DISCLAIMER: This iZombie recap contains more spoilers than the number of times Ravi has wept during an episode of zombie rom-com Zombie High. Hey, high school zombies lead very tragic lives. You’ve been warned. Prepare for the zombie apocalypse, and enter at your own peril.
Welcome to the party, pals (See what I did there?)! iZombie is rounding the corner toward season finale territory. Pieces of the undead puzzle are finally starting to fall into place. The stakes are higher than ever before, especially with Major now being privy to Liv’s Renegade secret. Major is also Chase Graves’ new favorite pet, so this certainly presented a mammoth moral quandary for our Lillywhite. Meanwhile, Blaine attended Brother Love’s church service and was taken aback by a surprise guest appearance. Isobel checked some things off her adolescent bucket list, and Ravi tried parenting on for size. As I suspected, Ravi is going to make an excellent dad.
Alright, ready to delve into “Yipee Ki Brain, Motherscratcher!”? Just be sure to put a kettle on for Ravi. With Isobel gallivanting about town, the good doctor’s nerves are certainly fraying at the edges.
We open with Major (Robert Buckley) getting ogled in the locker room by his fellow Filmore-Graves soldiers. If you recall, Major saved Chase’s life in the previous episode when the zombie serial killer broke into the latter’s office. Now, Major has been promoted to Senior Teacher’s Pet. Even Russ (Giacomo Baessato) joins in with some light ribbing. Chase (Jason Dohring) partakes in a little harmless teasing of his own, at Major’s expense. All fun and games, fellas.
Next, Major pulls Russ aside and badgers the latter about letting him see the inner workings of the brain tube business. If Russ agrees to this, Major will be one step closer to exposing him as the traitor. Chase will have a field day should this occur. Maybe Major will replace Chase as the next Filmore-Graves CEO!
Meanwhile, Isobel (Izabela Vidovic) is on the phone with her mother. Isobel informs her of her decision to live out the rest of her days in New Seattle, submitting to frequent testing in the hope of curing zombieism. Her mother even speaks with Ravi (Rahul Kohli), urging our favorite doctor to take excellent care of her daughter. The parenting baton has been passed, as it were. Prepare for Geek Dad Ravi, folks. Isobel then asks Liv (Rose McIver) and Ravi about their favorite series Zombie High. Boy, is she in for a treat. Let the supernatural binging commence!
Then, Blaine (David Anders) and Don E (Bryce Hodgson) are being questioned by Bozzio (Jessica Harmon) regarding Mayor Baracus’ murder. Bozzio knows that Baracus was last seen alive (well, undead) at The Scratching Post. Of course, Blaine smoothly denies having noticed Baracus that night. Bozzio consumed Baracus’ brain earlier and is rocked with a vision of a masked figure brandishing a gun with a silencer. Blaine jests about not showcasing his own extensive mask collection, and Bozzio vows to take him down one way or another.
Later Liv, Levon (Daniel Bonjour) and the Underground Railroad bust out the champagne to celebrate new member Curtis’ (Samuel Patrick Chu) impending nuptials. Followed by…
Montage time! We see Liv in full Renegade mode – handing out papers to newly turned zombies, scratching terminally ill humans, etc. Even Isobel participates in the illegal fun by crafting new IDs courtesy of the ID card maker Liv snatched from the Zombie Resource Center. All in the name of justice, y’all.
Meanwhile, Detective Benedetto (Enrico Colantoni) resurfaces after being away for some time. The foul mouthed detective makes his way toward a confessional in a Catholic church. Benedetto begins listing his various sins as if he’s reading a grocery list, nonchalance permeating his words. Suddenly, the detective is shot by whomever was sitting opposite him in the confessional. Certainly not a priest, that one.
Later, Clive (Malcolm Goodwin) joins Liv and Ravi in the morgue as they loom over Benedetto’s lifeless body. Clive explains that a handful of criminals Benedetto had been tracking have been released from prison. They’re involved with an infamous drug gang known as the Blue Cobras. With said criminals ravaging the streets, any one of them could have slaughtered Benedetto in a fit of vengeance. Then, Liv and Ravi exchange Die Hard references, as one normally does while standing over a dead body. God, I love these two goofs. Liv promptly takes a bite out of Benedetto’s brain, citing that she didn’t feel up to cooking. I understand that statement on a spiritual level.
Next, Bozzio grills Vampire Steve (Kett Turton) on the progress of his mission to uncover the elusive seller of the zombie cures. Vampire Steve claims said mission “is at an impasse,” and that whoever is responsible is a genius beyond compare. Of course, we seamlessly segue way into Don E performing a silly trick with his shirt, and once again I thank the iZombie Powers That Be for their impeccable comedic timing.
Meanwhile, Blaine is having his weekly father/son lunch with Angus (Robert Knepper). Brother Love is continuing to be his eerie, overtly cult-like religious self while Blaine sits there in disbelief. Angus even mentions that God has a magnificent plan for our dear Blaine. He informs Blaine that he hears God speak through him. That’s not creepy at all.
Then, Clive and Liv are on the hunt for Blue Cobra member Fleabag (Carlo Yu), one of the suspects in Benedetto’s murder. Liv is already hopped up on Benedetto’s brain and is in full macho man mode, Brooklyn accent and all. She even blatantly asks Clive if he and Michelle are “knocking boots” yet. How very 1930s tough as brass detective. Liv decides to exit Clive’s car to ask around the area, and Clive becomes instantly engrossed in a dog video that Michelle sent him. I just want to listen to a clip of Clive raucously laughing on repeat – every day, for all eternity. Clive is startled when a body flies across his windshield, and Liv pursues said body to beat the living snot out of him. It’s poor Fleabag, involuntarily succumbing to Benedetto brain.
Later, Bozzio suspends Liv for her actions, and the latter responds to said suspension by ripping up her papers and storming out. Benedetto would have been proud.
Then, we see Liv, Levon, Isobel and Ravi binge watching Zombie High. While playing a game of “Kill/Eat/Marry,” Isobel reveals her crush on Parker. Liv promises to regale Isobel with tales of when she worked a case on the set of Zombie High. So close to the stars! Liv and Levon leave the party to engage in the horizontal tango. Glad to see those two crazy kids are finally together. Isobel admits to Ravi her fears of never getting to fall in love or have sex. Ravi, in typical dad fashion, scoffs at the very idea of intercourse and assures her it’s overrated anyway. Now, back to more TV!
Later, Clive animatedly regales Liv with the story of him capturing AJ (Tim Chiou), one of the aforementioned criminals that Benedetto put away. Oh, and if you recall, Liv also demonstrated her killer karate moves on AJ in Season 1 after consuming the brain of someone who knows karate. Liv seems unimpressed with Clive’s tale, but don’t you worry, Babineaux. Your tales will never bore me.
Next, Clive and Liv pay AJ a visit in the interrogation room. AJ insists that he’s reformed, and that he had nothing to do with Benedetto’s murder. Liv is rocked with a vision of Benedetto super gluing AJ’s bum to a toilet seat, and on the day of the detective’s murder AJ spent a considerable amount of time at the hospital. Clive calls said hospital in question and forlornly informs Liv that AJ’s alibi checks out. However, not all is lost. AJ informs the duo of the head honcho of the Blue Cobras’ next drug grab. Success! Here’s to another lead worth that hopefully closes the case.
Then, Liv informs Ravi that Isobel is on a date with Parker, thanks to her connections with the Zombie High star. Ravi is horrified at the idea of the inexperienced Isobel being on a date with a Hollywood star, but thankfully Liv calls him out on his prudishness. It’s on her bucket list, Ravi!
Meanwhile, Blaine and Don E decide to attend one of Brother Love’s church services. Angus, of course, draws attention to his son’s presence. Suddenly, Angus wheels out Frau Bader (Gina Stockdale), Blaine’s former nanny that served the McDonough household for three decades. If you recall, Frau Bader was not kind to Blaine. Angus publicly apologizes for being an absentee father and silently complying with Bader’s inhumane treatment of young Blaine. As punishment for Bader’s crimes, Angus offers up the elderly woman as nourishment for a congregation chock full of hungry zombies. Blaine watches in horror as the crowd closes in on Frau Bader, and her screams reverberate in the sanctuary. Anders does an excellent job of conveying Blaine’s inner conflict while still outwardly showing how horrified he is at the scene before him. Even Blaine has limits, y’all.
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Later, Ravi is waiting up for Isobel, who’s now out and about thirty minutes after New Seattle’s residential curfew. He finds Isobel snogging that cute Zombie High actor Liv set her up with. Not to fear though, for Father Ravi is here! He is the Buster of Teens! He chastises Isobel for her tardiness and shoos the actor away.
Next, Chase pays Curtis a visit the following day. He’s aware that a new Renegade has taken up Mama Leone’s mantle, and he orders Curtis to give him a name. Curtis is actually human, and he pleads with Chase to scratch him. However, Chase holds out, citing that first Curtis must give up the name of the new Renegade. Otherwise, he’ll shoot Curtis and consume the latter’s brain for the information he needs. Curtis reveals that Brother Love promised to turn him should he smuggle ten humans into New Seattle. Now, this piques Chase’s interest. Curtis delves into Brother Love’s philosophy of zombies taking precedence over humans. Chase orders his lackeys to investigate the church, although he believes Curtis is lying to him.
Then, Ravi and Liv inspect the results of their incessant testing on Isobel. Unfortunately, they can’t seem to find any anomalies, or why Isobel’s body is rejecting zombieism. Levon arrives at the morgue, informing Liv that Curtis has been imprisoned by Filmore-Graves. Ravi reveals that Major was on his phone just prior to the seizing. Liv and Levon immediately leave to go save their new friend. Clive hurriedly enters and excitedly tells the tale of capturing Benedetto’s killer to Ravi. I’m digging these action-packed monologues we’re getting from Goodwin. He’s always been one of my favorite actors on the show, and seeing him put his acting chops on display is a pure delight.
Later, we see Brother Love engaged in yet another lively sermon. Blaine suddenly appears sitting at an organ, singing “Amazing Grace” as his father looks on in adoration. No, don’t tell me that Blaine is falling for this chicanery (I just really wanted an excuse to use that word)!
Next, Liv and Levon stake out Curtis’ home, where he’s being held prisoner. They notice a slew of Filmore-Graves soldiers are situated around the premises. Levon sets off a car alarm to distract them, and also slaps Liv hard enough to enact her “rage mode.” Now full raging zombie, she races down the street and up the side of the house to where Curtis is trapped. She attempts to pry the metal bars apart, but to no avail. Curtis reaches his arm outward and beseeches her to scratch him. Liv does as she’s bid. This way, should Chase kill Curtis, he can’t eat the latter’s brain for information. Good thinking! Liv escapes before she’s caught.
Later, Major informs Chase that someone broke in and scratched Curtis. Chase, of course, is furious that his soldiers were distracted enough to abandon the prisoner. Chase orders his squad unlock their phones so he can see if someone intercepted their signals. Major reaches into his pocket and procures a circular tracking device. Uh oh. Someone has been tracking Lillywhite…
Then, Russ shows up at his brain tube distributor. We see that AJ is his cohort in all this, and now I regret ever believing that the Blue Cobra was reformed. Russ dumps a plethora of cash wads in exchange for AJ’s illegally snagged brain tubes.
Meanwhile, Major confronts Liv regarding the tracker snafu. During their argument, he realizes that Liv is the new Renegade. Major believes Liv will not only get herself killed, but he’ll be collateral damage as well. Levon steps in to defend Liv when the arguing crescendos, and Major pins him to the wall. Liv orders him to leave her home.
iZombie amped up the stakes this week after a slew of lukewarm episodes. With only three episodes left, everything is weaving together. My only complaint about this season is the lack of connectivity, and how it took ten episodes for these multiple story arcs to converge. That being said, the jokes are still above par, and I’m enjoying the increased screen presence of Clive this season. As I’ve mentioned before, Goodwin is a terrific performer and should be used as often as possible, especially for his comedic chops.
Do you think Major will rat out Liv to Chase, or will he keep her secret? Has Blaine fallen for his father’s detrimental teachings? Will Chase publicly execute Curtis like he did Mama Leone? 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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