DISCLAIMER: This iZombie recap contains more spoilers than the number of times Clive has succumbed to Dungeons and Dragons. Our favorite policeman is secretly a nerd, and I’m all for it. You’ve been warned. Prepare for the zombie uprising, and enter at your own peril.
Welcome back, zombies of New Seattle! iZombie returned this week with a much needed revitalization. I’ve been wondering how things would pan out since we’re four episodes shy of the season finale. Liv’s “brain of the week” was still the focal point of each episode when the overall story arc should’ve taken precedence given how close we are to the end of the season. However, this episode acted as a mini “reboot” for me. Priorities were realigned, and while the “brain of the week” still played a part, it wasn’t central to the entire episode. It tied in with the more critical plot points to the overall story. Oh, and Liv on rapper brain is truly a sight to behold. Rose McIver should definitely release a rap album.
Alright, ready to delve into “Mac-Liv-Moore?” Just be sure not to shame Clive for his Dungeons and Dragons addiction. He’s a multi-faceted human being, you guys.
We open with Isobel (Izabela Vidovic) chatting away on the phone with her mother. She’s staying with Liv and Peyton for the time being. Isobel lightly ribs herself regarding her terminal illness, and I commend the young girl for keeping her spirits up in the face of death. After the call, Liv (Rose McIver) and Peyton (Aly Michalka) offer to send Isobel back to Boise so she can spend time with her mother, or bring the latter to New Seattle. However, Isobel rejects both offers, claiming she’d rather control how she leaves this life. Kudos to her for that.
Meanwhile, Blaine (David Anders) pulls Don E (Bryce Hodgson) into his office for some prime evil mastermind planning. Blaine gives Don E a new brain for the latter to feast on, one with certain capabilities crucial to their new mission. Blaine explains that the housing market has collapsed since the wall was erected. He plans to buy out the houses surrounding said wall for dirt cheap. Then, once the zombie scare tides over the housing market will skyrocket, and the houses he initially purchased for next to nothing will be worth millions. Sounds like a Grade A Blaine DeBeers plan to me.
Later, Liv and Ravi (Rahul Kohli) are hard at work at the morgue after Brother Love’s bus massacre of twenty inmates. So many severed limbs to sort through, so little time. Suddenly, Enzo Lambert (John Emmet Tracy), the snooty Frenchman working at Filmore-Graves, strolls into the morgue with Clive (Malcolm Goodwin) in tow. Enzo brings forth two new homicide victims for our crew – a human man and his zombie girlfriend. Apparently, the man was an up-and-coming rapper in the underground New Seattle rap scene who went by the name “Dirty Reign.” Time for Liv to get bit by the rapper bug! This should be interesting…
Next, Clive has Dirty Reign’s identical twin brother “Lil Driz” (Jacob Dwight Ramirez) in the interrogation room. Clive believes that Lil Driz has motive since Dirty Reign was picked to sign with a label over him. Liv waltzes into the interrogation room dressed head to toe in a pink velour track suit complete with gold hoop earrings and a slicked back ponytail. I see rapper brain has taken full effect. Lil Driz is certainly smitten with our favorite medical examiner.
Later, Liv and Ravi are spitting rhymes in the morgue when Liv has a vision of a man taunting Dirty Reign and his zombie girlfriend. Liv recognizes said man as one of the bus massacre victims. Well, it appears he escaped the carnage. Cain is his name, and his crime is brutally murdering zombies. Now, a zombie serial killer is back on the loose. Fun times!
Then, we hear a siren blare as Liv and Clive learn that the whole of New Seattle is officially on lockdown, courtesy of Filmore-Graves. Filmore-Graves is conducting a city-wide manhunt for Cain, the zombie serial killer currently running rampant. So, Filmore-Graves now has the authority to declare martial law?
Meanwhile, we discover that Don E is on computer genius brain, which is just what Dr. Blaine ordered. Blaine gifts Don E with a swanky new laptop, but the latter must first use it for a major assignment. Our duo is going to sell 10 of the 16 zombie cures Blaine nicked from Ravi to the highest bidders. Don E’s job is to make sure their work is undetectable by law enforcement, and nothing can get traced back to them. Now, how will people know these cures actually work? Blaine plans to snag a famous zombie and have them take the cure. Then, once they’re human, he’ll off them in a way that only humans can be killed. Sounds like a solid, diabolical plan. Oh, and an easy method of getting filthy stinkin’ rich so you can buy a bunch of houses for dirt cheap.
Next, Peyton brings Isobel to the morgue to join our crew in the indefinite lockdown. Hey, at least said lockdown can be somewhat educational. Look at all the dead bodies, young one! Peyton texts Ravi to notify him of her arrival.
Later, Chase Graves (Jason Dohring) pulls Major (Robert Buckley) aside prior to the latter’s manhunt mission. Major informs Chase of his interaction with Brother Love and the zombie church. He believes Angus could be responsible for the bus massacre. Chase is irate and wonders why he wasn’t briefed on this sooner. Then, our pair theorizes that perhaps someone has been withholding all briefings from Chase. File tampering! You know s**t is about to go down when someone illegally tampers with government documents. Chase reveals that Major is the only soldier he can trust now.
Meanwhile, Ravi phones Major and asks his roommate to deliver a suitcase from their house. Major reluctantly obliges, citing that his watch will take him past their home. What a good roommate! After Ravi hangs up, we see the good doctor, Clive, Vampire Steve (Kett Turton) and a newbie embroiled in a heated game of Dungeons and Dragons. When on lockdown…
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Later, Major arrives at the morgue with Ravi’s beloved suitcase. Captain Seattle (Jake Manley) and Jordan (Jade Payton) are arguing over their little tryst at The Scratching Post. Cap wants to take their relationship to the next level, while Jordan hopes to keep things casual. Major, fed up with their bickering, banishes them to the precinct lobby for the time being. Liv proceeds to air out her own “beef” with Major. The two former lovebirds argue about Mama Leone’s unfortunate execution, and Major firmly believes that, while it was tragic, Renegade broke the law. Peyton swoops in to diffuse the tension, citing that Liv and Major love each other. Aw, I miss my Livajor. I still believe these two are endgame.
Meanwhile, Don E is riffling through Peyton’s emails in the hopes of cornering Mayor Baracus. They stumble on her emails to Ravi, and Blaine appears as if he’s vomiting in his mouth. Jealousy is not a good look on you, DeBeers. One of the employees has found an unconscious Filmore-Graves soldier, and Blaine orders he dump said soldier outside and contact the company.
Next, Major drops off the coveted suitcase. He threatens to inform Peyton of his D&D adventures. Said suitcase contains Ravi’s most cherished playing piece. How very Ravi of him to have a suitcase contain one minuscule playing piece. Then, Michelle (Christie Laing) joins in on the fun, claiming to be an avid D&D fan. Clive is thoroughly impressed, and I suspect these two will engage in the horizontal tango in the near future. When on lockdown…
Later, Ravi barges into the morgue in search of Peyton. Instead, he finds Isobel camping out in one of the drawers meant for the dead. You know, the giant file cabinet-esque drawers. Isobel keeps up the ruse that she’s Peyton and Liv’s neighbor, and that she merely wanted to hide in the drawer for entertainment purposes. I like this kid. Isobel and Ravi become fast friends.
Meanwhile, the game heats up significantly for our D&D lovers. Michelle wins with one sweeping move. You go, girl! She also wins by stealing a sizzling smooch from Clive. Yes, this is what the people need! You deserve this, Clive.
Next, Major and his squad arrive at The Scratching Post to pick up the booze-addled soldier. Once back at Filmore-Graves, Major Jones wakes from his alcoholic slumber and informs the gang that he wasn’t drunk. Jordan notices that the soldier’s head is decorated with a bloody gash. Someone knocked him out! The question is – who? On top of that, Major Jones’ ID was also swiped. Major Jones has Level 5 security clearance, meaning whoever has the soldier’s ID has access to every aspect of the Filmore-Graves facility. Major orders his crew lock down the building and notify Chase. Unfortunately, Chase is currently being held at gunpoint by Cain (James Jordan), and it’s pretty evident that he’s the one who knocked out Jones. Plot twist!
Now, Cain shoots Chase in both of his kneecaps and honestly, the act vicariously hurt my kneecaps. I could feel Chase’s pain through my phone screen. Cain insists that Filmore-Graves are the real murderers, and he was just doing his due diligence by wiping out all those zombies. Thankfully, Major saves the day by shooting Cain.
Meanwhile, Ravi discovers that Isobel is terminally ill and urges Liv to scratch her. Liv reveals that she already tried that, and the scratch didn’t take. Our duo surmises that perhaps Isobel’s immunity developed from all the testing she had to endure. Regardless, Ravi wants to get to the bottom of this anomaly.
Next, we see Blaine and Don E have Mayor Baracus (Kurt Evans) in their possession. They urge him to take the cure under the guise that it’s a powerful drug meant to enhance all the fun. Baracus eagerly consumes it. Of course, Blaine is filming their interaction with Baracus, and the latter is surprised to discover that he’s now human. Unfortunately, Blaine quickly shoots Baracus in the chest, effectively killing the Mayor of New Seattle. His evil scheme worked.
Later, Peyton returns from a snack run to find a somber crew in the morgue. Well, it is a morgue, after all. Dead bodies should make people sad. Anyway, Isobel urges Ravi to conduct tests on her to discover why she has an immunity to the zombie-morphing scratch. Liv insists that they’re sending Isobel back to Boise, but the latter refuses to leave. This is where she’ll spend the rest of her days, giving her existence meaning by enduring these tests. Then, Peyton reveals that Liv is the new Renegade, overseeing all the inner workings of the Underground Railroad. Ravi is shocked, but eventually comes to grips with the alarming news. He’ll submit Isobel to a series of tests. Let the science begin!
Meanwhile, Cain is hanging on by a thread, bleeding out on Chase’s office floor. Chase orders Major to scratch Cain, so the latter can have his worst nightmare come true – transforming into a zombie. Chase plans on publicly executing Cain to make an example of him. Don’t mess with Filmore-Graves, you guys.
Next, Peyton meets Bozzio (Jessica Harmon) and Enzo at a park bench where a very much dead Baracus resides. Bozzio refers to Peyton as “acting Mayor,” and shows her the video of Baracus turning human and being slaughtered thereafter. Uh oh. This won’t end well…
Then, Blaine and Don E notice the amount of bidders for their coveted cure after the video of Baracus is posted. Apparently, millionaires don’t like being zombies. They celebrate by burning the evidence of Baracus ever being there.
iZombie upped the ante this week with a solid episode. Definitely a much needed return to form. The stakes are higher than ever, especially since the world is aware that a cure to zombieism exists. Not to mention, Ravi is now aware of Liv’s moonlighting. Isobel will endure a series of tests to discover why she’s immune to the zombie scratch. Blaine is back to being evil, which is always a welcome sight. Never deprive me of conniving Blaine again, iZombie Powers That Be. Anders always injects a delightful cheekiness into Blaine, so you can’t help but love his perpetual villainous self. Oh, and Peyton being acting Mayor? I can get behind that.
Do you think Liv and co. will eventually discover that Blaine was behind the Baracus slaughtering? How will Filmore-Graves handle the news that a cure to zombieism exists? Will Cain’s inevitable execution continue to stir the boiling pot of unrest amid residents of New Seattle? Join me next week as I continue to recap iZombie, here on Geek Girl Authority.
iZombie airs Mondays at 9pm on your CW affiliate.
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What I do: I'm GGA's Managing Editor, a Senior Contributor, and Press Coordinator. I manage, contribute, and coordinate. Sometimes all at once. Joking aside, I oversee day-to-day operations for GGA, write, edit, and assess interview opportunities/press events.
Who I am: Before moving to Los Angeles after studying theater in college, I was born and raised in Amish country, Ohio. No, I am not Amish, even if I sometimes sport a modest bonnet.
Bylines in: Tell-Tale TV, Culturess, Sideshow Collectibles, and inkMend on Medium.
Critic: Rotten Tomatoes, CherryPicks, and the Hollywood Creative Alliance.
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