iZombie: Season 1, Episode 13: Blaine’s World
This was a great finally to an excellent first season. Everything blew up in a major way (get it? Because Major threw a grenade at someone… no?… Okay moving on!). Everyone got shining moments here as Liv and Clive took on the executive a**holes that run Max Rager. Vaughn didn’t seem to care what they knew and happily presented his proposal for evolved humans (zombies) to his new scientist. Even though he is behind it all, he has managed to keep his hands clean and was able to buy the leader of the A**hats off. He got a teenage boy to murder his closest friends with $300k.
The chase was very impressive, especially after the reveal that Cameron kidnapped himself. Luckily, Clive was too smart to fall for it and inadvertently saved the stupid boy’s life. Vaughn didn’t care about $300k and was more than willing to write it off, along with the life of his last loose end. They shook but failed to topple the energy drink empire with evidence from the dead reporter Liv ate a few weeks ago. Unfortunately Max Rager still plans on releasing their next product, “Super Max,” which I’m sure will up the stakes for season two.
Major versus Blaine and his people was also awesome. Major preferred death to giving Liv up and managed to escape and slaughter all of Blaine’s henchmen. Unfortunately, the zombie mastermind himself was too quick and clever to be caught unawares and sentenced Major to a slow death. Everything that happened from this point forward was just an insane and emotional thrill ride. Liv actually cured Blaine with one of the two doses genius Ravi created. He began to bleed to death and explained his intentions to control the zombie apocalypse. They sounded like noble intentions, but considering how sinister his every move has been, I’m sure he was less than sincere. He did seem to appreciate the cure though, especially when he was eating real food again.
To save the life of the man she loved, Liv turned Major into a zombie and then cured him with the last dose when he expressed his disdain for the undead and her. I can only imagine where that is going to lead their friendship in the future. Not only that, but even with Suzuki’s suicidal coverup, Clive still wants to do a gunpowder analysis on Major’s hands. I can’t imagine that going too well. Major is going to have to answer some serious questions and possibly suffer for the justice he brought to a group of murderous monsters. Even worse, he might snitch on Liv to prove his story since he’s mad at her for lying to him for so long.
Ravi is probably also going to be pretty p*ssed when he finds out his miracle cure and possible world saving experiment was pretty much thrown away by Liv. Maybe Major and Blaine have blood samples that will lead him to the cure a second time, but I doubt it. He has always been on screen with a smile, but given this and the fact that Peyton is still missing, he has definitely had his share of suffering. I bet now he wishes he had never shown her where the cure is now that she has recklessly endangered the lives of everyone on the planet by immediately using it all. I’m sure Major would’ve understood if she simply told him there was a cure and she and Ravi would fix him in a matter of months. How is that going to go over with her most trusted friend and ally?
One of the beautiful things about a well written show, is flawless setups. Once the episode started getting to the end I wondered what happened to Liv’s brother Evan. I thought he would play a bigger role in the conflict, but just as things seemed to be cooling down, his part became much bigger. He is in the hospital and only Liv’s blood can save him. It was both devastating and understandable that after what she had been through this season she refused. She would rather her brother die than become what she is against his will.
I was worried about where this show could possibly go next season, but there are a ton of cliffhangers here! Where’s Peyton? What happens now that the cure is gone and there are no more ingredients to make more? Does Blaine still have contacts that can keep him in power or turn him back now? What’s Vaughn’s next move now that Clive and Liv have crossed him? What’s going to happen with Liv’s family since she seems to be inexplicably willing to let her younger brother die? It seems as though she has thoroughly alienated herself from literally everyone that cares about her with the possible exception of Clive. I have a feeling that she will be spending a huge part of season two trying to rebuild the relationships she’s destroyed. I’m looking forward to seeing her solutions next year.
Jonathan Thomas Jones is a speculative fiction author and founder of geekhavenreviews.com. He has been passionate about all things geek for his entire life. See more about him at jonathanthomasjones.com and follow him on twitter @jtgloryjones.
