between him and Liv. From his finding out to his getting her portion of the cure, the scenes between them were so emotionally rich. And yes, where the heck was Peyton? You can't drop that kind of bombshell and come back to it much later and expect it to have the same kind of heavy impact.

Lindsay: I was also a fan of the Blaine/Major moments. David Anders and Robert Buckley have the best comedic timing, and watching them play off each other was awesome! I also agree with Terri that Peyton's absence was a huge hole in the story. Poor planning there.

Blaine is human! What does this mean for the zombie world of Seattle?

Stacy: As soon as Ravi said there was only enough cure for one or two zombies, I suspected she would use it on Blaine. He makes a great guinea pig. Being a zombie isn't what made him evil, so I don't see this stopping him from continuing to run his business, though he'll have to find a new place or rebuild Meat Cute.

Whitney: I think he's still going to pull the strings in the Seattle zombie community and continue to be the show's big bad. I also like the idea of him being the guinea pig! Human Blaine is going to be a very intriguing character next season.

Amanda: I shouldn't have been surprised by Liv forcing the cure on Blaine, but I was. I like the bold choice, and I'm excited to see where his character goes in the future. He's still a terrible person, so I'm sure he'll continue to be Liv's adversary. Blaine likes control and power. He just might have to go about his evil ways differently now.

Terri: I think Blaine will continue to be the same baddie he's always been, and I wouldn't put it past him to make one of his lackey's try to turn him again once he's gorged a on few more burritos. Much as he might like certain pluses to being human, he's far too vulnerable in a zombie world. My concern is what kind of side effects we might see to that cure. While he and Major may be human again, I'm sure there's got to be some unforeseen byproducts that could be both good and bad.

Lindsay: Like Terri, I think there will be unforeseen side effects. Maybe it's only temporary, or maybe he'll still have partial zombie qualities? Either way, he's going to be in hot water when his clients find out he can't push them around anymore.

Did Liv make the right choice infecting, and then curing, Major?

Stacy: She was watching the man she loves die, and she only had a second to make the decision, so yes, I think she made the right choice to turn him. I can't blame her for trying to play the "now we can be together" card, but once he made it clear this wasn't what he wanted, she had no choice but to give him the cure. If she hadn't, he'd resent her forever. At least now there's room for him to forgive her. Eventually.

Whitney: While I understood why Liv did it in the heat of the moment, it was absolutely the wrong choice. Zombies have been destroying Major's life and the last thing in the entire world he would want is to become one. I'm glad she gave him the cure, and I can't be the only one hoping that the cure will mean he can't be infected again. He's understandably upset now, but I think he and Liv will find their way back to one another eventually.

Amanda: In the moment it was the right choice...for Liv. She was scared of losing a man she loves. I can't blame her for thinking this could be their chance to be together. I was proud that she gave him the cure because she did it knowing full well that it would mean she couldn't be with him romantically. I agree that Major will eventually forgive her.

Terri: I understand why she turned him, but she made the right sacrifice in the end. Not only will that save her relationship with Major, but it demonstrates the humanity she still has to him. I'm still wondering about consequences to the cure, though. I like the idea of it keeping them from being re-infected, but there's got to be a negative side, too.

Lindsay: I think I'm the only one who thinks she's insane for giving the cure to Major. Ravi needed that second dose to keep experimenting, and Liv just condemned who knows how many more people to zombie lives because Major was bummed about being turned. Not smart!

Evan is at death's door, but will Liv finally come clean about why she can't donate blood?

Stacy: My first thought when I was watching that scene was that Liv was going to say she had hepatitis or something, but the more I thought about it, the more I think she'll tell the truth. She just witnessed what keeping the secret from Major has done to their relationship, and she saw what Peyton's reaction was when she found out unexpectedly. Liv has to see now that it's better to tell those she loves herself than to let them find out in the manner Peyton and Major did.

Whitney: I don't think she's going to drop the zombie bomb on her mother just yet. She'll probably be saved by someone (Major? Peyton? Ravi?) who will swoop in at the last second with an excuse or alternative.

Amanda: I don't know what she's going to say to get out of it. My mind went to a different thought watching the scene. I wondered if seeing her brother in a such a devastating physical state would make her regret using both cures on Blaine and Major.

Terri: Man, this is a tough one. I think she may tell a sanitized version of the truth to her mom for the moment. She doesn't want to lie anymore as she's seen what that can do to her loved ones, but it's really not the time or place.

Lindsay: Like Stacy, I figure she's learned her lesson about lying, and she might come clean to her mother. But then everyone would know the zombie secret, and that's no fun, so maybe not? iZombie Season 2 will tell!

What are your overall impressions of this season? Give it a grade and tell us why!

Stacy: I loved it! I definitely give it an A. I especially loved the style of humor and the relationships between the characters. The show improved upon itself as the season went on and left itself plenty of room to continue to grow in Season 2. I would say this was my favorite new show of the season.

Whitney: I was a little leery of this show in the beginning, but once it really got going, it never slowed down. Rose McIver is an absolute rock star and great leading lady. Her relationships with all the other characters really make the show. And the job they did with Major was no easy feat. Taking him from hot, but bland love interest and transforming him into a strong, funny, well-rounded character was amazing. Plus, Ravi! I don't even have to talk about his brilliance. I would definitely give this show a solid A.

Amanda: I'll give the season an A-. I enjoyed the show far more than I thought I was going to. The dialogue has the right kick to it and some of the characters' relationships developed quite nicely, especially the friendship between Liv and Ravi. I also wasn't sure about Major's place in the show, but the writers figured out how to make him important in a way that felt authentic. However, I can't get over how Peyton's character never went anywhere this season. I don't understand her purpose if she makes sporadic appearances. Her character development has been bad. Plain and simple. I have high hopes for Season 2!

Terri: The three primaries – Rose McIver, Malcolm Goodwin and Rahul Kohli have been amazing from the get go. Ravi continues to be my favorite character and I found myself cheering Rose on the different iterations of Liv she played each week. Story-wise the show just kept getting stronger and stronger – especially with Major's involvement. The final payoff was well worth the wait. Peyton has been the continuous weak link and when they finally threw us a great curve ball with her – one that could really take her to the next level – we never saw her again. That aside, I'd definitely give iZombie an A for Season 1, and I can't wait to come back.

Lindsay: I have to go with A- because while the mythology, jokes, and characters were excellent, there were definitely cracks. Superfluous side characters, boring procedural episodes, and a few hanging plots lines kept it from being perfect. Overall, I loved the season though, and it deserves an excellent grade.

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iZombie Season 1 Episode 13 Quotes

Major: Why are you doing this?
Blaine: Daddy issues. Megalomania. Greed. Wow, that felt really good to get off my chest.

Turning you back to your old self is the primary objective, but it is vital that we're able to do the same with all the other zombies we believe are out there.

Ravi