iZombie: Season 1, Episode 8: Dead Air
When I watch movies and television shows I’m always skeptical. I suppose that’s a big reason why I started doing these reviews, to point out things that I notice to the more linear viewer. That being said, this was easily the best episode of the season so far. The great part about that is the fact that it seems like it’s only going to get better. Everything that has been built up until now has been accelerated in this episode. One of the things they teach you in narrative writing is that your conflict has to be catalized and they definitely made that happen here. So much happened in this episode and there was nothing forceful or overstuffed about it!
The murder was interesting to say the least, even though it was probably the least interesting part of the episode. This was a long term planning kind of episode that more or less used the murder of the week format because it pretty much had to. I kind of saw the reveal of the murderer coming, but it was done in a pretty awesome way. The “Cheated on in Chattanooga” red herring was expertly done and the characters involved in the mystery were well written. The “Liz Lemon and Jenna Marony” line was a beautiful pop culture reference that was spot on. The fact that Liv and Ravi actually heard the murder as it happened was a very unique twist as well. Like I said though, this was the weakest part of the plot this week.
The gold that came from this week’s murder was the brain that Liv got to eat as a result. She became a relationship and sex expert that was determined to fix people with analytical advice whether they wanted it or not. It put her in some interested places with all of the people around her. She tried to break up with Lowell, she tried to solve Major’s issues, she tried to delve deeper into Clive’s personal life, but the best part came from what happened between her and Ravi.
The two of them are the best of besties in a world where everyone is keeping secrets from each other or not trusting anyone. Their relationship has been a fantastic sticking point for the show. Their constant quip trading and trust in each other is extremely endearing. This week they shook things up a bit when Liv’s new personality basically told him he wasn’t good enough to date her roommate. She didn’t know how to hold her tongue or at least sugarcoat her advice and it just made Ravi go around her to get what he wanted. This was the first time we’ve seen them at odds with each other and it was executed perfectly. This was the worst brain Liv has had so far and we’ve seen her eat a sociopathic hitman and a hacker with a god complex.
I like what’s happening with Major too. He has pulled a Grant Ward and gone from the least interesting character on the show to the most interesting. He has completely destroyed his life in his pursuit of the truth and others have done the same to his face as a result of the same. His relationship with Liv is getting more and more interesting as they both lied right to each other’s faces. She’s worried he’s going to find out the truth about her and he’s frustrated that no one is supporting him. Now that he has no job or girlfriend due to his arrest, he’ll have plenty more time to investigate.
I was feeling very hopeful for Ravi after getting confirmation of his date with Peyton. After hearing what Liv had to say about her, he sounds like something different from the guys she’s dated before so it seemed like it would definitely work. Unfortunately he got bit by the zombie rat he created. I’ve worn oyster shucking gloves before and I can say that I’m definitely surprised by the fact that he got bit. Maybe he simply didn’t account for the rat’s increased strength. It did tear through all of the cages to get the other rats’ brains after all. Maybe he should’ve gotten Liv to hold it, but he’s far too confident in himself and he was also still probably upset with her. I’ve said before that’s he’s my favorite character so I’m definitely worried and I hope he doesn’t turn or at least finds a way to stop the transformation.
This show is really bold to say it’s still in its infancy. Most shows take until around their third or fourth season to find their stride, but this one was off and running by episode two. The biggest shocker here was finding out that Lowell gets his brains from Blaine. Blaine is definitely a superb villain and since he’s preparing for both war and a takeover, it seems like Liv can’t possibly win against him. Maybe she’ll just have to come clean with Clive and Major in order to face him.
Maybe she has already lost since he has so much control over so many. I wonder if Lowell is actually spying for him, since the price of brains has been high for everyone. It would make sense considering the “she has a very special part to play” comment. Maybe Captain Suzuki will be able to help her, since he seems reluctant to continue helping Blaine. Since he knows about Liv, I could definitely see him demanding brains from her and Ravi instead of needing his current supplier. So much can happen in the next few episodes!
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.
