iZombie Recap: “Liv and Let Clive”

Since iZombie started just a few weeks ago, it has mainly been focused on our leading lady (and undead Veronica Mars!) Liv Moore, and her quest to do good by the brains she’s eating. But with Episode 4, things change a bit, as we turn towards Liv’s partner in solving crimes, Clive.

In a sense, zooming in on Clive so early in the game seems risky, especially since he’s been real up and down with the awesomeness thus far (hey dude, why you gotta keep doubting and then entrusting everything in our supposedly “psychic” Liv?). Did the risk pay off? Did it leave enough meat for the other storylines? Let’s get to the brainsssy discussion!

BRAINSSSY:

• We get a closer look into Clive’s backstory early on in the episode as Liv gets a flash to a formerly moustachioed Clive going H.A.M. on Ray, a supposed pal of this week’s Recently Deceased, Sammy. It’s enough to make Liv go on a full investigation of his character and for us to start understanding the complicated nature that is Clive. Dude’s got a dark past via his time with vice (Ray was his partner!), and it’s adding some interesting shades to what seemed to be a pretty blank slate of a character.

• We also get to see what happened to that woman who Blaine made undead through the sex. Turns out she’s doing everything she can—constant manis and hair dying and spray tanning—to appear a non-zombie. It’s an interesting look into the life of another undead lady in this realm and a realistic one, as you’d imagine there would be plenty of people who would go to extremes to want to keep their new lifestyle secret. (See also: Blaine.)

• “Might I suggest a disappointed former piano teacher?” “Her life is like the whorey version of that movie Memento.” “That’s one way to take a shower.” “I’m not a fan of gaming with glare.” Ravi was ON FIRE this week.

• <3 <3 <3 the name of the restaurant Blaine hit up for some coffee and secret rendezvous.

• This episode got a little further into what Blaine’s up to and it’s intriguing. He’s trying to sell brains on the sly, as well as finding new (and delicious-looking?!) ways to cook ‘em. Oh, and he’s willing to kill his non-brainsssy minions upon getting a whiff of betrayal. Super villainy stuff.

• Is putting wasabi in someone’s eye the craziest torture technique of all-time, or what?!

• Liv’s fake surprised face had shades of Taylor Swift at every awards show.

• Liv’s “I know kung-fu. I know kung-fu?” moment showed us Liv’s actual surprise face is less than Swift.

• Speaking of kung-fu, YES YES YES to Liv literally fighting back against the dude stalking her. Sure, the first bit of fighting came from her eating Sammy’s brains, but eventually she went full-zombie on the guy. What’s more, the whole thing resulted in her to throwing out a sublimely sarcastic “You got your ass kicked by a girl. Deal with it.”

• Anyone else have a feeling Major and Ravi’s dorky meet cute this week could be the beginning of a beautiful, awkward friendship and bromance?

BRAINSSSDEAD:

• “I saw Clive giving a Rodney King style beat-down….” Not the timeliest of references.

• More #MajorPain comes Liv’s way when his new girlfriend shows up (SANS PANTS!) as she attempts to bring him surprise morning coffee. This time we can’t really blame Major, as he was clearly trying to avoid hurting Liv by keeping this girl upstairs. But still, seeing the look on Liv’s face when she shows up? Heartbreaking. (Power to her for getting over it at the end when Ravi moves in!)

• No Peyton this episode, but Liv’s brother, Evan, making reference to using the girl’s “personal massager” and wanting to raid her panty drawer. EWWW to the EWWW.

• Ravi and Liv went to a video store at one point, which might seem hopeful but is actually unrealistic in these A.B. (After Blockbuster) times. Like, that porn section was huge. No one goes outside their browser to get their get off stuffs these days!

• “It doesn’t take body fat to have a phat idea.”

Emily Gagne (@emilygagne) is one of the founding members of Cinefilles, a site for wannabe female film and TV critics, as well as an admitted heroine addict. She may not have super strength, or be able to make a stake on command, but she can slay you with her rhetorical devices, endless knowledge of Final Girls, and passion for geek girl scoop.

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