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[TV Review] “iZombie” Episode 2.06: ‘Max Wager’

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iZombie 2.06

Well that was certainly a jam-packed episode. For the first time this season, the mystery-of-the-week was put on the backburner and iZombie spent a majority of the episode focusing on advancing many different subplots.

We have now reached the midpoint of the season, and while there haven’t been any bad episodes if iZombie yet this year (even a mediocre one is better than most things on the air nowadays), it was getting worrisome that so much screen time was being devoted to the aforementioned mysteries-of-the-week. “Max Wager” assuaged any worries I may have had about the season.

First up, we have the mysterious Mr. Stacey Boss (whose name will never stop being funny). His reveal in the barbershop was a little unorthodox in that it wasn’t exactly a gasp-worthy reveal, but Eddie Jemison was able to come across as plenty menacing. This was never more apparent than in his confrontation with Peyton in her office. They guy just waltzed right into her office, messed with her crime board and flat-out threatened her (er, provided her an opportunity) in the place where she works.

Mr. Boss just has two brief scenes in “Max Wager,” but he has already established himself as a force to be reckoned with. Vaughn du Clark has faded into the background this season and Blaine hasn’t exactly been present for the majority of the first five episodes. iZombie was missing a truly evil antagonist, and Mr. Boss may just fit the bill.

iZombie Max Wager

Speaking of Blaine, he received a surprise of his own this week when his father Angus attempted to take over his brain business. Blaine has been a strong, if somewhat bratty, villain for iZombie, but he’s been pushed aside this season to the point of even being absent from one episode. “Max Wager” not only provides a conflict for Blaine in Angus (who is hastily disposed of by Major in the episode’s closing moments), but it also gives him a nice conversation with Liv about being a zombie vs. being a human. It wasn’t a scene that was relevant to the overarching plot, but it was a nice little peek into Blaine’s brain.

What was a little surprising was Blaine murdering his own grandfather just to get back at his father. Blaine is a great villain, but we haven’t seen a lot of humanity from him over the past 18 episodes. David Anders gets a brief moment tonight where he is crying over his grandfather’s now-brainless corpse that is a nice touch for the character.

Major was all sunshine and rainbows this week, wasn’t he? He and Liv were really testing the boundaries of their relationship, and while it was a bummer when Ravi informed them that the zombie virus could penetrate any and all condoms (which, okay), it was nice to see the two actually be romantic with each other. Major still has that little problem with Detective Bozzio looking into the missing rich zombies men, but he also had a little trick up his sleeve. The reveal that A) Angus was next on his list and B) he was secretly storing the zombies he was supposed to be murdering in a freezer was the best “Go Major!” moment iZombie has had in a while.

Liv and Major’s reunion over the past two episodes has been a real treat to watch, especially after so many episodes of Major giving her the cold shoulder. Their Skype strip poker scene was adorable and it would be welcome to get more scenes like that between them. We were never able to see what they were like as a couple outside of the first scene from the pilot, and now that we can see them actually be a couple (sort of), we have a new insight into their relationship.

iZombie Max Wager

The mystery-of-the-week was a continuation of last week’s basketball mystery. Harry Cole, the man with the gambling problem from last week was gunned down on the courthouse steps. The perpetrator revealed to be a famous basketball player named Calvin Owens (who is actually real former basketball player Rick Fox). Peyton ended up making a deal with him, which means that we could be seeing more of him in future episodes. Cole’s gambling man’s brain made Liv (you guessed it) addicted to gambling this week. It was refreshing to see her gambling pay off though. Rather than have her lose a bunch of money, she actually won quite a bit and it put her in the path of Mr. Boss.

“Max Wager” was iZombie’s best episode of the season so far, and set up what could be a potentially fantastic second half of the season (and because it’s iZombie, I expect nothing less).

Random Notes

  • Chapter Titles of the Week: Omelette You Finish; Let’s Talk About Sex, Zom-Bie; Angus Beef; Magnum, P.I.; Who’s the Boss?; Shambler Gambler; Risky Business.
  • Brain Recipe of the Week: Brain-Stuffed Clams!
  • Zombie Power of the Week: Gambling Addiction!
  • In case you couldn’t tell, I really liked this episode, hypothetically…
  • I confess, I really thought Angus was going to end up being Mr Boss. Way to prove me wrong iZombie!
  • Eddie Jemison, who plays Mr. Boss, is famous for his role in the Ocean’s 11 trilogy, but I know him as stalker-ish yet sweet Ogie in the absolutely fantastic movie Waitress. It was quite surreal to see him as this type of character.
  • “Body snatchers?” -Peyton, on Major’s out-of-character sunny disposition.
  • We now have three bad guys on iZombie (four if you count Angus). Is it too much to hope for a villainess in the future? I know we have Gilda, but she’s more like Vaughn du Clark’s henchwoman.
  • Speaking of, no Gilda this week. Boo.
  • “Fabulous PPO health insurance that pays for contact lenses and teeth whitening!” -Mr. Boss, who is somehow able to make that line sound all scary and threatening.
  • Uh…why weren’t we allowed to see Major in that g-string? I demand pictures Rob Thomas.
  • Clive thinks Liv just sits on the computer to get a few tidbits of sports knowledge. Alright.
  • I have no idea what happens next week, but it’s called “Abra Cadaver” so I can only assume Liv eats the brain of a magician.

A journalist for Bloody Disgusting since 2015, Trace writes film reviews and editorials, as well as co-hosts Bloody Disgusting's Horror Queers podcast, which looks at horror films through a queer lens. He has since become dedicated to amplifying queer voices in the horror community, while also injecting his own personal flair into film discourse. Trace lives in Austin, TX with his husband and their two dogs. Find him on Twitter @TracedThurman

Books

‘In Search of Darkness’ Book Review: A Must-Have for ’80s Horror Fans

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In 2019, the documentary of 80s horror In Search of Darkness became an instant hit with horror fans. Now, a beautiful coffee table style companion book is available and is a must-own for all fans of one of horror’s greatest eras. The book is a walk down the horror aisle of the best mom and pop video store in the heyday of VHS, featuring full color photos, poster art, insightful essays and more. More than just a nostalgic throwback, In Search of Darkness is the kind of book I wish I’d had back in my years as a burgeoning horror fan but is also satisfying for the film fanatic I have become in the years since.

The format is beautifully and simply laid out, with at least a dozen (usually more) movies from each year of the decade presented in order of release accompanied by informative and insightful essays by the authors Heather Wixson and Patrick Bromley. Both authors have been mainstays of film journalism, specializing in horror, for many years. Wixson began her career in 2007 with Dread Central and has spent the past ten years as the Managing Editor of Daily Dead, from which she recently retired to focus on books and other projects. She has devoted the past several years to interviewing and writing books about the Make-up and Special Effects wizards that have brought so much to film over the years, specifically the horror genre.

Bromley is a film journalist and critic whose work can be found all over the place including right here on Bloody Disgusting. He recently provided the commentary for the Vinegar Syndrome release of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 and is known as something of a Tobe Hooper expert. He is also the founder and editor of F this Movie!, an eclectic film website, and host of its accompanying podcast. So, to be clear, the authors know their stuff.

Wixson and Bromley divide writing duties roughly in half and though each has a distinctive voice, their writing styles dovetail beautifully into a cohesive whole. Each author plays to their strengths. Being familiar with both their work I didn’t even have to look at the bylines to know that Heather covered Christine and Terror in the Aisles and Patrick took on The Funhouse and Hollywood Chainsaw Hookers. Wixson’s passion for make-up effects is clear and comes through in many of her contributions. In general, Wixson takes on the “big” titles, the movies that defined the decade the most, and Bromley covers what the more cynical among us might call schlock, but he would likely call pure cinematic bliss. There are exceptions and surprises, of course, as there should be (Patrick covers The Shining for example). Each essay dives into the history behind the film, the major players involved, the reception, and legacy with often surprising aspects drawn from interviews with the filmmakers from various sources and insights from the authors.

For all their in-depth explorations of each film, in general the authors keep their critics’ hats safely stowed, keeping in mind that every entry on the book has its fans. In fact, they may well have sold me on finally hitting play on some of the schlockier offerings of the decade like Evilspeak, Nightbeast, and Blood Diner. Hell, I may even give The Beast Within a spin for shits and giggles. The point is that this book is a celebration through and through. The authors are honest about the critical receptions of the films, which were often unkind, and sometimes let their own opinions shine through, but recognize how beloved even the schlockiest films can become given time and availability. And that is an ongoing theme of In Search of Darkness. What may have been dismissed in its day often becomes revered as the years pass. Variations on the phrase “the years have been kind to…” referring to various maligned projects like The Thing, Halloween III: Season of the Witch, The Blob and many, many others, can be found throughout the book for good reason.

Each chapter of the book also includes a rundown of the top horror movies at the box office for the year as well as the top movies of all genres for context. The final page for each year highlights some of the major news and pop culture events including the top songs, albums, and television shows. There is a large central section that pays tribute to the talent involved with the greatest horror films of the 80s including directors, actors, effects artists, and more. This section includes brief biographies of John Carpenter, Wes Craven, Stephen King, Tom Savini, Barbara Crampton, Robert Englund, and many others presented in a dynamic and engaging fashion.

One of the beauties of the book is that it covers so much ground. Sure, you’ll find Friday the 13th, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Hellraiser, and the Halloween sequels in it, but you’ll also find deeper cuts like The Changeling, The Being, and Tetsuo: The Iron Man. I was happy to find the same love given to Frank Henenlotter and Larry Cohen as to George A. Romero and David Cronenberg. In other words, In Search of Darkness is extraordinarily eclectic, highlighting the diversity that truly defined what is often viewed as a homogenous decade. The authors make the case that the 80s was horror’s greatest decade, and with what they lay out throughout this book, it’s tough to argue against that. I even came across a film or two I hadn’t even heard of before, which has become increasingly rare as the years go by.

At just shy of $85, the cover price may give some horror hounds pause, but believe me, it’s worth every penny. This is a beautiful volume that every fan of 80s horror will want on their shelf or prominently displayed on their coffee table. Filled with favorite titles, hundreds of full color photos, insightful and informative writing, this is simply a must own.

You can order your copy now.

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