iZombie Finale Recap: “Dead Beat” / “Salivation Army”

(image: Katie Yu/The CW)

And another iZombie season bites the biggie, but did a Big Bad (or two!) bite it, too? Worse yet, did someone we live (Liv!) to love die?

Before I get to those answers and other punny business, let me just say that there are obviously major (Major!) spoilers below. So, if you haven’t watched the 2-hour Season 2 finale yet, please do not proceed. Or, you know, do, but only if you recently ate the brains of a sucker for spoilers and can’t help yourself!

BRAINSSSY:

• “No, this is all wrong. I need to break this down by genre!” Realest thing Liv has said all season, amiright? *Reorganizes DVD library again* *Realizes not everyone has DVD players, let alone libraries anymore*

• LOVE that the opening scene of “Dead Beat” gets right to it, re: Major being revealed as the Chaos Killer. And then adds in, you know, Ravi getting taken away, too! That’s how you start a finale!

• Can we talk about Ken Marino’s cameo as Major’s lawyer? And also how perfect his hair and line delivery is? (Yes, he’s playing a total creep, but if you’ve seen him in Party Down or Wet Hot American Summer, you know this is his bread and butter.)

• Speaking of Party Down, did any other fans catch Vaughn saying “Are we having fun yet??” (If you don’t get this, please watch Party Down tomorrow. My second-fave Rob Thomas show!)

• On the topic of references … how’s about that faux video game convo between Ravi and Major? What a clever way to get them to talk about the Z thing with prison guards watching/listening, while also inventing a totally fake game I now have a totally real urge to play.

• Please observe a moment of silence in honor of the brain lost to Liv’s ravenous hunger (see above), (this is your own brain on hot wings, or other spicy sauced things).

• And now a moment of squealing for Clive’s “as a friend …” moment with Liv. And a moment of freaking for Liv confronting Clive about EVERYTHING (finally!). And a moment of relief for Clive actually believing Liv and getting Major out of jail! And then a final moment of sadness for Dale seemingly not being able to get over Clive’s actions.

• Malcolm Goodwin says they did several different versions of the Clive reaction scene, but I really like the one they picked in the end. Good one, Goodwin.

• “White people.”

• Sorry, but I can’t wait another minute to talk about Ravi and Peyton getting it on again! Hands up if you were as inappropriately excited as Liv and Major were to see them making out … and then inappropriately upset to see the Peyton/Blaine embrace. (Ravi, come find me! I’ll console you!)

• As much as I’m not down for Peyton/Blaine as a couple (forgive me, anyone who is), I’m always down for Ravi/Blaine as a team. Even if them teaming up means Peyton has to pay the price. (See: NOT-SO BRAINSSSY.)

• Speaking of returns, YES to Gilda/Rita coming back in “Salivation Army,” calling Papa Vaughn on all his shit (including having a terribly ’80s password) and serving him his just desserts (dad-sserts?!) by eating his brains.

• All jokes aside, props to Vaughn’s ridiculous intro for singer-songwriter (not to be confused with TV genius!) Rob Thomas. And overall passion for Rob Thomas.

• “Will no one rid me of the meddlesome Jason Priestley type?!”

• So much primo music in the second half! “O-o-h Child”! “Love Will Keep Us Together”! An all-too-apt cover of Matchbox Twenty’s “Unwell”!

• “This is how a skull breaks” may be my favourite iZombie line ever, thanks in big part to Rose McIver’s amazing delivery. And kudos to Rob for being a good sport and playing corpse for a short while. Apparently he really loves the show, which is also horribly adorable.

• Looks like we may have a new Big Bad for Season 3, and it’s a lady! Can’t wait to see more of this Vivian woman, who caps the season with blood quite literally on her hands (she’s a zombie too!). As she tells Liv at the end, she sees this as just the beginning for Z nation, with hopes of turning Seattle into some sort of Safe-Z Zone (I just made this up and am willing to let the writers use it).

• I’m still getting over “Salivation Army” as an episode title. SO. GOOD.

NOT-SO BRAINSSSY: 

• My heart remains broken thinking of poor Ravi struggling to hold up his teacup after committing his first murder. Not looking forward to more upset for him in Season 3, but again, I’m happy to help him through anything and everything. Who’s with me?

• Anyone else kinda hate that shot of Drake at the end of the first hour? I know it’s meant to be a dramatic moment, but he was so angsty-looking he may as well have been doing an imitation of his namesake during an especially sad “Hotline Bling” video outtake.

• R.I.P. two of my new faves: Drake and Gilda/Rita. Or am I speaking too soon? Could they still be alive somehow? I’m willing to believe that Rita is still alive and will come back with her dad’s brains influencing her every move.

• “Here’s Major!” I love The Shining, but did we really need that overdone reference?

• Love seeing Peyton in action again. But don’t love that it involves her offering up “action” to a pervy lawyer who can’t even creepily quote Silence of Lambs properly. What’s more, she ends up getting kidnapped mainly to complicate her love triangle with Ravi and Blaine. Let’s hope she gets to work with Liv, or any other female characters, more in Season 3. Girl deserves more than this!

• P.S. – Thanks for following these recaps, TMS readers! I hope you’ve enjoyed them as much as I’ve enjoyed coming up with the stupid joke captions. Please share your own insights and puns below. I’ll also take suggestions for shows/movies/games/thingamabobs to get me through the hiatus. (If only Zombie High were real.)

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

(images via The CW)

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 (note the extra e!) 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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