iZombie Recap: “Grumpy Old Liv”

And with that first episode, iZombie officially lives (Livs!) on in our still-beating hearts and in reality!

Seriously, though, people, how excited are you that iZombie is back in our weekly schedules once more (Moore!)? It’s been a few months and our brains may have turned to mush that even Liv wouldn’t eat with some hot sauce on hand, but it’s time to dig back in again, starting with “Grumpy Old Liv,” an episode that you can’t help but like just on the title alone. (Bring on curmudgeonly Liv!)

In case you’re joining my recaps for the first time, welcome (*friendly ghost emoji x 5*) and be prepared for bad jokes and concerns about the wherabouts of Peyton in the form of fun, point-form notes (separated into “BRAINSSSY” and “NOT-SO BRAINSSSY”). And if you’re back again after following Season 1, you know the drill and also I love you as much as Ravi’s hair.

BRAINSSSY:

• Welcome back, punderful title cards!

• Love that they wasted no time addressing Evan’s status and Liv’s decision re: giving him blood. Don’t love the shade that Mama Moore gave her (uh, not all pale ladies are on hard drugs, lady!). Do accept Evan’s reaction to it all (hey, I’d be mad if my sib wasn’t sharing their plasma with me when I needed it).

• Peyton was mentioned in the first four minutes!!

• “That’s just a simple case of bros before … ex-fiances.” “If I wanted to give her a depressing name, I would have gone with Phantom Menace.” Ravi’s back, baby! And sassier than ever.

• Also, can I just give a shout-out to the Ravi/Liv partnership once again? So fun, so natural, so what you want from TV work besties.

• Is it gross that I think the brain meatballs looked kind of delish? This is what I get for eating a pumpkin spice pastry for dinner. (HALLOWEEN SEASON IS EATING MY BRAINSSSS!)

• “Your t-shirt’s stupid. That’s meant to be literal.” So Liv became a total grump this episode thanks to the old man brains she ate. And perfect Rose McIver was perfect at playing the part, even when the writing was questionable and maybe not in the best interests of her character (see: NOT-SO BRAINSSSY).

• “Are you eating that, or impregnating it?”

• Blaine is now running a funeral home that’s actually a front for his Utopium ring? This is the Six Feet Under meets Breaking Bad meets The Walking Dead mash-up I’ve been waiting for!

• Let’s also talk about Blaine’s new look, which makes him look like a bleach-happy version of the reverend from True Blood. The suit is fine and fitting, but why wouldn’t he change up his rug now that he’s human and trying to start a new under-the-radar thing? Maybe David Anders likes the ‘do? 
  

• “Is that my cue to start laughing maniacally?” Stephen Weber is still really great at Vaughn.

• On the topic of Vaughn, what are our thoughts on Major the Zombie Slayer? Because clearly his thoughts are dark, especially now that Max Rager is making him do this (or else!). Kudos to the writers for giving Major something interesting to do with his new zombie knowledge/post-cure abilities (his zombie senses are tingling!).

• Yes, yes y’all to an elderly lady who offered Liv food because she looked pale and sickly. I will take this woman up on said offer any day of the week.

• How long until the CW actually makes Zombie High?

• Next episode title is “Zombie Bro” (Liv eats frat boy brain!) and the next one after that is “Real Dead Housewife of Seattle” (you can figure that one out)! So be excited!

NOT-SO BRAINSSSY:

• Peyton was only mentioned in the first four minutes!!! (Note: Looking at the CW press site, Peyton should not return for a few episodes. *SAD FACE*)

• Not sure what to make of this Gilda character (Leanne Lapp, whom I haven’t seen in much else, but maybe you have?), a.k.a. Liv’s new roommate/Vaughn’s partner in zombie crime? She can’t really replace Peyton if she’s evil, right? Also, let’s give Liv a lady friend to actually keep around, okay?

• “Magic Mike hot” is not a description I’d attach to Major, Gilda. Major is hot, but Magic Mike hot is a whole different thing entirely.

• “Lady Aspirin” is not a term I’d use again, Clive.

• Just as I was about to type “Glad that Old Man Liv wasn’t really racist,” she made that “You’re one of the good ones” remark to Clive. There goes my theory that Liv won’t do anything on other people’s brains that she wouldn’t do on her own.

• While the whole reveal involving the not-actually-dead dog was interesting and emotional (the dog lover in me died a little at “I’m gonna have to leave you”), I was secretly hoping the dog was a zombie too. Missed opp, IMHO.

iZombie airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on The CW. Canadians can catch it on Shomi.

(images via The CW)

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