iZombie: Recap of Episode 1.03 – The Exterminator; First Look at Episode 1.04 – Liv and Let Clive
Matt Molgaard
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In this week’s Episode 1.03 of “iZombie,” entitled “The Exterminator,” we open on a couple of youngsters scoping some dilapidated territory; from the sound of it they’ve got an itch to shoot films, but that’s irrelevant as they immediately discover that there’s something trapped underground. Sounds creepy; why not snag a still of whatever the hell it is?
Cut to the morgue, where Liv and Ravi are hard at work digging at bodies. While perusing online, Ravi spots a piece about a kid who claims to have snagged a picture of a zombie. You guessed it; that’s the same kid we just watched in the opening sequence of the episode. But the image looks questionable so both Liv and Ravi laugh it off. “Two’s company, three’s a horde,” notes Liv. She’s right. And so is Ravi, who lightly prods her to look into it, reminding her what Peter Parker’s known since the dawn of time: “With great power comes…” Okay, too far, and the screenwriters know it, pulling the plug while still tossing out the tribute.
Liv gets to work on the body of Marvin Webster. “Getting to work” obviously means segueing into a little brain feast. Liv consumes Marvin’s thinker, receiving a visit from Blaine, who wants to know why Liv no-showed when she’d promised to deliver the ghoul a load of brains. It’s a revealing little sequence in which Liv lays down the law. She lets him know she doesn’t trust him, and while he may not be the man he once was, she believes he’s still a drug-dealing scumbag, and she isn’t too interested in helping him out in anyway because, frankly, she doesn’t trust him. Very valid, and Blaine knows it.
Back in Liv’s apartment she walks into a celebration with her lawyer roommate, who scored a high profile murder case (the case of Wally Walker). Things are going well – at least career-wise – for someone. They run through a mock cross-examination, and while in the process of this, Liv actually has a vision of the man’s death. It’s the trigger for this episode’s true conflict, and we now know the case that our favorite zombie will be diving into, presumably with the suspicious detective Clive Babineaux, Liv’s unexpected partner in crime fighting.
As it turns out, Marvin Webster, whose brain Liv consumed earlier in the episode, is the one who killed Walker. So Liv has some extraordinary insight into this specific case. She dumps her info on Babineaux, who of course is leery about Liv’s revelations, and he’s setting out to prove that the man who has been taken into custody on suspicion of committing the murder is indeed guilty. But Liv isn’t too pleased with his determination because – as we know and Babineaux doesn’t – she already knows who committed the murder. Driven by frustration, she proceeds to belittle the detective before leaving the police station in an agitated state. That’s not to say she doesn’t realize she crossed a respect line with the man, because she does and she instantly feels remorse. She also fully understands that Webster was a professional hitman, the full grasp coming upon her randomly, a direct result of her brain consumption.
We cut to more of Liv’s relationship turmoil, as she returns to her apartment to learn that her ex-fiance, Major, is featured in a video online in which he’s celebrating an official union with a new woman. Brief as it may be, it’s an important sequence to take in, as it works to continue developing a very lively aspect of the un-lively Liv’s life (is there an oxymoron in that statement?). She’s going through hell in so many different ways it has become difficult to avoid feeling some degree of sympathy for the woman, although she herself seems to be having problems processing her own emotions. She’s made some mistakes since her unfortunate transformation, but she’s got damn good reason for it. You don’t just come out and announce to the world that you’re now a zombie who must devour brains in order to continue existing. Her reservations are justified, though it’s easy to understand why those in her life cannot see that.
We next see Liv and Ravi investigating that zombie photo. They head out to the beat-up dock where the image was supposedly captured. It takes just a few brief moments of exploration to learn that the photograph was no teenage hoax. There’s something trapped beneath the surface; it is most certainly a zombie, and Liv knows her. Whoever Marcy is, she has a connection to our unlikely heroine. After a quick commercial break we discover that Marcy was a fellow resident at the hospital where Liv worked. We also get a good look at what becomes of zombies when they don’t eat brains: They turn into the mindless weapons glorified in flicks like Night of the Living Dead. Not a future Liv wants to entertain.
Ravi is anxious to find out if the process of deterioration can be reversed by feeding. He dumps a load of brains down into Marcy’s lair and covers the hole. The idea is to return and measure the improvement.
Liv returns to see Babineaux to fill him in on new information. It turns out Frank Smith, a former Seattle cop, has motive to be involved to some degree. Babineaux isn’t happy about looking into this one, but he entertains the lead and heads for Smitty’s bar, which Smith owns. Smitty, a side-bookie, openly admits that Wally Walker owed the man money. But despite Smith’s open demeanor he isn’t overtly forthcoming. He’s suspicious, but so is Marvin Webster, who Liv and Babineaux learn was at Smitty’s on the same night Wally was… the same night he was killed. Further investigative work supports Marvin’s apparent involvement in the murder.
Midway through the episode we switch gears and find ourselves pulled into what could be an entirely separate sub-plot, a storyline designed to take us through future episodes. Major shows up with a friend who tells Liv his roommate, Eddie, left their place four days ago and hasn’t been seen since. It turns out Eddie is (was?) a skater who frequented a skate park where a stranger known as The Candyman suddenly began lurking, dealing the designer drug Utopia for small change to those willing to travel with the man back to his “child molester van.”
Then we’re back into the Marvin/Wally case. Liv’s visions and sketching skills are paying off, as she’s able to lead them to the car involved in Walker’s murder. As it turns out, Don Watts, the seemingly nice guy who offered a reward to anyone who could help assist in solving Walker’s (his business partner) murder case, was likely the one driving the car that ran Webster over. He’s picked up for questioning and plays the over-confident douchebag. He’s savvy enough to know it’s going to be tough to pin anything on him, and he hams that up. So Babineaux and Liv get back to work to try to obtain the evidence needed to put the nail in the coffin.
We’re edging toward the close of the episode when we return to see if Marcy has shown any signs of progress after eating some brains. But Marcy shows no signs of improvement whatsoever. Liv wants to kill the creature, but Ravi wants to keep her alive. Foolishly, he attempts to wrangle the zombie when he falls into the pit. He’s damn near a zombie meal when Liv finally springs into action, leaping into the hole and bashing Marcy’s brains in. She goes into “full-on zombie” mode and briefly struggles with herself, trying desperately not to attack Ravi. Eventually the spell passes and Ravi gets to breathe a sigh of relief.
The great murder case is finally solved when Babineaux lays it all out for Watts: He wanted to get rid of Wally Walker so he hired Marvin Webster to kill him. Wally’s passing paid big for Watts, and Webster got greedy, demanding more money. Watts wasn’t about to pay that so he killed Webster to silence him. When Babineaux reveals the presence of an eyewitness, Watts sees his fate and folds, taking a plea that garners 30 years for the lives of each man’s murder. And just like that another case is solved, and Liv picks up another small fragment of humanity as a result of her good deed.
One final scene reveals what most suspected the moment Major and his buddy turned up in search of the missing skater, Eddie. Blaine is The Candyman, and he’s lured yet another victim into his web: Major’s friend. Looks like a major conflict is brewing.
The series continues to gain steam. The romantic angles still feel very appropriate, and though we touch down on some mushy stuff, the story in general doesn’t feel mushy in the slightest. In fact, it feels mandatory. It’s the pulse in the undead, if you will. Liv’s struggles are infectious, and her relationship with Ravi is highly compelling, matched only by her newfound association with the good detective Babineaux. Three episodes in, and “iZombie” is beginning to feel like must-see TV. In regards to zombie fare, it’s a clear standout on the strength of originality alone.
Ready for next week? Here’s a preview of Episode 1.04, “Liv and Let Clive.”
“iZombie” Episode 1.04 – “Liv and Let Clive” (airs 4/7/15)
THINGS ARE STARTING TO GET PERSONAL — When Clive (Malcolm Goodwin) identifies a John Doe in the morgue as one of his former criminal contacts from his days on the vice squad, Liv (Rose McIver) is surprised that Clive is so quick to refuse her help in solving the murder. Liv and Ravi (Rahul Kohli) investigate on their own, which puts them in a precarious situation.
Liv’s problems continue to mount when Major (Robert Buckley) begins searching for a roommate and she believes he’s considering a cute co-ed. David Anders also stars. John Kretchmer directed the episode written by Kit Boss.
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