DISCLAIMER: This iZombie recap contains more spoilers than the number of times Clive has gleefully brought in a murder case for Liv to solve. Hey, Liv is his “ace in the hole” in that regard. You’ve been warned. Prepare for the zombie uprising, and enter at your own peril.
Welcome back, zombies of New Seattle! iZombie doled out its best episode of the season this week. Definitely “penultimate” worthy. Everything is finally falling into place. It’s highly plausible that all loose ends will be tied by next week’s season finale. Firstly, Major kidnapped Liv in the hopes that she won’t turn herself in to Chase. So, there’s that. Secondly, Clive proposed to Bozzio, and suddenly I can’t stop hearing wedding bells. Thirdly, Levon took Liv’s place as “Renegade,” turning himself in to Chase. While Curtis was inevitably released, now Levon’s head is on the literal chopping block. Finally, the episode ended with Liv barging in to Chase’s office to confess to her crimes, but now both her and Levon are scheduled for a very public execution. Uh oh. Here’s hoping our crew will save them in time!
Alright, ready to delve into “You’ve Got to Hide Your Liv Away?” Just be sure to provide Liv with her favorite hot sauce. It’s never apropos to come between a zombie and her favorite hot sauce.
We open with Liv (Rose McIver) and Ravi (Rahul Kohli) in the morgue, working up the courage to perform the inevitable autopsy on Isobel. However, Liv stops Ravi, and both collectively decide that they’re not ready yet. Levon (Daniel Bonjour) barges in with news of Curtis. Apparently, Chase plans to publicly execute the newly turned zombie unless Renegade steps forward. Ravi and Levon both make Liv swear that she won’t turn herself in. Methinks she won’t keep that promise, though.
Meanwhile, Hobbs (Adam Greydon Reid) pops to pay Major (Robert Buckley). Major’s Filmore-Graves buddy has a proposition for him – overthrow Chase. After the debacle at The Scratching Post, Chase needs to be eradicated. He’s obviously unstable, and very much a threat to zombies and humans alike. Hobbs believes Major is the perfect candidate for taking Chase’s place as head of, well…everything. Someone’s rising quickly through the ranks! He leaves, giving Major a heaping helping of food for thought. We also see that Jordan (Jade Payton) is recovering from her wounds in Major’s room. Aw, what a nice commanding officer.
Later, Hobbs approaches Chase (Jason Dohring) with audio evidence of Major’s plans to overthrow the latter. No! Hobbs, you deceitful walking corpse. Chase takes the bait, and we see the wheels turning in his head, conjuring ways to get rid of his favorite soldier.
Next, Liv and Levon partake in the horizontal tango. It’s nice to see romance and genuine happiness are still allowed in the new world order. Afterwards, Liv sneaks away like a thief in the night. Major is waiting outside her door. He’s heard the news of Chase’s ultimatum – Renegade outs his or herself, or Curtis bites it. He knows that Liv is sneaking away to turn herself in. Of course, Major being Major, he won’t allow his former lover/fiancee to sacrifice herself. He surreptitiously injects Liv with a mysterious substance that knocks her unconscious. Major hauls the limp Liv over his shoulder and carries her away. That’s considered kidnapping, Major.
Later, Levon calls Ravi and asks if the latter knows where Liv is. Ravi, of course, has his suspicions. He phones Major, but Filmore-Graves’ best and brightest ignores the call. Liv wakes up in the trunk of Major’s car. Major informs her that they’re in Oregon, camping out in someone else’s house. Ravi returns home and badgers Jordan on whether she knows of Liv’s whereabouts. Jordan admits to knowing that Liv is Renegade, and that Major sequestered her away to someplace safe.
Then, Ravi returns to the morgue and runs into Clive (Malcolm Goodwin), who has a brain waiting and ready for Liv’s consumption. Ravi drops the bomb of Liv’s moonlighting as Renegade, and that Major took her out of New Seattle to prevent her from turning herself in. Thankfully, since Ravi is still testing out the cure on himself, he’s currently in zombie mode. He can help Clive solve the murder at hand! Team work makes the dream work.
Meanwhile, Blaine (David Anders) is having lunch with Angus (Robert Knepper). He proposes to his father that, in order to solve the brain shortage, perhaps Brother Love should expand his operations. Word of the government actively contributing to New Seattle’s brain shortage in an effort to eradicate zombies is spreading. Blaine reveals that, after zombies have been properly starved and commence feeding on humans, Washington D.C. plans to nuke New Seattle. Should Brother Love expand beyond state borders and start scratching humans, more zombies will crop up. Blaine believes that adding more zombies to the current undead population and leaving the remaining humans as a food source will solve the brain shortage crisis. Interesting take, DeBeers. However, Angus has other plans in mind. He’s going to see what the Lord tells him to do.
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Later, in Oregon, we see that Liv and Major have consumed the brains of an old couple. Said couple died after having been married for decades. Liv is dressed as a 1950s housewife, baking and cleaning in someone else’s home. Major is hauling firewood into the house. Both seem irrevocably smitten with each other. However, they wonder when the fairy tale will end – when the actual couple that lives there will return. They dance to some old tunes and smooch like there’s no tomorrow. My Livajor heart swells with joy. Don’t get me wrong – Levon is a great guy. But Major and Liv are endgame to me.
Meanwhile, Clive and a brained-up Ravi stop by The Scratching Post to question Don E (Bryce Hodgson). Apparently, the murder victim was last seen at the bar. Also, she was your stereotypical “Beverly Hills” rich girl snob. Now, Ravi is donning a daringly low-cut blouse and slicked back tresses. He’s gone full rich girl. I’m tickled pink to see Kohli hop on the brain persona train. He’s always been welcome comedic relief on iZombie. Blaine also joins in on the fun, silent amusement scrawled on his face at zombie Ravi.
Later, Clive and Ravi bring in Tim (Keenan Tracy) for questioning. If you recall, Tim was Liv’s brief infatuation at the beginning of the season. He informs the duo that he’s part of Brother Love’s congregation. The homicide victim in question was initially a zombie who shelled out millions to take a cure that morphed her back to human. Ravi’s missing cures! You know, the ones that Blaine swapped and sold for cash. Brother Love thought she was an abomination and had to be destroyed. A man with a motive!
Next, Liv and Major discover exactly what happened to the couple that owned the house they’re technically squatting in. Said couple is locked away in a cage in the basement, completely zombie-fied. You know, the stereotypical brain craving monsters you see in films. Apparently, Filmore-Graves had cut off brain tubes entirely, and the couple sequestered themselves away so they wouldn’t hurt anyone when they inevitably lost control. There’s something noble in that.
Meanwhile, Clive and Ravi are questioning Angus in the interrogation room. Clive notices blood on Brother Love’s robes, and that the undead preacher is brandishing the same weapon used to murder their homicide victim. Clive believes that’s enough motive to put Angus away permanently. Of course, Angus doesn’t exactly admit to murdering the victim himself, but he does blatantly state that she was an abomination for reversing her formerly zombie state. Clive takes Angus away in handcuffs while he sends the preacher’s robes in for further analyzing. We see Brother Love’s loyal congregation waiting outside, praying fervently to God to release Angus. That’s dedication.
However, Tucker (Jaren Brandt Bartlett) courageously steps forward and openly confesses to murdering the homicide victim for Angus. He’s handcuffed, and Angus is released. Tucker is then shuffled off into the custody of Filmore-Graves for, presumably, freezing. But, the Filmore-Graves soldier handling Tucker decides to release him, and drops him off at a seemingly abandoned warehouse. The soldier admits to following Brother Love’s teachings and will stand with them. Zombie love forever!
Then, back in Oregon, Liv sends Major down to the basement to fetch her very favorite hot sauce. Suddenly, Liv locks Major in the cage with the decaying zombie couple. Liv plans to return to New Seattle and turn herself over to Chase Graves, much to Major’s dismay. She slips some brain tubes so Major doesn’t starve, and vows to send someone back to release him. No, don’t do it, Liv! Revel in this cutesy 1950s fantasy life with Major for all eternity! It’s what the people want!
Next, Curtis is summoned for execution. He’s strapped to the guillotine, and we see him close his eyes as he waits to die. However, a soldier barges in and informs Chase that Renegade has arrived. Curtis is saved! Chase waltzes into his office and finds Levon striding forward, claiming he’s the elusive Renegade. Well, I don’t like this either. How about nobody takes the martyr route? Everybody lives!
Meanwhile, Liv is hard at work attempting to hitchhike her way back to New Seattle. Russ (Giacomo Baessato) pays Major a visit. He’s looking worse for the wear, clearly starving and ravenous. He orders Major to hand over the brain tubes Liv shoved into the cage. When Major declines, claiming he’d rather watch the former Filmore-Graves soldier starve, Russ begins firing his brandished weapon. He shoots Major in the stomach, then one of the zombies within the cage. Thankfully, before Russ is able to fire the killing shoot, Liv swoops in and takes Russ out – an ax to the head. Bye bye, Russ! Liv snags Major’s car keys so she can drive back to New Seattle. However, she leaves Major inside the cage.
Then, we see Ravi is back at the morgue with Clive, running some tests. Ravi has three different brains in jars – one “controlled” human brain, the homicide victim’s brain that was formerly zombie and lastly Isobel’s brain. Since Isobel was the only known human who was impervious to the zombie scratch, Ravi thought it best to run tests to find out why that is. Science! Ravi hopes to extract the chemical in Isobel’s brain that makes her immune to the zombie disease and craft a vaccine from that. Here’s hoping it works!
Later, Liv returns to the Underground Railroad base and informs one of the coyotes of Major’s imprisonment. He hands the coyote the key to the farmhouse so Major can be released. She sees Curtis is alive and well, but the latter is shocked to see Liv roaming about freely. The duo puts two and two together and figures out that Levon pretended to be Renegade, turning himself in to Chase. It’s safe to say that s**t has undoubtedly hit the fan.
Meanwhile, after one of Brother Love’s rapturous services, Blaine asks Angus if he’s given any more thought to sending out “missionaries” to convert humans to zombies. Suddenly, the pair notices that it’s “snowing” brains. Seriously, brains are cascading from the skies. Angus takes this as the sign from the Lord he’s been searching for. We see that Don E is responsible for making it “rain brains.” Obviously, Don E was asked to do this so Blaine could persuade his father to carry out his bidding. Make it rain, Don E!
Next, Clive makes a pit stop at Bozzio’s office. He plants a smooch on his ex, and launches into a monologue about how he doesn’t want to live without her. Clive was informed of the reasoning behind Bozzio breaking up with him – that she knew she couldn’t provide him with children. However, Clive is willing to bypass having kids for her. He gets down on one knee and proposes. Bozzio gleefully and tearfully accepts his proposal. Why do I insist on cutting onions while watching iZombie? I’m just so happy that Clive has found happiness. We need more of that right now.
Meanwhile, Liv barges into Chase’s office and declares she’s truly Renegade. Levon tries to stop her, but Chase is convinced. He frees Levon, and the latter attempts to convince Chase not to execute Liv. Freeze her instead, he beseeches. Levon believes that both Chase and Liv were just trying to do what they believed was in the best interest for zombies. Suddenly Levon, in an act of desperation, wrests Chase’s weapon away from him and brandishes said weapon at the Filmore-Graves CEO’s head. However, Chase pins down Levon and vows to execute them both now. Levon will be Liv’s “opening act.” No, this isn’t what the people want!
Later, Ravi notices that the rat that fed on Isobel’s brain is no longer a zombie rat. It would also appear that the chemical in Isobel’s brain isn’t a vaccine, but a cure. Ravi can use that to cultivate a cure to zombieism! Success!
iZombie just gave us the best episode of the season. Hands down. Brains down. This is why I watch this show. “You’ve Got to Hide Your Liv Away” brought me back to iZombie seasons past, with that pleasant mixture of zany campy fun and serious action. We were blessed with plot twists galore, and plenty of tantalizing cliffhangers to tide us over till the season finale next week.
Do you think Major will swoop in and save Liv from execution, while Levon takes the fall? Will Ravi have enough time to craft a last minute cure to potentially save humanity from extinction? Can Angus turn enough zombies to the side of his revolution? Will Peyton convince D.C. not to nuke New Seattle? Join me next week as I recap the iZombie season finale, 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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