iZombie really knows how to end an episode! I was just thinking about giving the episode 3 skulls, and then the last two minutes happened. BAM! Two major plot twists: Ravi gets bitten by the zombie rat! Lowell is eating Jerome’s brains! Way to knock me off my feet iZombie. Those two moments alone add another skull to the score. Sue me.
It didn’t feel like a lot happened in this episode, but when you stop to think about it, a lot actually did happen. Like a few of the previous episodes, not a lot of forward momentum was made with the main arc of the season. There are so many different relationships on the show (Liv and Lowell, Liv and Major, Ravi and Major, Ravi and Peyton, Ravi and Liv, etc.), but they are all so separate from each other that it takes an entire episode for things to move forward even a little bit in each relationship.
This is why every time the case of the week reared its head in this episode, it detracted from all of the relationship building (and bringing all of the characters in Liv’s life closer together). It’s not that the case was bad, per se, but it was definitely one of the weaker ones of the season. It’s detrimental to the case when everything else going on around it is so much more interesting. Even the brain Liv ate worked against the episode, as her expertise on relationships and sex made her more obnoxious that entertaining.
Back to the character relationships, we we able to see two characters together in a pairing that I never though would be interesting: Peyton and Ravi. After their “moment” at the beginning of the episode, it’s clear that this will be a good thing for iZombie. It’s no secret that Peyton has been the least developed character on the show, mostly because there’s no real reason for her to be present. Now that she has a connection to Liv’s work, it will bring her into the fold (although it wouldn’t be terrible if Liv just told everyone close to her that she was a zombie).
Poor Ravi, though. I admit I gasped when the zombie rat bit his hand (he was even wearing the oyster shucking gloves!). It would be preferable if Ravi didn’t turn into a zombie, as Liv needs at least one human who can be in on her secret, but it was a great twist to end the episode (and it wasn’t even the only one!).
On to Major, who is quickly becoming one of my favorite characters this season (he has the most interesting storyline out of all the side characters). After his girlfriend broke up with him (good riddance), he tried to convince Liv about his conspiracy. In an effort to protect him, she acted like she didn’t believe him. It was disappointing that Liv didn’t just tell Major the truth, but the one positive thing to come out of it (for us, at least) is that it is leading Major on a dark and dangerous path. With him going out to (illegally) buy a gun in the closing montage, who knows what will happen to him? My prediction is that Liv will have to “save” Major’s life by the end of the season by turning him into a zombie, that way they can actually be together.
If that happens, what will become of Lowell? Now that Liv knows he has been getting brains from Blaine, she’s going to start snooping next week. We don’t know to what extent Lowell is in cahoots with Blaine, but it’s possible that he may be dating her only to keep her distracted while Blaine completes his Zombie Army. Having it be Jerome’s brain that she ate was a nice touch, though.
While “Dead Air” was primarily a relationship building episode with a weak mystery thrown in, it was saved by a closing 2-minute montage that looks to be setting up a fantastic final third of the season. Now that Liv is really in the know on Blaine’s schemes, we may finally get some forward momentum on the main season arc.
Random Notes
- This Week’s Chapter Titles: Le Petit Mort, Jailhouse Rocked, Electricity Killed The Radio Star, Breaking Up Is Hard To Do, Did You Say Brains?, Southern Accent, London Calling. I laughed out loud at “Electricity Killed The Radio Star.”
- Suzuki is an unwilling accomplice of Blaine’s, which is nice. But what does Blaine have in store for Liv???
- Zombie Power of the Week: Relationship and Sex Expert!
- “I stand corrected! This is compelling radio.” -Ravi, on hearing the radio host being killed on air.
- “The Lannisters send their regards.” -Yay pop culture references!
- “Holy crap Ravi he’s white and murderous. You made a zombie rat!”
- A masturbation euphemism I’ve never heard before: “cuffing the carrot.” iZombie certainly does love its masturbation euphemisms.
- “I can’t talk about fight club….crap” -Seriously, I’m liking Major more and more with every episode.
- “We can’t all pull of the ethereal Tinkerbell look.” – Nice nod to McIver’s role as Tinkerbell on ABCs Once Upon a Time.
- We’ve finally got another Blaine-centric episode next week!
