Kyle’s Thoughts

“Spank the Zombie” wasn’t horrible but outside the shock value of Liv under the influence of a dominatrix brain, it was forgettable.

I won’t be able to remember anything about this episode in a few weeks besides Liv telling men to crawl on all fours and there isn’t a safe word when she breaks out her whip. I like it when iZombie doesn’t take itself too seriously. I don’t like it when the show puts too much of its entertainment value on the weird things Liv does because she’s eaten the brain of someone with an alternative lifestyle.

When the show works, Liv’s personal life, not necessarily her love life, gets effected by the brains she’s eaten. She gains the courage to tell someone her secret or sniffs out a lie someone else has been keeping for a few months or gains insight on how to help a friend. Sure, iZombie has a habit of adding comic relief with the goofy things Liv does because she isn’t quite herself, but this season has leaned too heavily on comedy or shock value. Major and Liv reconcile before he takes the zombie cure and gives himself a mind wipe. The dominatrix brain ran counter to that development.

I’m not the biggest fan of iZombie returning to the Major-Liv love angle out of nowhere. They never got together the past two seasons. iZombie didn’t bother to have much in the way of romance at all until now. Major and Liv were engaged before the events of the show started. It does make some sense they’d get back together under duress—this may be the last time Major’s himself—but I’d like a little more story.

iZombie too much emphasis on goofy brains. The CW places too much emphasis on romance. The show hadn’t done enough to hitch these Major and Liv. Major made googly eyes at Liv a few weeks ago but he hasn’t looked at her since like that or said anything and Liv has never expressed any feelings this season. And that’s what gets me with Liv’s character and iZombie putting too much of an emphasis on the silly things Liv does while on a set of abnormal brains. Liv hasn’t expressed much of anything.

It’s always been a fine line between Liv losing herself to the brains she’s eaten and how she really behaves, thinks, and feels. She’s lost herself this season. I may keep watching for a few weeks and see if this season turns around, but iZombie has taken a less than desirable turn.

Thanks for reading.