It’s going to be a briefer-than-usual review this week, guys. I apologize for this, but I’ll be back in top form next week to tackle the finale. Anyway, after last week’s intense cliffhanger, it seems odd for iZombie to pull a near-identical one this week, with Major going full-on zombie before the screen cut to black. Not that the moment wasn’t suspenseful or anything, but it definitely had an “Oh, that again” feel to it. Still, “Reflections of the Way Liv Used To Be” was a solid lead-in to next week’s finale, where the mostly good but overlong season will come to a close.
The case of the week, involving a student whose strangled body was discovered in a pool, tied into the main season arc, making it one of the more compelling cased of the season, even if Bailey’s brain lacked much of a personality. The bright spot of the case was that it brought Enrico Colantoni (a Veronica Mars alumnus) back to the series as Detective Benedetto, whom we met back in “Eternal Sunshine of the Caffeinated Mind.” Benedetto’s use of juvenile delinquents as confidential informants was another twist in the tangled web that is the utopium subplot of iZombie, but it actually served to make things pretty clear. The drug smuggling aspect of iZombie can get confusing sometimes (at least to me), so it was nice to see it all coming together as it comes to a head with Liv and the rest of the crew. As entertaining as Chief and Don E. are, it’s time for them to get caught.
Baley’s brain doesn’t really have much of a personality beyond Liv going above and beyond with her basic tasks (mapping out crimes in the area for Clive; cleaning the apartment for Peyton), but it does serve to remind her of the person that she used to be (hence the episode’s title) before Blaine turned her into a zombie. It was a nice moment of clarity for Liv (and the audience), but it would have been nice had the episode spent more time on that subplot as opposed to trying to build up to the finale.
Major actually got the bulk of the screen time this week, with his newly zombified self high on Leslie Morgan’s brain from a few episodes ago. Ravi essentially spoke what every viewer was probably thinking when he suggested playing hookie and following Major all day. Major’s arc has been on a downward spiral for most of the season, and it all culminates in his arrest in the episode’s final moments. The hilarious part was that it was the dog groomer from way back in “Fifty Shades of Grey Matter” who pointed him out to Bozzio! Way to cover your bases Major.
Lastly, we were able to see a new side of Blaine tonight as he turned over a new leaf and went to see Dale and Clive, who promptly took him to Ravi for examination. It would be great if Blaine’s memory stayed one, as “nice Blaine” is quite fascinating (his encounter with Major was particularly entertaining), but it’s not likely.
As usual with iZombie, this episode was juggling a lot of plot lines and it handled them fairly well, but it all served as a lead-in to the finale (as most penultimate episodes are wont to do). Still, an increased focus on Major and seeing a new side of Blaine provided plenty of laughs as Liv rediscovered her old self.
Random Notes
- Chapter Titles of the Week: Don’t Debate the Player; Shake Wait; I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead; Lock Up Your Daughters; Higher Education; See? No Evil; This Is Spinal Snap.
- Brain Recipe of the Week: Stir-Fried Brains with Noodles!
- Very little Vaughn and Rita this week, but the zombie look suits her!
- Don E. and Chief splitting the brain steak was pretty funny.
- “Bro come on, it’s me! The only thing I’d murder is ass.” -Reading that line doesn’t do it justice. Justin Prentice’s delivery was perfect.
- “That’s Rob Thomas. There’s something so compelling about the stuff he writes.” -Nice one, Rob Thomas.
- “You can get your body covered with memory tattoos like that dude in Memento.”
- “I dunno. I’m scrappy. I’ve got reach.”
- Positive Major was such a delight, was he not?
- “Okay but don’t eat a new brain until this is dealt with.” -More Peyton, please.
- Clive is going to apply to the FBI! Coud this spell doom for Bozzio, since he really can’t leave the show? Perhaps her death will get him to stay?
- See you all next week for the two-hour(!) finale!
