5 BRAINZZZZ Why You Should Be Watching iZombie
iZombie just premiered last Tuesday on CW. Don’t worry if you missed it. You can watch it online here. The premise of iZombie is what would happen if one of the interns on Grey’s Anatomy became a zombie, quit to work at a morgue, and then started solving crimes by eating brains. Rose McIver kills it as a zombie, David Anders from Alias is a total creep, and although it isn’t Veronica Mars, you know whose brain the dialogue is coming from. Not enough? Eat the brains below! I mean read. Yes, read.
Rob Thomas, creator of Veronica Mars, is a master of packing comedy into drama. So much so, that you’ll wonder why the rest of your dramas aren’t filled with one-liners, sarcastic silliness, and virtual eye rolls. Seriously. Dramas take a lot of work when I don’t get carried along by a dry, disaffected voice-over, who thinks the world needs constant dissection. Brainzzz.
Finally, a show about an independent zombie! It is rare these days for a zombie on TV to be on their own, let alone a woman. They always travel in hordes, trying to get with everyone’s brains! Liv isn’t happy with her single state, though. Her anti-dating policy is about not spreading zombieism through the exchange of bodily fluids. Worried about Herpes? I’m sure the zombie STD is the worst! However, while Liv puts her love life on hold, waiting for a cure, there are multiple characters who aren’t just pretty boys waiting for the main character to turn her sights on them. Well, until she needs brains.
Super powers galore! Beyond the slow circulation, pale complexion and need for hot-sauced brains, Liv gets lots of fun powers. After eating a brain Liv gets memories, habits, and skills from the victim, which smartens her up for crime solving. Additionally, she’s a zombie hulk. When she’s angry she gains strength and speed. Not eating brains turns her stupid and mean, though. I wonder how long it’ll take until she is trapped alone, without any brains to eat but her loved ones…
iZombie started as a comic by Diane Ruggiero-Wright. Who wants to watch anything that wasn’t a comic book first, right? Alright, maybe that isn’t enough anymore, but iZombie is doing the move to TV right. There is a badass comic book art opening, and the transitions from drawings to live action sell a fun overall tone. Let’s face it zombies have been done. Comics have been TVed. However, the overall feel of the show is very stylized.
Cagney and Pastey, and Dr. Ravi. The pilot episode introduced a lot of characters. Two characters in particular got enough time to show their potential, Liv’s boss Dr. Ravi and Liv’s police partner, Clive Babineax. Dr. Ravi is thrilled to study Liv’s condition. Curing the zombie plague is his new purpose in life, and Liv doesn’t seem to mind how happy he is that she’s infected.
Clive Babineax seems untroubled by the bigger questions in life, like the source of Liv’s psychic power. He’s decided her pale hair and skin are some sort of life/fashion choice. Although her family are on a mission to save her from her supposed PTSD, Ravi and Clive seem determined to solve cases instead of judging Liv for her zombie lifestyle. They are both highly motivated people. They’ll keep our slightly checked-out main character going.
iZombie is definitely worth watching. It airs Tuesdays 9pm eastern on CW. Watch the pilot here.