iZombie: Brother, Can You Spare A Brain?
March 25, 2015 7:10 PM - Season 1, Episode 2 - Subscribe
Liv investigates the death of a very passionate artist and searches for the male zombie she saw in a vision.
I liked this episode quite a bit more than the pilot. It could have just been subjective, but I felt there was less police stuff and more Liv stuff, which works better. I was prepared to hate the Major subplot, but what they did with it here, and with emotional states in general, hints at more to the show than either the promos or the pilot gave us.
Speaking of which, did anyone get the sense from the promos that Judy Reyes was going to be at least semi-recurring? I want more Nurse Turkelton!
posted by zombieflanders at 4:17 AM on March 26, 2015
Speaking of which, did anyone get the sense from the promos that Judy Reyes was going to be at least semi-recurring? I want more Nurse Turkelton!
posted by zombieflanders at 4:17 AM on March 26, 2015
Not a bad follow up to the pilot. I was curious with our zombie bad guy, as whether he was going to end up being the "Logan" of this Rob Thomas (or future Spike?) show, but it seems for now that he's definitely a bad, bad guy.
So is "Full On Zombie" ("FOZ") going to be a super power of Liv's or will it be something she can't control that well?
There's a certain sadness to Liv, though. She was essentially drained of her humanity by becoming a zombie, visibly even by the disappearance of skin and hair color, and sensually, the robbing of her taste. So she basically has to mine the lives of others to experience being a human again, with the results being what they were by the end of the episode.
posted by Atreides at 6:42 AM on March 26, 2015 [1 favorite]
So is "Full On Zombie" ("FOZ") going to be a super power of Liv's or will it be something she can't control that well?
There's a certain sadness to Liv, though. She was essentially drained of her humanity by becoming a zombie, visibly even by the disappearance of skin and hair color, and sensually, the robbing of her taste. So she basically has to mine the lives of others to experience being a human again, with the results being what they were by the end of the episode.
posted by Atreides at 6:42 AM on March 26, 2015 [1 favorite]
Well, Zombie Bad Guy (ZBG) seems to have his FOZ mode under control through intentional practice, so if Liz decides to get hers under control, I am sure she could. Appears to be a default condition available for any zombie. Liz even mentioned in ep1 that she eats to keep it at bay. She thinks hunger brings it on.
posted by insert.witticism.here at 7:26 AM on March 26, 2015
posted by insert.witticism.here at 7:26 AM on March 26, 2015
I'm hoping the police procedural elements of the show move into the backseat so they can focus on the coming zombie gang war and on how Liv deals with the lives she takes on during each investigation. Both DeBeers (ZBG) and Liv adopting new personalities are way more interesting to me than the Crime-Fighting Zombie framework.
posted by Holy Zarquon's Singing Fish at 7:30 AM on March 26, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by Holy Zarquon's Singing Fish at 7:30 AM on March 26, 2015 [1 favorite]
Certain aspects of Liv's life have changed because of her "condition," however being a zombie actually RESTORES some of her life (hobbies, interest in music, even her desire for human relationships) that she eschewed when she was physically alive. She's gone from one extreme and now seems to be trying to find a balance between the two-working towards a future goal (regaining her physical vitality, potentially re-igniting her romance with Major) and enjoying her current circumstances (painting, music, fighting crime). I suspect if the show goes on long enough one conflict that will surface is what happens when a potential cure is discovered.
posted by miss-lapin at 3:03 PM on March 26, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by miss-lapin at 3:03 PM on March 26, 2015 [3 favorites]
Also, David Anders AKA ZBG was also the lead in the Revenant as well as Dr. Whale/Victor Frankenstein on Once Upon a Time. (I find him hot, even in zombie make up.)
posted by miss-lapin at 3:09 PM on March 26, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by miss-lapin at 3:09 PM on March 26, 2015 [2 favorites]
I kept waiting for somebody to make a reference to how dessicated zombie genitals must be, thereby making them unsuitable for sexytimes.
They're gonna need a lot of lube to keep on living and loving -- especially with non-zombified humans -- like they used to do in the iZombieVerse.
posted by Unicorn on the cob at 3:24 PM on March 26, 2015 [2 favorites]
They're gonna need a lot of lube to keep on living and loving -- especially with non-zombified humans -- like they used to do in the iZombieVerse.
posted by Unicorn on the cob at 3:24 PM on March 26, 2015 [2 favorites]
"Certain aspects of Liv's life have changed because of her 'condition,' however being a zombie actually RESTORES some of her life (hobbies, interest in music, even her desire for human relationships) that she eschewed when she was physically alive."
I think in numerous ways the show has been signaling that this will represent an improvement in Liv's life. In this episode they were more explicit, but I think it's been the subtext. And it's more interesting. I mean, it's sort of obvious, really, but it's a neat idea to think that a lot of people have effectively made themselves zombies in the slave of some external thing, like ambition, and that having one's life radically altered by becoming an actual zombie would restore some perspective.
"Also, David Anders AKA ZBG was also the lead in the Revenant as well as Dr. Whale/Victor Frankenstein on Once Upon a Time. (I find him hot, even in zombie make up.)"
And on Heroes his power was that he couldn't be killed. I can't remember if anything freaky and similar happened to him on Alias. I've always liked him quite a bit; he's very charismatic and he plays villains in a way that nicely balances the scenery chewing and realism. I absolutely loved the scene of Liv meeting him in the morgue and I watched it three times.
This is quickly becoming my second favorite new show (after Better Call Saul, of course).
posted by Ivan Fyodorovich at 8:30 PM on March 26, 2015 [2 favorites]
I think in numerous ways the show has been signaling that this will represent an improvement in Liv's life. In this episode they were more explicit, but I think it's been the subtext. And it's more interesting. I mean, it's sort of obvious, really, but it's a neat idea to think that a lot of people have effectively made themselves zombies in the slave of some external thing, like ambition, and that having one's life radically altered by becoming an actual zombie would restore some perspective.
"Also, David Anders AKA ZBG was also the lead in the Revenant as well as Dr. Whale/Victor Frankenstein on Once Upon a Time. (I find him hot, even in zombie make up.)"
And on Heroes his power was that he couldn't be killed. I can't remember if anything freaky and similar happened to him on Alias. I've always liked him quite a bit; he's very charismatic and he plays villains in a way that nicely balances the scenery chewing and realism. I absolutely loved the scene of Liv meeting him in the morgue and I watched it three times.
This is quickly becoming my second favorite new show (after Better Call Saul, of course).
posted by Ivan Fyodorovich at 8:30 PM on March 26, 2015 [2 favorites]
Also, David Anders AKA ZBG was also the lead in the Revenant
That tickled me as well (and I highly recommend Revenant; squint right and it could be a prequel) and the only grump I had with his casting is that I knew last week he'd be back in a more meaningful way since clearly they wouldn't cast him for a one-off with 2 lines. But I really enjoy him as an actor so yay.
posted by phearlez at 9:16 AM on March 27, 2015
That tickled me as well (and I highly recommend Revenant; squint right and it could be a prequel) and the only grump I had with his casting is that I knew last week he'd be back in a more meaningful way since clearly they wouldn't cast him for a one-off with 2 lines. But I really enjoy him as an actor so yay.
posted by phearlez at 9:16 AM on March 27, 2015
Finally got around to watching this and I was actually really impressed. I loved Horny Artist Liv and I really hope she keeps the painting up instead of having that erased.
(Do we know if she loses skills with each new brain or what? I hope not.)
I seriously wonder about their so-called zombieism. Seems to spread like an STD/blood infection, but they still pee and have sex. I dunno, they don't seem so very dead exactly, more like a super weird medical condition.
That poor lady Blaine slept with. Lucky Major kicked her out. Definitely confirms that poor Liv can't do anything with that case of the hornies.
posted by jenfullmoon at 8:52 PM on April 6, 2015
(Do we know if she loses skills with each new brain or what? I hope not.)
I seriously wonder about their so-called zombieism. Seems to spread like an STD/blood infection, but they still pee and have sex. I dunno, they don't seem so very dead exactly, more like a super weird medical condition.
That poor lady Blaine slept with. Lucky Major kicked her out. Definitely confirms that poor Liv can't do anything with that case of the hornies.
posted by jenfullmoon at 8:52 PM on April 6, 2015
Because there's a Fanfare thread, I watched via Netflix. Pilot was good. Last night I cued #2, but ended watching #3 as well. This may well be a mainline pleasure.
Thanks Fanfare for advancing my viewing habits!
posted by Jesse the K at 4:19 PM on October 29, 2015 [2 favorites]
Thanks Fanfare for advancing my viewing habits!
posted by Jesse the K at 4:19 PM on October 29, 2015 [2 favorites]
Can we really say that being zombie made Liv more alive? I mean, so far she has been wearing the personality and interests of other people, not necessarily opening herself up to enjoying the pleasures of life. That was only possible because of the artist that she ate - she really she is just pantomiming life even more - between trying to act like a normal person while a zombie, and then recycling other people's passions and drives.
Also - she has been eating brains from work for several weeks prior to the pilot episode - she never noticed weirdness/visions before? Or strange new skills or abilities? or does it only work with homicide victims?
posted by Suffocating Kitty at 7:51 AM on December 22, 2015
Also - she has been eating brains from work for several weeks prior to the pilot episode - she never noticed weirdness/visions before? Or strange new skills or abilities? or does it only work with homicide victims?
posted by Suffocating Kitty at 7:51 AM on December 22, 2015
Also - she has been eating brains from work for several weeks prior to the pilot episode - she never noticed weirdness/visions before? Or strange new skills or abilities? or does it only work with homicide victims?
It might be that without delving into the lives of the murdered victims, she was less prone to acknowledge what was happening. It was there, but just not something she really focused on. Perhaps?
posted by Atreides at 9:34 AM on December 22, 2015
It might be that without delving into the lives of the murdered victims, she was less prone to acknowledge what was happening. It was there, but just not something she really focused on. Perhaps?
posted by Atreides at 9:34 AM on December 22, 2015
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