Rose McIver
iZombie, Season 1, Episode 4: “Liv and Let Clive”
Written by Kit Boss
Directed by John Kretchmer
Airs Tuesdays at 9pm (ET) on The CW
Despite Blaine’s protests to the contrary, it was clear early on that he was up to no good, something Liv picked up on instinctively. As a human, Blaine was a drug pusher, and as a zombie, his criminal tendencies were not only still intact, but had seemingly expanded to include extortion and murder. This week’s episode shows the full extent of Blaine’s growing criminal empire, and the lengths he’s going to to get brains, in an enjoyable episode that also fleshes out some of Clive Babineax’s history.
Blaine continues to be a fascinating character, and the insight provided towards his operations this week paint an intriguing picture. While earlier episodes indicated that Blaine saw his zombification as an opportunity to expand his criminal activities, this week’s episode provides a stark look at how far he’s willing to go to establish his new empire. Blaine’s expansion provides a particular contrast to Liv’s insistence on hiding her zombie nature and trying to use it to do good. With Blaine ruthlessly filling up his army, it will be intriguing to see how Liv plays into his plans. While her instincts about him were correct, and his actions would have likely continued down this road no matter what, it’s possible Liv may feel guilty down the road for not providing brains when she had the chance, especially if she sees the deaths of others as a byproduct of her refusal to work with Blaine. It will be particularly interesting to see how Liv reacts to the knowledge of Blaine’s activities. While she is likely to be enraged at the senseless murders Blaine perpetuated to ensure the steady supply of brains, Liv will also have to come to terms with the new set of zombies Blaine turned to do his dirty work. It will also be intriguing to see how the city, and Clive, reacts to the discovery of dead bodies with their brains missing, as Blaine must be doing something with them.
Rose McIver, Rahul Kohli
Speaking of Clive, it’s good to get some further backstory on him this week. While his dedication to finding killers has been apparent, not much was known about his career in law enforcement pre-Liv before this week. The events of the episode, however, go a long way towards explaining the animosity the Homicide department held towards him, as well as his insistence on sticking with the transfer despite the trouble he had closing cases in the pilot. It also helps prove that Babineaux is a good officer interested in clearing up the streets, which could make him a valuable ally for Liv down the road. Clive’s time working undercover indicates that he’s capable of handling himself in dangerous situations, and combined with his genuine concern for Liv’s well-being, makes him someone who has both the skills and investment to stand with Liv against Blaine. While Ravi is also a helpful ally to Liv, his interactions with Mandy last week prove that he’d be physically unable to keep up with zombies, making him a potential liability in case of a fight. Clive, however, has proven he can hold his own, and even though he hasn’t fought a zombie before, he’s more likely to be able to do so than Ravi, a skill that may come in handy down the line.
Overall, this episode does a great job at fleshing out the world of iZombie. It’s good to see Liv interacting with her brother, and fact that Liv has a more relaxed relationship with her sibling than anyone else from her old life, including Peyton and Major, could possibly be an indicator that he’ll be playing a bigger role as the show progresses. It’s also fun to see the preservation instinct that prevents Liv from exposing her brother to cadaver dissection also kicks in when his life is in danger, in a nice bit of symmetry between her human side and zombie side. It’s also fascinating to observe Blaine’s zombies. With many of Blaine’s minions looking healthier than either him or Liv, it seems clear that the sooner a zombie eats brains, the less inhuman they look, which will make them harder to spot. Having Ravi and Major staying together is also an intriguing prospect, and one that brings Major closer into the show’s orbit. How Ravi’s perception of Major and his relationship to Liv is affected by his shift could also be amusing to see. While he’s been pretty hands-off with advice to Liv on what to do, he has expressed that he’s unsure of her decision to stay far away from him. Getting to know Major better might reinforce that opinion, or it might cause him to see things from Liv’s perspective. Wherever he lands on the issue is bound to affect the relationship, as he can be a force for bringing them together or keeping them apart, and how things play out with this new dynamic will be worth keeping an eye on as the season continues.
– Deepayan Sengupta