Two bombshells were dropped in the iZombie Season 2 premiere. First of all, Liv’s new roommate is the mysterious Gilda, who we know to be working with none other than Vaughn Du Clark. We also learned that ex-zombies Major and Blaine are basically zombie detectors now. When Du Clark found out about Major’s new ability (of course he was listening in), he recruited him to “dispose” of all the zombies, thus cleaning up Du Clark’s own mess. Of course, Major refused, but when Du Clark threatened to begin his eradication with Liv, he reluctantly agreed. We know from the Season 1 finale, that Major definitely possesses the skills necessary for this unfortunate task.
“Zombie Bro” begins with Major wracked with guilt over his most recent kill. Although he has shown a certain penchant for zombie destruction, he would never be doing this, were it not for Liv. Although months have passed, Major still refuses to speak with her. It seems severe, until you consider that Liv let him check himself into a mental institution, as opposed to revealing her secret. So, though her desire to be close to him is palpable, his resistance is understandable.
Major may spend the episode in pit of anguish, but Liv’s regularly scheduled programming is replaced with “brogramming” after she consumes the brains of a fraternity brother. As Ravi says after they find the victim in the aftermath of a Zeta Beta Thetas party, “Well, I hope you like Yeager Bombs and homoerotic subtext.” Of all the personalities we’ve seen Liv take on, this one was absolutely the most fun. Her plan to find the killer is to figure out who “sucks” and drink as much beer as possible in the process. After all, Chad was “more than a frat brother. He was more like a brother brother bro.”
The clever satirizing of fraternities is familiar territory for Thomas, who often did so on Veronica Mars, but in this instance he stays away from exposing the harmful elements as he did on that show, in favor of exploiting the humor of “bromosapiens.” Liv is focused on justice, as long as she’s not distracted by Beer Pong or taking advantage of a napping Ravi by putting make-up on him, writing “FART” on his forehead and filling his beard with glitter.
Speaking of Ravi, he needs to find more tainted Utopium, in order to replicate the cure that Liv used on Major and Blaine. He also, for some reason, decides that he needs to try Utopium, in order to better understand its effects. He ropes Major into clubbing with him and watching them awkwardly try to score drugs is pretty entertaining. Ravi may want to understand the drug (of course his taped notes all come out as gibberish anyway), but Major just wants to lose himself. He’s drowning and while reluctant to take “U” initially, once he does, he just wants more.
Despite the fact that Major isn’t speaking to Liv, she’s still his emergency contact. Therefore, she’s the one that’s called when he winds up passed out over a toilet. Liv arrives to see Ravi having the time of his life and Major, a crumpled mess. Of course, she packs them both into a cab, during which time, Major tosses her phone out the window and tells her, “They’re always listening.” This is interesting, because we know “they” are indeed listening.
Once home, the interaction between Major and Liv is a relief. I understand Major’s distrust of her, however I can’t help but root for them. Although this is a touching scene, we know it can’t last. After all, Liv may not have any more secrets from Major, but he is now certainly keeping them from her. The most heartbreaking element here, is that while he is doing this to protect Liv, these actions will undoubtedly keep them apart.
Another notable event of this episode is the introduction of Blaine’s father (Robert Knepper). It is a fascinating glimpse into the mind of our resident psychotic. Not that the “daddy never loved me” defense would hold up in court, but it adds a dimension to his character that wasn’t there before. As usual, Blaine’s a busy guy. He’s got big plans for his drug empire, but he may have gnawed off more than he can chew this time.
The revelation of the killer doesn’t disappoint. Awesomely, it’s a game of “Do, Date, Delete” that leads Clive and Liv to the answer (only on iZombie). As usual, the resolution is more complex than you’d think. One of the most difficult tricks of this show is unequivocally, keeping the mysteries fresh and unpredictable. However, Thomas has proven that he is more than capable of keeping the “case of the week” compelling, as well as providing satisfying brushstrokes for the larger narrative.