TV Review: iZombie Eps. 102-104

iZombie Season One, Episodes Two through Four

Zombie Liv Moore (played by Rose McIver) is working hard as an assistant medical examiner. In addition to performing autopsies, she eats the brains of murder victims. They won't need them, will they? The show's crime-of-the-week format lets her have a different victim's brain, causing her to take on that person's characteristics as well as giving her flashes of their memories. In episode two, the murder victim is a passionate Latino painter, so Liv starts acting amorous and artistic. McIver gets to stretch her acting much in the same way as Eliza Dushku in Doll House or Tatiana Maisany in Orphan Black. Liv gets to explore her own personality in contrast to the people she takes on. Sometimes the voiceover commentary by Liv is too on the nose for my taste.

The show has two on-going plots. First is Liv's ex-fiance who is still in the picture. She wants to reconnect with him but doesn't want to eat him accidentally (and she doesn't want him dating anyone else). That story is moving forward slowly. She gets all amorous after eating the painter's brain but then turns emotionless when she eats a hitman's brain in the next episode. So that plot has its ups and downs and mainly seems there to provide a romantic interest and an on-going storyline. I wish they had more chemistry together, I don't quite buy into their romance.

The other on-going plot is the shenanigans of another zombie from the party boat where Liv was turned. His name is Blaine and he was the drug dealer who "shared" the illegal concoction that made Liv a zombie. At first, he tries to befriend her and use her to get brains from the morgue. She hems and haws and eventually says no. He starts up his own business providing brains to other zombies (whom he creates--he targets rich people who can pay him well). He's making a killing and seems to be the big villain the cops will eventually have to face by the end of the show. The idea of a zombie making more zombies so he can exploit them is interesting and the actor, David Anders, is fun in the role (he was Sark in Alias). So far there's no explanation why only Liv has visions and why the other zombies aren't running out of control. Maybe that will come to light sooner or later but it doesn't seem like a big concern for characters in the show or the creators of the show.

The show is entertaining but it is a bit average. I still like the comic better but the TV show still has time to catch up or do something different and more interesting.