iZombie 2.08 “The Hurt Stalker”

“The Hurt Stalker” begins with a very blissed out Liv unwittingly creating a very pissed off Gilda by letting her duplicitous roommate in on the details of her and Major’s recent reunion. While Gilda’s envy pushes her to introduce doubt into Liv’s happy equation, it is the brain of the week that truly permeates Liv’s mind with jealousy. When “badge bunny” (as in, she’s into cops) Regina is shot with Clive’s gun, it lands Clive in some boiling water. However, the fact that the woman had a propensity for stalking is what brings all of Liv’s misgivings roiling to the surface. Regina and Clive went out only a few times, but that didn’t stop her from making an incredibly disturbing and mostly Photoshopped scrapbook. We later find out that Regina has done this with several cops she either dated or slept with. Liv doesn’t know this when she uses Regina’s brains to make Ants on a Log for lunch.

Rose McIver expertly incorporates a new character into Liv’s personality each week with such ease that we can forget Liv is constantly walking the line between who she really is and who each brain forces her to be. This season alone we’ve been treated to bro Liv, real housewife Liv and crotchety old man Liv. These brains have all not only helped her solve crimes, but enabled her to relate to the victim in a way that no one else could, which gives her a stake in the case that no on else has. Regina does something different though. Liv is no stalker, but she is human and as such, she shares the same insecurities as the rest of us. More so really, because she has the extra added issue of being a fucking zombie. Liv may be overjoyed about reuniting with Major, but deep down she knows they have an expiration date. Liv is always who she eats, but generally that person doesn’t intensify feelings that already exist within her.

Throughout the episode, Liv navigates the tricky waters of her own mind under the influence of Regina. She steals Major’s sleeping hand to unlock his phone with a fingerprint and of course, doesn’t like the correspondences she finds between him and Rita (who she has no idea is actually Gilda). After Liv goes a few rounds with Major, who is rightfully upset at the invasion of privacy, he decides to hide his zombie hunting equipment in his safe, so that she won’t discover it if the brain gets the best of her again. This happens almost immediately when she walks in on him closing the safe and begs him to open it. His refusal only worsens her suspicions. She later takes to the Internet to stalk every woman that’s ever commented on his Facebook posts. We know this isn’t Liv, but some part of her wants these answers as desperately as Regina would.

As far as Regina’s murder, things aren’t looking great for Clive. Aside from being shot with his gun, her voicemail included a (deservedly) threatening message from him. Clive is off the case, but Agent Bozzio shows up to help by bringing Liv and Ravi the scrapbook before delivering it to the cops. This interaction makes them keenly aware that Bozzio knows Clive far better than they do, despite knowing him for a far shorter amount of time. He cooks Cajun food, plays piano and is a huge Game of Thrones fan. Who knew? Bozzio even suggests that Ravi can use this fact to torture Clive by asking him what George R.R. Martin is doing right now. “Not writing,” Clive responds angrily, as we all nod our heads in agreement.

After last week’s more procedural based episode, this week returns to this season’s trend of the crime taking a backseat to the larger story. This case is mostly about the effect Regina has on Liv anyway. While attempting to solve the murder, her instincts take her over the edge when she unknowingly breaks into the police chief’s car. Although Liv’s solid police work later saves her job, she winds up in jail, giving the stalker brains time to wear off. This leads to a rare moment of Liv losing control over her inner monster, as she almost tears into a fellow inmate’s skull after going too many hours sans sustenance. Luckily Ravi gets her out just in time and while she’s grateful for the brains smoothie, it does get Regina back in her head.

When Liv pleads with Major a second time to open his safe, he reluctantly agrees. For one glorious moment, it seems he will finally reveal his secrets to her, but alas, he’s moved his gear and only her old engagement ring remains. Although we know that Major isn’t actually killing anyone, he is taking them away from their families for an undetermined amount of time and working for a man Liv knows to be a true villain. Major is asking her to trust him, but he’s still lying every step of their relationship. At this point, it is unforgivable of him to continue keeping this from her.

A late night text from Rita prompts Liv to once again use a sleeping Major to unlock his phone. She then proceeds to text back and forth with Rita as Major. This leads to Liv getting a photo of the other woman in lingerie and how soul crushing is it that she can’t see Rita’s face in the photo to learn that she is, in fact, Gilda? It is absolutely heartbreaking to watch Liv realize that she doesn’t trust Major. The truth is though, she really can’t, just not for the reasons she suspects.