iZombie: Recap of Ep. 1.02 – Brother, Can You Spare a Brain?; First Look at Ep. 1.03 – The Exterminator
Matt Molgaard
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Leaping back into the life of Liv Moore, we field a chance to examine Liv’s newfound connection to what appears to be a fellow zombie. Her visions have ensured her there are more of her kind (well, at least one), and of course she’s compelled to find – and learn about – this mysterious ghoul. But first, home audiences are afforded a look at this week’s focal conflict: The body of a popular artist has surfaced with the handle of a paintbrush rammed through his eye.
Of course Liv is present at the murder scene, as are Ravi and the still aloof (or is he?) Detective Babineaux, who prods for details, though unbeknownst to him, he won’t get them yet as Liv hasn’t dined on the man’s brains at this point. Remember, her visions come after she’s had her cranial sustenance, which in this case comes shortly after taking in the crime scene sequence – back at the morgue.
Before Liv begins piecing things together, we cut to a shot of the pale but strangely sexy zombie back in her home, where she stares blankly out the window when the doorbell rings. It’s Major, who’s come by to drop off a box of Liv’s stuff she left behind at his place. It’s obviously an excuse for the man – who’s quite hurt by her decision to break off their engagement, as well as the strange life turn she’s undergone – to stop by and see the woman he’d hoped to spend the rest of his life with, but he plays it cool and gets himself out of dodge before any serious emotions can boil to the surface. From the perspective of the audience, it’s actually something of a sad scene; this man has had his life turned upside down, and as much as he’d love to see that reversed, he’s obviously not ready to welcome a woman who tore his heart from his chest back into his life on a romantic level.
Now that things are rolling along, we get our first vision related to the artist’s murder. It seems he’s a friendly guy, sleeping with women who aren’t his wife. Have his infidelities driven his wife to commit murder, as Babineaux hinted at in the opening moments of the episode? And speaking of Babineaux, Liv quickly pays the detective a visit to inform him of her vision. He invites her to tag along to pay Lola, the man’s wife, another inquisitive visit. During the visit we learn three things: Lola knows of her husband’s habits and seems open about them; the woman in Liv’s vision is a friend of Lola’s; and Lola is quite fond of the woman, despite the conduct with her late husband.
After returning to the morgue, Liv discovers that Ravi has brought in a police sketch artist to assist her in creating an actual image to aid in tracking down the unknown zombie she’s been having visions of. The meeting doesn’t go too well, but a sketch is indeed crafted, and it’s a pretty accurate portrayal of the zombie clouding Liv’s vision. Now it comes down to finding the man, which proves easier than expected. He shows up at the morgue and says, “I heard you were looking for me.”
Just like that, we’ve got an interesting new player to contemplate.
Okay, interesting may be an understatement. A conversation between the two is damn enlightening. This guy, named Blaine, is as colorful as they come, loaded with wicked one-liners and a strange charm. He’s also a little suspicious, and while Ravi is in the middle of examining him, Liv picks up another vision, but she’s not about to leave this guy (who, for the record just so happens to be the very guy who turned Liv into a member of the undead) alone with Ravi. And before we know it, Blaine is taking off before he gets too hungry.
Once more Liv uses her visions to lend a helping hand to Babineaux. The man she spotted in her latest vision is pulled in for questioning. He’s a smug son of a bitch, although Liv is quite taken with his physical appearance. He’s got motive to murder (his girlfriend was one of the deceased’s lovers), and he’s got enough arrogance coursing through him to see violence brought to life. But does that make him a murderer? We’ll soon find out, as the episode now hovers around the midway point.
Elsewhere, in a bar seemingly designed to cater to those who are in search of a one-night stand, Blaine meets an older but attractive woman. It’s more smooth-talking from our new undead friend, and within seconds we see the two make a trip to a room where things get quite heated quite quickly. But can Blaine engage in the excitement of sexual stimulation without going full-on zombie mode? The answer, which we learn in a few moments, is a pronounced no. But we’ll circle back to this in a bit; right now it’s time for another meeting between Blaine and Liv.
Blaine is set in his ways to convince Liv that he’s not the junkie, dealer lunatic that turned her into what she is today on that fateful boat party. And to Blaine’s surprise, Liv actually agrees to help him out by providing him with brains when possible. But when Liv does make an attempt to track Blaine down, she stumbles on a shady scene and sees what she believes to be a drug deal under way (it’s not, for the record). The truth is, Blaine is being hounded by runners for a drug kingpin who are out to collect a little debt. He’s attempting to delay the meeting, but persistence pays off on the part of these hooligans, and Blaine gets in the car to take a ride. Or so these toolbags think. But he just wants to dispose of them while not out in the direct open. Scratch two scumbags; Blaine devours them inside the car.
A commercial break ensues before we return to the woman who was foolish enough to hook up with Blaine. She’s quite clearly a zombie. And Blaine shows up with a fine proposition: I provide you with brains, you provide me with hefty sums of cash. Of course she’s eager to feed the hunger, and a deal is made. This is a comical sequence, but it carries some very relevant weight. Blaine is spreading the zombie virus. And if Blaine, who is willing to turn others, continues on in this practice, the city could potentially find itself in a world of hurt, where flesh-eating creatures potentially outnumber the living. That is, of course, a long way off, but it’s a very real issue that could come into serious play as the season advances.
A few moments pass, and we find ourselves at a social gathering where a slew of Babineaux’s key suspects have united. It’s a chance to potentially blow their case wide open, and the detective, along with Liv and Ravi, makes his inevitable appearance. While at this shindig, Liv runs into trouble. The asshole that underwent a little interrogation is present and accounted for, and he makes the mistake of attempting to get aggressive with Liv while she’s off on her own, unseen by the other partygoers. It doesn’t go well for him, as Liv’s inner beast comes to the surface and she leaves the womanizing slime in a bloody heap. But more pertinent information comes to light in the wake of the chaos. Ravi solves an interesting puzzle, and the next thing we know, Lola is being accused of killing her husband, Javier. She’s bombarded by facts and crumbles, confessing to the crime.
Looks like Babineaux was right: It’s always the wife in these instances.
The emotional sequence jars something in Liv, and as the episode comes to a close, she makes a bold decision, paying Major a visit in the hopes of rekindling something. She’s aggressive, feeling a passion she’s been denying for months thanks to munching on the dead artist’s brains. But Major, as hurt as he is, completely rejects her advances. The man’s heart has been broken, and he’s not about to forget the half-year of hell he’s endured. He turns Liv away out of anger and pain. Liv doesn’t take it well, but she is starting to see the error in her ways. The guilt creeps in, and that’s the bleak note – laced lightly with a hope of helping be something better – that the episode wraps on.
After two episodes, “iZombie” looks like it may truly emerge as a standout for The CW. There’s some substance in this show, and the originality of the premise is going to grow with viewers. The fact that there’s a love story that feels natural rather than contrived is an unorthodox angle that may push the series into the realm of greatness. Let’s be real: As preposterous as the premise may be (suspension of disbelief is most certainly required), the humor, the story layers, and the intimate look we’re getting at our primary personalities is damn compelling.
If you agree and are ready to look ahead to next week, here are the synopsis and preview of Episode 1.03, “The Exterminator.”
“iZombie” Episode 1.03 – “The Exterminator” (airs 3/31/15)
HIT MAN HIT AND RUN — As Liv (Rose McIver) and Detective Babineaux (Malcolm Goodwin) investigate a hit and run case, they discover the victim was a sociopathic hit man responsible for the murder of a tech entrepreneur, a case that Peyton (Aly Michalka) is prosecuting.
Liv and Ravi (Rahul Kohli) dig deeper into a supposed zombie sighting that was posted on line, which leads Liv to make a surprising discovery about someone from her past. Major (Robert Buckley) moves on with his life, and Peyton is shocked by Liv’s reaction.
David Anders also stars. Michael Fields directed the episode story by Rob Thomas; teleplay by Graham Norris and Lee Arcuri.
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https://youtu.be/90A2HTLEgeo
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