iZombie 3×02 Review: Zombie Knows Best
For “iZombie”, episode 2 of season 3 is an utter gem. We’re treated to side-paining comedy, tear-inducing drama, ick-factor, and a little bit of heartbreak. This episode can be a bit jarring at first, until the viewer gets used to the time and point-of-view changes. We even get to remember a memory within a memory! Still, it’s darn-near perfect.
It begins with Clive being questioned by Det. Cavanaugh about the murder scene where Wally and his family were found in last week’s episode. Clive recalls his first meeting with Wally (who was a snark-master). When Clive insists he only knew Wally because they were neighbors, Cavanaugh challenges this by showing him a candid photo of Clive, Wally, and Wally’s mom.
Cut to four days earlier, when Clive, Liv, Ravi, and Cavanaugh are examining the bodies of Wally’s family. Cavanaugh asks hard-hitting but fair questions, but the rest of the group remains silent. Ravi shows Cavanaugh the body of Wally, who is off-camera in a drawer, and the detective asks Ravi if he sees any signs of abuse. We’re zapped back to present-day of Clive looking at the candid photo, and he shares a memory of Wally’s abusive father, whom he arrested and sent away.
A father and teen daughter pull up to a stop-light and do what most fathers and daughters do- argue. From this small slice of their life, we can see that the dad enjoys making weird noises and singing so that it embarrasses his daughter, and she is annoyed in the highest degree. Just as they are about to begin an in-depth, heart-felt conversation, a mystery vehicle smashes into them, killing both, and disappears into the night.
Next day, Clive, Liv, and Ravi show up at the scene to examine the bodies and potential homocide. Liv shocks Clive by revealing this is how she and Major will eat – they scavenge brains from bodies at the morgue. Smash-cut to Liv firing up the grill while Ravi looks on, eating chips with a bored look on his face, and Clive can’t wrap his mind around what he’s seeing. (By the way, can we take a second to discuss how Liv puts way more time preparing her meals than anyone I’ve ever met? Especially since she can’t really taste anything!)
Liv makes chili dogs and Major swings by for a meal. One pot of chili is the daughter and the other is the dad. Major calls dibs on the bank-manager-dad since he wants to get his finances in order, but Clive stops him to point out that Liv has already ate some of the father. In order to find out any information the daughter might have had that the father didn’t about who might have killed them, Clive insists that Major enjoy his hot dog topped with the brains of an ice-skating teenage girl. Major begrudgingly snacks away.
Not too long after, Major and Ravi are hanging out in Ravi’s office and the start of teenage-brain Major heralds itself by Major repeatedly asking Ravi if he should text a number he got from a vision of Natalie. Ravi, still feeling down about Peyton, does not catch on at first since he’s busy “hurtling into the abyss” at any mention of Blaine or Peyton. He explains that he’s gotten messages from Peyton wanting to talk, and Major’s brain-lunch makes a full swing into teen mode. “What does that even *mean*?” he asks, indignant. What follows is absolute perfection from Robert Buckley, who portrays Major. (Also, we’re glad that Ravi confirmed he and Major are like, totally best friends.)
Liv and Clive join them in the Lab. Liv, a little too tanked-up on dad brains, is overly-protective of Major, who needs to get to mercenary training. Major shows up at training and has an awkward encounter with the other zombie mercenaries who are more ripped than him. When he explains to them that he’s on teen-girl brain, they show him the tubes of brain mash they eat to avoid visions. Major shows them his selfies, and in doing so, triggers a vision of the girl he ate showing her dad a photo that he says needs to be taken to the authorities.
Clive goes through a list of Cindy’s (teen girl’s) classmates to locate Winslow, whose name Major heard in his vision. Major tells everyone about the brain tubes at Filmore-Graves. Ravi attempts to trigger Liv’s vision of what the dad saw on the phone, but fails. Clive turns over Cindy’s phone to a tech person at the police station to see if he can pull photos off of it.
Over at Filmore-Graves, Liv and Clive meet with Vivian about the murders. Vivian, who clearly dislikes humans, seems okay with Clive’s help, but one has to wonder if she might have plans for turning him. Clive and Liv interview some of the mercenaries and teachers about the murder victims, and Clive flashes back to his interview with Cavanaugh. Clive recalls his meeting with Wally’s mom, Anna, and how he would sometimes watch Wally while she was at work.
Clive, Liv, and Major interview Winslow, Cindy’s classmate who sent the text that scandalized Cindy’s dad in Major’s vision. Winslow reveals that she and Cindy used to be in ice-skating tomorrow, which meant a lot of early mornings. Clive points out that this means Winslow knew Cindy’s route to practice and could have been the murderer. Winslow argues that she quit ice-skating a year ago, and when Major jumps to her defense, Liv’s vision of the photo is triggered. We learn that Winslow has been sleeping with her step-dad and sent a photo to Cindy. EWW.
Clive sees this as motive for the step-dad to commit murder, to cover up statutory rape. Liv and Clive go to ToriPines Nursery to interview Winslow’s family. Clive notices a large truck in the parking lot, but there’s no damage to it. They interview Winslow’s step-dad, but are interrupted by Winslow and Tori, Winslow’s mom. Clive produces a warrant for Winslow’s phone.
Back in the Lab, Liv gives Ravi a pep-talk about Peyton and Blaine. Her dad-like advice? Ravi is a cool guy and just needs to be honest with Peyton.
Clive shows up to report that Winslow has received a citation for driving without a license in a stick-shift car, which her step-dad had said earlier she didn’t even know how to drive. Winslow is back to being a suspect in the murder of Cindy and her father.
Flashback to another memory of Clive hanging out with Wally and Anna. This time the subtext is clear: Clive and Anna were attracted to each other (and Wally was totally cool with it). However, Anna, moved to escape her ex, leaving Clive behind.
Tori and Winslow show up at the police station. Tori is now aware of the affair and reports that Ken, her husband, has taken off. Winslow says she broke things off with Ken, and had confided in Cindy. Tori says she noticed that Ken took the bush bumpers off the truck and may have been hiding evidence. The tech from earlier shows up with Winslow’s deleted texts, scavenged from the phone, and they are incriminating. The tech guy hints that even though it seems that way, Ken may not have been the murderer.
A secret app on Winslow’s phone meant for tracking their every move reveals that it was actually Tori who was aware of Mr. Chen’s intentions of going to the police with the photo his daughter Cindy had on her phone. Tori breaks down and reveals that she is the killer, and lays blame on Winslow for her selfish actions.
While Clive and Liv are discuss the case afterwards, Ravi comes to alert them that while listening to the Chuck Berd show, there are reports of zombies. Upon further research, Clive finds out that one of the callers lived next door to Wally’s family. Clive and Liv immediately go to investigate. The caller reveals that someone hacked his phone and posted the zombie-next-door’s address on a message board. Shortly after, the family was killed.
Over at Filmore-Graves, Vivian is dismayed by the news from Clive and Liv. Clive gets a call to come pick up Ken, who was found in Tacoma at a gas station. Cavanaugh shows up to conclude his interview with Clive.
All-in-all, this was a great episode and sets up a lot of excitement for next week’s installment. Will we see Peyton and Blaine? Where were they this week? Will Clive figure out who killed Wally and his family? Will Major get a more defined six-pack? Will Liv realize that Filmore-Graves seems a lot shadier than she originally thought?