iZombie: Looking for Mr. Goodbrain, Part 2
June 29, 2017 7:01 AM - Season 3, Episode 13 - Subscribe
Liv uncovers the shocking truth about the virus and the far-reaching consequences of the vaccine. Majors exams his future as a human. Blaine makes a business proposal.
Synopsis from IMDb
Synopsis from IMDb
It feels weird to say, but by iZombie standards that was a positively sedate season finale. They didn't explode anything!
Other than the premise, I mean.
posted by Holy Zarquon's Singing Fish at 11:15 AM on June 29, 2017 [5 favorites]
Other than the premise, I mean.
posted by Holy Zarquon's Singing Fish at 11:15 AM on June 29, 2017 [5 favorites]
Is the character name Carey Gold some kind of joke about butter?
I'm guessing Ravi is safe, just on the theory that bleaching his hair and beard would result in severe chemical burns to his scalp and face.
This felt like a midseason finale. We only had a 13-episode season for one thing, and for another the cliffhanger doesn't seem cliffy or hangery enough for a season finale. And too many threads that didn't get woven in, like Mr. Boss and Angus-in-the-well.
I appreciate that they're blowing up the premise and not just maintaining the status quo. I'll be interested to see where they go from here. I'm glad Bozzio is back.
posted by under_petticoat_rule at 12:09 PM on June 29, 2017 [4 favorites]
I'm guessing Ravi is safe, just on the theory that bleaching his hair and beard would result in severe chemical burns to his scalp and face.
This felt like a midseason finale. We only had a 13-episode season for one thing, and for another the cliffhanger doesn't seem cliffy or hangery enough for a season finale. And too many threads that didn't get woven in, like Mr. Boss and Angus-in-the-well.
I appreciate that they're blowing up the premise and not just maintaining the status quo. I'll be interested to see where they go from here. I'm glad Bozzio is back.
posted by under_petticoat_rule at 12:09 PM on June 29, 2017 [4 favorites]
The most chilling thing about this episode was all of the people lining up for vaccines that would ultimately cause their [un]death. It felt very much like the anti-vaxxer stuff going on in politics these days and it made me a little uncomfortable.
posted by Servo5678 at 7:58 AM on June 30, 2017 [6 favorites]
posted by Servo5678 at 7:58 AM on June 30, 2017 [6 favorites]
The vaccination storyline weirded me out as well. It did help a little that the vaccine itself was fine, it was just contaminated after delivery.
Chase's character was great. He showed loyalty to the zombies as opposed to just being straight evil.
posted by jojo and the benjamins at 10:28 AM on June 30, 2017 [3 favorites]
Chase's character was great. He showed loyalty to the zombies as opposed to just being straight evil.
posted by jojo and the benjamins at 10:28 AM on June 30, 2017 [3 favorites]
Am I the only one who was mildly disappointed that they didn't test the zombie vaccination by having sex? /livravishipper
posted by chaoticgood at 1:21 PM on June 30, 2017
posted by chaoticgood at 1:21 PM on June 30, 2017
Ah chaoticgood, I myself have been wondering if the reason they played the first person Ravi sex scenes for comedy was to ensure that Ravioli (just discovered that portmanteau and I'm kinda in love with it) shippers wouldn't have anything to work with. (But that's what fanfic is for!)
This episode blew up more than the premise. It's blown up relationships. Liv has chosen the humans while Major has chosen the zombies. That has the potential to get ugly soon. (Side note: now that Clive gets to carry the "torturous relationship" torch for a while, can we have Major have a solid relationship soon?)
I want to know what's going on with Liv and brains, and specifically if the blue goo causes a zombie to permanently adopt more of the characteristics from the brains they eat. Because Liv really HAS been overpowered by the brains she's eaten this season. I feel like that's not accidental; that's something they're building up for us.
posted by rednikki at 8:11 AM on July 1, 2017 [2 favorites]
This episode blew up more than the premise. It's blown up relationships. Liv has chosen the humans while Major has chosen the zombies. That has the potential to get ugly soon. (Side note: now that Clive gets to carry the "torturous relationship" torch for a while, can we have Major have a solid relationship soon?)
I want to know what's going on with Liv and brains, and specifically if the blue goo causes a zombie to permanently adopt more of the characteristics from the brains they eat. Because Liv really HAS been overpowered by the brains she's eaten this season. I feel like that's not accidental; that's something they're building up for us.
posted by rednikki at 8:11 AM on July 1, 2017 [2 favorites]
I want to know what's going on with Liv and brains…
I agree, it does seem like there is something up with Liv and brains beyond that experienced by the other zombies in the show. Bear with me for a moment. Liv has been undead longer than any other zombie, right?
As I understand it, in the world of iZombie the first zombie was Blaine. Liv was infected by Blaine at the boat party, no more than a few minutes after Blaine himself was turned undead by a combination of Max Rager and tainted Utopium. All other zombies can trace their origin via a chain of infection that leads back to Blaine or to a zombie created post-boat party in the secret Max Rager basement lab. Even the Fillmore-Graves zombies originate with Blaine since they were infected by Vivian Stoll who was infected by her husband who in turn was infected by Blaine. Because he received the cure, Blaine spent considerable time as a human before he was re-infected, thereby leaving Liv as the “oldest” zombie.
The show has already established that zombies that fail to regularly eat brains rapidly undergo both mental and physical deterioration. Since Liv has been a zombie for longer than any other and has had a reliable supply of brains the entire time she has been undead, it makes sense that Liv would be the first zombie to experience any long term effects of regularly eating brains. For that matter, vampires are undead, and they are sometimes depicted as growing in power and abilities as they age, so if the show was planning on playing with this idea in season 4 it would make sense if it were to happen first to Liv.
posted by RichardP at 2:33 PM on July 1, 2017 [3 favorites]
I agree, it does seem like there is something up with Liv and brains beyond that experienced by the other zombies in the show. Bear with me for a moment. Liv has been undead longer than any other zombie, right?
As I understand it, in the world of iZombie the first zombie was Blaine. Liv was infected by Blaine at the boat party, no more than a few minutes after Blaine himself was turned undead by a combination of Max Rager and tainted Utopium. All other zombies can trace their origin via a chain of infection that leads back to Blaine or to a zombie created post-boat party in the secret Max Rager basement lab. Even the Fillmore-Graves zombies originate with Blaine since they were infected by Vivian Stoll who was infected by her husband who in turn was infected by Blaine. Because he received the cure, Blaine spent considerable time as a human before he was re-infected, thereby leaving Liv as the “oldest” zombie.
The show has already established that zombies that fail to regularly eat brains rapidly undergo both mental and physical deterioration. Since Liv has been a zombie for longer than any other and has had a reliable supply of brains the entire time she has been undead, it makes sense that Liv would be the first zombie to experience any long term effects of regularly eating brains. For that matter, vampires are undead, and they are sometimes depicted as growing in power and abilities as they age, so if the show was planning on playing with this idea in season 4 it would make sense if it were to happen first to Liv.
posted by RichardP at 2:33 PM on July 1, 2017 [3 favorites]
Since Liv has been a zombie for longer than any other and has had a reliable supply of brains the entire time she has been undead, it makes sense that Liv would be the first zombie to experience any long term effects of regularly eating brains.
Also, Liv actively embraces her visions. Most zombies use them recreationally at best, but Liv has been actively encouraging all of this in the pursuit of her work. I suspect deliberately pushing this harder is having an effect on her too.
posted by mordax at 4:18 PM on July 1, 2017 [2 favorites]
Also, Liv actively embraces her visions. Most zombies use them recreationally at best, but Liv has been actively encouraging all of this in the pursuit of her work. I suspect deliberately pushing this harder is having an effect on her too.
posted by mordax at 4:18 PM on July 1, 2017 [2 favorites]
I enjoyed this wrap-up in part because I think it's blatantly obvious that, if iZombie world is anything like our world, Carey Gold was 100% correct about zombie island. Unless the plan included some sort of kill-switch type of deterrent there's no doubt in my mind that it would have been carpet-bombed and then napalmed. Honestly I'm a little surprised that the head of a mercenary company would think it would work.
I also took a little issue with the fact that there's no acknowledgment that it's still a possibility with Seattle. It's a bigger target and more additional damage and death, but I don't think that anyone doing a reasonable risk assessment would be willing to say there's no chance at a government attempt at bombing & eradication. That I can at least hand-wave off by thinking that being honest about that risk would make next season more challenging to write.
posted by phearlez at 9:38 AM on July 5, 2017 [4 favorites]
I also took a little issue with the fact that there's no acknowledgment that it's still a possibility with Seattle. It's a bigger target and more additional damage and death, but I don't think that anyone doing a reasonable risk assessment would be willing to say there's no chance at a government attempt at bombing & eradication. That I can at least hand-wave off by thinking that being honest about that risk would make next season more challenging to write.
posted by phearlez at 9:38 AM on July 5, 2017 [4 favorites]
Thomas goes into detail on that in the TV Line interview that jenfullmoon linked above -- he describes Season 4 as a city-wide hostage situation, where nobody's (yet) willing to murder half a million humans to get rid of 10,000 zombies, and they can't evacuate because it's nigh impossible to ensure that none of the evacuees would be undead.
posted by Holy Zarquon's Singing Fish at 10:42 AM on July 5, 2017 [2 favorites]
posted by Holy Zarquon's Singing Fish at 10:42 AM on July 5, 2017 [2 favorites]
Can someone explain to me why the guy had to steal the dom's session tapes? I lost that thread.
posted by CMcG at 11:45 AM on September 5, 2017
posted by CMcG at 11:45 AM on September 5, 2017
Heh, I finally finished catching up on this season. The subtext of a rabid group of people who feel persecuted holding an entire country hostage to their desires, complete with Zombie Mayor as GWB shoutout, was just too, too good.
posted by xyzzy at 3:10 PM on October 20, 2017
posted by xyzzy at 3:10 PM on October 20, 2017
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posted by Ivan Fyodorovich at 9:30 AM on June 29, 2017 [4 favorites]