iZombie Introduction
Seasons:
Season 1 consists of 13 episodes that aired between 17th March 2015 and 9th June 2015. Season 2 aired on The CW from 6th October 2015.
Violence Rating:
As you would expect from a series where the main character is a coroner who eats brains to solve crimes, iZombie features moderate scenes of violence, murder and autopsies , as well as images of various culinary concoctions involving brains
Reviews:
iZombie received an 8/10 rating from IMDB and a 91% approval rating from Rotten Tomatoes. Over 2.29 million viewers tuned in to watch the pilot and iZombie continued to attract between 1.45 and 1.99 million viewers throughout its first season run of 13 episodes.
Awards:
iZombie won the 2015 mtvU Fandom Award for “Best New Fandom of the Year” and has been nominated for “Choice TV: Breakout Show” at the upcoming Teen Choice Awards
Synopsis:
Based upon the Vertigo published comics of the same name, iZombie follows the undead life of Olivia Moore. Affectionately known as “Liv”, this up and coming medical resident had a promising career and a devoted fiancé until she attended an ill-fated boat party.
During this party the guests suddenly begin to transform into zombies and attack their fellow partygoers. Liv attempts to flee the boat but is scratched before she falls into the water. Upon waking up in a beachside body bag the next morning, Liv realises she is a zombie who must eat brains to avoid deteriorating into a flesh-craving monster.
Joining the undead
Now a member of the living undead, Liv separates from her fiancé, abandons her medical career and takes a job in a coroner’s office where she can satiate her hunger for brains. After eating these brains, Liv is able to experience the memories of the deceased and absorbs some of their skills as well as other aspects of their personality.
Zombie detective?
Using these newfound talents, Liv helps Seattle detective Clive Babineaux to solve crimes whilst simultaneously searching for a cure to her living undead condition with the help of her only confidante, forensic pathologist Dr. Ravi Chakrabarti.
Characters:
Liv is a crime solving zombie who works at the King’s County Medical Examiner’s Office in order to have constant access to brains. Played by Rose McIver, Liv is the protagonist of the series who has transformed from an over-achieving, highly ambitious medical student into an isolated, monotone and pessimistic individual after being turned into a zombie.
Partners against crime
However, after her living undead secret is revealed to forensic pathologist Dr. Ravi Chakrabarti who offers to help her find a cure, and Detective Clive Babineaux utilises her services to solve murders, Liv’s personality shifts and she becomes more positive now that she has a purpose and there is hope for a cure to her condition.
A former vice detective now working in the homicide department of the Seattle Police Department, Detective Clive Babineaux is portrayed by actor Malcolm Goodwin. Babineaux solves crimes with the help of Liv under the belief that she is a psychic rather than a zombie.
Although sceptical at first, the accuracy of Liv’s visions and their subsequent success at closing unsolved homicide cases leads Babineaux to seek Liv’s help on a weekly basis!
Portrayed by Rahul Kohli, Dr. Ravi Chakrabarti is a forensic pathologist with the King County Medical Examiner’s Office and the only person who knows that Liv is a zombie. Ravi has suspected that Liv is a zombie for some time and his theories are confirmed after he walks in on her eating brains at the coroner’s office.
Zombie psychic detective
When Detective Babineaux sees Liv experiencing a brains-induced vision concerning an unidentified corpse in the morgue, Ravi proclaims that Liv is a psychic to protect her secret. Throughout the series Ravi and Liv become close friends as he helps her to solve crimes and continues to search for a cure to her zombie affliction.
The main antagonist of the first season, Blaine DeBeers is a fellow zombie who is portrayed by actor David Anders. Unlike Liv who is desperate to cure her condition, Blaine relishes his undead life and utilises his newfound powers to gain power over others, to exact revenge and to improve his current social standing.
Major Lilywhite is a social worker who attended the University of Washington with Liv and Peyton. Major later became Liv’s fiancé but she left him for his own protection after turning into a zombie.
However, Major does not realise that Liv is a zombie and as such continues to have feelings for her. Portrayed by Robert Buckley, Major is caring and extremely protective of others; traits which dramatically alter the course of his life as season one progresses.
Portrayed by Aly Michalka, Peyton Charles is Liv’s best friend and roommate. Peyton and Liv met at the University of Washington where they attended the same sorority; Mu Theta Zeta. Peyton works as an Assistant District Attorney for the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office; a position which comes in useful for Liv and her friends as the series progresses
Stressed Zombie
Although Peyton does not understand Liv’s sudden career change and personality shift, she associates it with post traumatic stress disorder following the events of the boat party and continues to provide support wherever possible.
“Pilot” | “Brother, Can You Spare a Brain?” | “The Exterminator” | “Liv and Let Clive” | “Flight of the Living Dead” | “Virtual Reality Bites” | “Maternity Liv” | “Dead Air” | “Patriot Brains” | “Mr. Berserk” | “Astroburger” | “Dead Rat, Live Rat, Brown Rat, White Rat” | “Blaine’s World”
ZombiePit Verdict:
Regardless of whether you have read the comic books or never even heard of this franchise before, you should set aside at least an hour of your week to watch iZombie. With intricate storylines and compelling characters, this gripping drama offers the perfect combination of witty zombie satire and immersive crime solving mystery.
Without a shadow of a doubt iZombie is completely different to anything else you will see on television at the moment, and its addictive plot twists that are delivered by a stellar cast will have you waiting with bated breath for the next episode!
