Warning: This article contains spoilers, undead and otherwise, for the iZombie episode “Zombie Knows Best.” Go find some brains to eat if you haven’t watched yet.
“I have mercenary training, god.”
While Detective Cavanaugh ran point on investigating the zombie deaths, Liv and Clive got their first case of season three: a father and daughter car crash. The accident was deliberately caused by another driver, so it was time to eat some brains and solve some murders. Liv ate the dad’s brains because she didn’t want teenage girl brains, which meant those were saved for Major (lol). They had to be able to get both points of view to solve the mystery, after all.
The Meal
For this batch o’ brains, Liv whipped up a chili sauce for hot dogs. I sort of hope this series ends with her collecting her brain recipes into a cookbook and making thousands of dollars selling copies to fellow zombies. Anyway, the brain chili sauce looked appetizing. Bonus: Clive got to see his first zombie meal, and his reactions were priceless.
Major
Major on teenage girl brain was everything I didn’t know I needed to see. We might not get much of Liv and Major teaming up like this, but it’s a fantastic concept that changes up the formulaic portion of the series.
The brain Major dined on belonged to a competitive ice skater. We haven’t seen him wrestle with as many dietary side effects as Liv, so this brain was perfect for him. The girl was insecure, obsessed with taking selfies, and ready to dole out advice—and all of it transferred to Major. When he noticed Ravi was stressing over the Peyton situation, he shut Ravi’s guilt down. He approached the situation like only a dramatic teen would—his feedback was exaggerated and overflowing with attitude, but if you cut off all the fat and distill it, he wasn’t wrong. Teenage girl brain makes some damn good points.
Teenage girl brain also meant Major was not his usual self in the locker room at Fillmore Graves. He stared at other mercenaries and compares his abs to their abs. He compulsively took selfies. He had some impulse issues. Robert Buckley performed the hell out of the comedic situation.
Liv
On the other side of the table, Liv’s dad brain was supportive and upbeat. She started giving everyone around her mini pep talks and words of encouragement. She was also ready to fix anything because the dad was apparently the handy sort. After the pile of shit Liv’s been through in recent weeks, this brain was exactly what she needed. The positivity, the ability to repair problems and feel like she’s in control… these were good qualities for her to absorb right now. Right brain at the right time.
Because of the father daughter aspect, the interactions between Liv and Major were hilarious. It reminds me of so many relationships I’ve seen in real life. Major kept layering on the drama and being insecure, and Liv was endlessly patient. She put her foot down when she needed to—especially when Major talked about the mixed brain tubes the mercenaries eat to avoid visions and side effects—but mostly she lifted the esteem of everyone around her.
It’s the type of personality I wouldn’t have appreciated when I was a teenager, but now? We could all benefit from having someone in life who always has our backs and will give us a boost. It has to be a two-way street, though; not one person sucking the marrow out of another person’s kindness.
I always learn a little something from the brains our leads eat on iZombie. This time, aside from being reminded of the hormone-induced stress of teenage life, I considered the importance of kindness. Dad brain was enthusiastic towards everyone. I know a couple people who are supportive towards a seemingly impossibly large group of friends and marvel at their energy. My introvert self can’t work on quite that scale, but I can be more of a positive force. We all can.
Did you like seeing Major act like a teenage girl? What about Liv’s fatherly turn? Head to the comments and let me know your thoughts on the episode.
Images: The CW
