Today, I am going to look at the show by characters that had much to do in this week’s episode. I think it’ll work better than jumping around the story line as it falls in the show. Believe me, “iZombie” has been doing the “flea on a hot brick” thing all season.
Let’s begin with Major!
The show opens with him and Liv still kissing. He appears to have finally realized what she had been going through. He has had a taste of it himself. In the last episode, he bought drugs from one of the youths he was trying to save at the Center. He really hit rock bottom. And the Utopium hasn’t helped either. It is only a temporary cure for his misery.
He wakes up on the couch to find that Liv still can’t make a decent cup of coffee. He wants the whole thing with her now. He says he doesn’t care about the restrictions caused by being a zombie.
“We were best friends. Let’s be that again,” she suggests.
Liv remains steadfast, though.
He agrees, but it doesn’t seem that his heart is fully in it.
He holds up in Liv’s apartment and is about to do another “U-Bomb”, when Liv enters. While under the influence of PeeWee Basketball Coach Brain (the current murder victim), she delivers an impassioned speech that gets to Major; even though he tells her that she is so weird. He ends up flushing his unused Utopium and taking over as the coach of the PeeWee Team.
In his dealings with Gilda, his Max Rager handler, there are changes as well. First, he tells then that he needs a stronger sedative for his victims. The last one woke in his trunk and pleaded for his life. His next potential victim is spotted in a local bistro. But Major cannot do it as the man’s son, a grade schooler, runs to him and jumps into his arms crying “Daddy!”
He then tells Gilda that eight on the list had no reaction for him. They aren’t zombies. Gilda counters by saying that the chance of that many wrong on the list is statistically low. And, the big one, he tells Gilda that he is only interested in seeing her professionally. Gilda is now oh-for-two with men.
Detective Clive Babineaux
The Meat Cute Massacre is never far from the Detective’s mind. Although he was taken off the case, which was done because he noted two shooters and not one, as the Department wanted, he is still looking for answers. He thinks something was wrong about Lt. Suzuki. He calls his widow and asks about his state of mind before the incident. She gets mad and hangs up on him. Then, she reports him to Lt. DeVore, who reprimands him.
As he is trying to explain his actions, FBI Agent Dale Bozzio, whom he had bonded with, makes faces and does “Bill Irwin” style sight gags in the window behind DeVore. Of course, he cannot keep a straight face.
Bill Irwin
Later, when the two are talking about the case, Clive tells her about Meat Cute. Bozzio drops a bomb, telling him that a hair from the missing astronaut was found deep in a drain at Meat Cute.
We also get an inkling into Babineaux’s childhood. One of the suspects in the murder is a father who abuses his son. Liv’s vision showed this. He returns to the man’s house after work and tells him that he has told teachers and anyone else who interacts with his son that any hint of abuse should be reported to him immediately. The two fight and the father uses his chin to bruise Babineaux’s knuckles.
Blaine
Hair combed and dark-suited, Blaine is talking to a perspective customer looking to bury his mother when Gabriel shows up. He is ready to cut the Utopium. Blaine promises him a cure right away.
Gabriel is true to his word and Sonny E makes an appearance at the morgue and hands Dr. Ravi a bottle of the cut Utopium. Ravi gathers another group of soon-to-be Zombie Rats for more rigorous testing.
Blaine, Ravi and the soon to be ex-Zombie Gabriel
But before this can happen, Blaine shows up looking for the cure. Ravi tries to explain that tests have to be done. But Blaine promised Gabriel that he would be cured. Ravi is too late to stop him from taking an injection, which is not the vaccine but a dose of Utopium and Max Rager for the rats. Gabriel goes to Zombie Rotting Mode, falls down and dies.
“Needs work, Doc,” Blaine observes.
Suddenly, both realize that they have discovered the ultimate Zombie Killer. A wrestling match breaks out as each tries to grab the bottle. Finally, Ravi gains the upper hand and smashes the Zombie Killer with another bottle.
Blaine views the event pragmatically.
“Well, that’s my cardio for the day,” and he exits.
Final touches
Dr. Erving, head of Super Max R & D needs a blood sample from a functional zombie. When Liv tells Gilda about getting back with Major, she “accidentally” skewers her hand. Gilda takes the napkin that Liv used to soak up a drop of blood caused by the wound.
Sample obtained.
Babineaux has a visitor in the office. It’s the widow Suzuki. She explains that she started to think about her husband and the things that Clive asked her. She did some poking around his things and found something in her husband’s beer fridge. She brought it to the Detective to see if he could understand it. It is a piece of leftover brains in a container that Meat Cute used.
It shouldn’t be much longer before Babineaux is brought up to speed on the zombie problem in Seattle. Will he share this knowledge with his FBI counterpart? Will he find out that Liv isn’t really a psychic, but a brain eater? How often will be have to put up with Blaine combing his hair?
My biggest worry about the show is that the storyline has moved very far very quickly. A slowdown could hurt the show. It also leaves the door open for quick and, generally, unsatisfying resolutions to plot lines. Part of me likes the intersecting stories and trying to keep track of who knows what and why. But I am nagged by the feeling that this may be more of a weakness than strength.
Please, don’t half-ass it guys. (Shin-chan reference)
Shin-chan shuffle!
